How did your sharpening system develop?

[Chris Griggs]

Like many, I technically started with sandpaper (using and eclipse style guide), but that didn't last more than a couple months. As soon as I realized I liked handtools I bought a norton 1k/8k combo stone. This served me very well for couple years, and though I no longer use it I still have it. I eventually got an MKII guide but that was also right about the time I got my 6" grinder. I sold the MKII about a month after I got it as I quickly started to prefer free-handing once i got my grinder (though I did keep the eclipse).

Not long after I started freehand sharpening I met Archie who was just getting into water stone and boy DID HE GET INTO STONES. Through him I tried Sigmas, Chosera's, and Besters, and Gesshins, as well as arkansas stones.

I ended up with a couple arks of my own as well as a couple sigmas and Naniwas of my own.

Today my primary method of tools is grinder (when needed) to chosera 800 to Naniwa Snow white 8k and then if I need and ultra fine edge (smoothers and parers) to my .5 micron chromium oxide. I mostly freehand on the hollow grind but have started to pull out my eclipse guide from time to time for certain blades. I still have a set of nice oil stones including newish india's, halls arks (soft and surgical black), as well a fantastic Pike No. 1 Washita that Dave Weaver sold me for a song. While I do like to bring my black ark down to the shop from time to time (and do love my oil stones in general) I mostly use my oil stones for knives and straight razors. For tools I have a strong personal​ (though not specific) preferance for a setup that involves a hollow grind and a pair of sythnetic stones.

[Matthew Hills]

... I have absolutely zero desire to find a method other than the one that I'm currently using (Sellers'). It is freehand, quick, easy, and consistent. I don't know if the convex bevel makes the edge any stronger or not, but I like it for the other reasons.

I'd be surprised if the convex bevel is stronger than putting on a flat primary bevel at the same angle as you've got with the convex bevel... but people seem to get good results and are happy with the expediency and being able to get back to work.


My steps:
1. Borg sharpening stone + honing oil (with some irwin chisels and a stanley handyman plane)
2. Polar Bear 1k/6k combination waterstone from Woodcraft. Had trouble with flattening. (Norton pink flattening brick no good; ended up using DMT whetstones from local hardware stores). Used a Veritas Mk II sharpening jig, but a bit frustrated with some tools skewing a bit. Had a LN block plane and some Ashley Iles chisels by this point.
3. Worksharp 3000. Worked okay for some tools narrow enough for the port, but I disliked working on the top side
4. Schtoo: sigma stones + atoma plate for flattening. Work well. (I am also using an eclipse-style guide in the Deneb/Charlesworth styles if I am using a guide).
5. Added a 7" vintage grinder -- mostly for major reshaping, such as removing chips or putting on a lot of camber for a jack-scrub plane. I don't grind most of my other blades.

From reading the other posts, seems like anyone should be able to slide through the various options quite cheaply by just borrowing the previous guy's cast-offs...

Matt

[Zach Dillinger]

I started with an old oilstone that I found at a yard sale. I rapidly progressed to waterstones. I used them for a while before realizing that it made very little sense (to me, anyway) to expose my steel tools to large amounts of water, so I went back to oilstones. I purchased some quality stones and I've found a couple of really high end stones at antique stores, including a lovely German razor stone. I now finish on a trans ark I bought from a guy on Craiglist then run it over a piece of 4" wide leather belting to strop it down. Works very well. I just found some more pieces of that belting (thought I passed on all my spare pieces), I should let some go.

[Tim Put]

1: Scary sharp like most. Later I added a diamond paste loaded MDF strop
2: Switched out the sandpaper for DMT stones, then EZE-lap when I discovered they're both better and cheaper.
3: Added an excessive amount of grinding equipment, a felt wheel, and made some MDF wheels
Plus a disturbing amount of miscellany.

Presently I grind every bevel (including my Japanese bench chisels) with a freshly dressed coarse grey 6" wheel, followed by a (freehanded) touch on a 1200 grit eze-lap, followed by either: the felt wheel for carving tools and knives, an MDF wheel for most other things, or one of too many other options for touch up at the bench.

My felt and MDF wheels are on bolts that fit the quick change adapter Beall sells. The grey wheel is on the other side of the same grinder.

[Erik Christensen]

Started with a Tormek - great for lathe chisels but not fast enough for planes. Added veritas jig and norton 4k/8k stones and see no need for anything more. If I need to remove a nick in the blade or regrind the hollow bevel I use the Tormek - for the edge touchups every hour while working the Nortons let me get back to work in just a few minutes. I tried the hand sharpening like in the Rob C videos - it worked but my inability to keep a consistent micro-bevel meant I had to break out the Tormek more often to start from scratch with a fresh hollow grind.

I am good as long as I keep my eyes closed and don't start looking at any other vodeos.

