My grandpa's sharpening advice finally clicked after I ruined a chisel

Last month I was trying to sharpen a chisel for a dovetail joint and it just kept catching. My grandpa always said 'let the stone do the work, don't push so hard' but I never listened. I had this cheap $12 chisel from a hardware store and kept grinding at it for 20 minutes. Finally I backed off the pressure and let the water stone glide slow. The edge came out clean and I didn't have to start over. Anyone else get handed advice that took a few tries to actually understand?

3 comments

3 Comments

derek_perez16d ago

Slow and steady wins that sharp edge, now get back at it.

jamesf4116d ago

My buddy Mike once spent three hours sharpening a single chisel and still managed to nick his thumb pretty bad when he got impatient at the end. @derek_perez is right that the patience part is the real trick, but I swear the moment you think "almost done" is when things go sideways. I started timing my sharpening sessions with a cheap kitchen timer after that.

noaht1515d ago

The timer idea actually works for more than just sharpening - it also keeps you from obsessing over a perfect edge that's already good enough. Derek_Perez has the right mindset about pacing yourself.