Sharpening

[Tapper]

Didn't mean to scare everybody off! Any comments - pros, cons?

Thanks,

Doug

[Hank Knight]

Morning Gents,

.....

What is evident from all the comments is that there are at least several different ways to do this and get a very sharp edge.

.....

Doug

After many years off searching for the perfect edge and spending lots of money, I finally came to Doug's conclusion. All of these methods work if you learn how to use them. The mistake I made - over and over - was to get impatient and frustrated with the current "best" sharpening method if I did't get the edges I wanted fairly quickly, and I'd start looking for the next "best" method. I went from oil stones early on to scary sharp sandpaper on glass, to water stones, to a Tormek all with various jigs and widgets to make them work. I was able to get decent edges with some of them, but disliked them for one reason or another. Cost, effort required and the mess they made were my principal, complaints. I've finally come full circle back to water stones. I use a 10" Norton combination coarse aluminum, oxide and fine India stone and finish with a translucent Arkansas stone and a horse butt strop charged with green polishing compound. It's a simple, clean, effective regimen that's relatively inexpensive compared to the cost of Tormeks, Work Sharps, Etc., and It gives me very sharp edges. I can't remember when I last used my Tormek. If I need to completely regrind a bevel, I have a 10" Sioux bench grinder that I bought cheap at an estate auction, but any decent bench grinder will do just fine. I do use a Veritas Mark II Jig occasionally and find it good for correcting the bevel before it gets out of hand and for adding a micro bevel if you like that idea (I don't). I use this regimen for all my edge tools (except for my Japanese chisels which is another story altogether). The key is learning how to use this stuff. Patience and a gentle even touch are the keys. Chasing sharpening Nirvana is expensive and frustrating. My advice is to find a method that you like and stick with it until you master it. They all work.

[Ricky]

I've settled on the paul sellers method for plane blades using diamond plates and strop.  I might get a jig for smaller blades that I don't use often,
such as spoke shaves.  I got a highly worn/used set of Norton waterstones that I now only use for kitchen knives on the kitchen sink.  I splurged on
a 12K shapton stone that I doubt will get much use. Impulse buy.