[Steve Friedman]

Wow, great thread. Here's my progression (sort of):

1. Started with 2 x 6 DMT Dia-Sharp plates and leather strop because it was just for carving knives.
2. Added DMT Duo-Sharp and Veritas Mk II honing guide after I got my first hand plane.
3. Added Viel 1 x 42 belt sander from Lee Valley
4. Added extra Viel jigs directly from the company
5. Added Veritas MK II power sharpener
6. Added Norton 200 grit water stone
7. Added Wet/Dry sandpaper on granite tile
8. Added Klingspor PSA sandpaper on glass
9. Added Diamond Paste with Kanaban plates
10. Added 7" slow speed Baldor Grinder
11. Added 12 " x 18" x 3" granite plate
12. Added Eclipse-style honing jig
13. Added PSA micro-abrasives on the granite
14. Added Norton 3X sandpaper with spray adhesive on the granite
15. Added 3M Gold PSA sandpaper on the granite
16. Added Richard Kell honing guides
17. Added Sigma Ceramic 1200-6000-13000 with Atoma #400 diamond plate
18. Added Sigma Ceramic #400 to flatten backs
19. Added Atoma #140 diamond plate to flatten the Sigma #400
20. Added Suehiro Cerax #320 and Sigma #120
21. Removed one of the grinder wheels and replaced it with a 6" leather wheel
22. Added Spyderco Medium - Fine - Ultra Fine stones
22. Removed the other grinder wheel and replaced it with two felt wheels - a medium and hard carver's wheel (from Lee Valley). Removed the housing from the grinder.
23. Added Shapton Pro #1000
24. The latest - just received from Gerd Fritsche his new honing guide.

Obviously, most of my sharpening stuff is just gathering dust. My current process for straight blades is:

3M Gold PSA sandpaper on granite in 80, 120, 220, and 400 grit.
Suehiro Cerax #320 (sometimes)
Sigma Ceramic #400 - #1200 - #6000 - #13000
No Stropping after the #13000

I will be playing with Gerd Fritsche's honing guide this week, but for most blades I currently use the Eclipse-style guide. For spokeshave blades and narrow chisels I prefer the Kell Guides. I only use the Veritas Mk II for skew blades.

My process for curved blades is still evolving. For now, it's a combination of Spyderco stones and a collection of round and flat wooden sticks with various grit abrasive and leather glued on.

Steve

[Derek Cohen]

I cannot resist ...

My handtool fascination really began about 18 years ago. Before then I was a powertool user and Normite. My chisel collection consisted of disposable Stanleys - you know, the one's with the yellow handles. Buy one, use until dull, then use another. I built up a fine collection of dull iron. What did I know about sharpening - I had an old double-sided oilstone ... coarse and "fine". Occasionally I would freehand the bevel at some vague angle. Thank God I never needed this tool very often!

Eventually I learned about the Eclipse and discovered sandpaper .... and the sun came out. The rest, as they say, is history.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[Roy Lindberry]

From reading the other posts, seems like anyone should be able to slide through the various options quite cheaply by just borrowing the previous guy's cast-offs...

Matt

Ain't that the truth.

[Archie England]

You know, there's another fellow who evidently has the same name as you--but's he quite the hand tool expect and I would imagine him to have never done such as you've done

Wow, I'm thrilled to know there's hope for me!! You started later in life and look how great you're doing now. That's truly encouraging. Thank you for that testimony.

Archie near NOLA

[John Coloccia]

I basically bought everything, and then slowly got rid of what I didn't like or need.

[Leigh Betsch]

I did a lot of stuff. Then I just listened to George a do what he does.

[Winton Applegate]

I have two alternative answers just for the fun of it :
Oh I just have my tool valet sharpen my blades.
Oh I just have my girl friend sharpen my blades when she comes over.

I am posting a photo of my flat strops (oh and there is that 1200 red water stone the one I started out with). there is no big reason to glue the leather down. I used a couple of brass counter sink screws on each end and if you look close there was no reason to "make a nice wood base for it" that is just some old very rough but flat pine I hacked a handle into way back in the day. Tres gitterdone.

And there is my wonderful to look at trans Ark. Isn't she pretty ?

[David Weaver]

Started with kings, went to shaptons and a bench grinder. That's pretty much it.

[Steve Friedman]

Started with kings, went to shaptons and a bench grinder. That's pretty much it.

Yeah, right! Nice try.

Steve

[David Weaver]

Yeah, right! Nice try.

Steve

Those were the parts that count! Those and an eclipse guide that I still use sometimes for precise finish smoother sharpening. Pretty much everything else has been for play. Haven't really improved on the grinder and two shapton stone setup.

First thing I watched ever about woodworking was a couple of charlesworth DVDs that someone loaned me (one was the plane sharpening video), and I never had to go through anything with a dull tool. That was helpful, it was easy to see hand tools were more intuitive right away, and there was never that hurdle where they seemed difficult to use.