Lie Nielsen A2 issue?

[Chris Griggs]

It is mostly used for shooting end grain. It has had often developed nicks or chips. It is honed at 25º. The chipping seems to have diminished as it has been honed over time. Mostly it is just touched up as needed. Not any heavy grinding to remove a lot of metal.

My experience using using A2 honed at 25 degrees in my LV LA Jack mirrors this. When it was new it didn't hold well at 25 degrees so I reground it to 30 or so degrees. But after a couple years of owning it, I decided to see of I could duplicate Derek's experience of having A2 hold at 25. I reground to 25 and haven't raised it since. It holds fine at that angle now and I suspect that the regrinding of the angles (along with a number of honing and grindings over a couple years) got me past some of the less nice steel.

[Warren Mickley]

Warren,who was the book binder you met? I also gave some more sharpening lessons in that shop about 1983. That's where I met my wife,who I've been with 30 years now. I taught her to sharpen her spokeshave blade. The only guys I can think of who were there at the time are Bruce Plumley,the master,Bob Lyon,and possibly another guy who's name just escapes me right now,though I know it perfectly well. The benefits of codeine!!

You are bringing back memories, George. I worked with a young man on sharpening a spokeshave; I gathered that he had not been there very long. I think he felt that the shop was a little lacking in expertise at that time, but I was nevertheless quite impressed with the the shop and the spirit of the workers. I remember another young man from that year, and yes, I remember an interesting young woman. I made it to the instrument makers shop also.

In January I talked to journeyman Dale at the shop. I think he has been there since before 1983. I still enjoy going to the bookbinder shop.

[george wilson]

Dale is still there. You might have met my soon to be wife,Dawn. A slender 5' 2" young woman with very short hair at the time,wearing glasses. The other young woman was a bit chubby. She's gone.

I spent some time training Dawn,my future wife,to sharpen her spokeshave there in the shop. It was a great way to get acquainted!!

[Patrick Carpenter]

I don't know much about A2 v O1, but sometimes irons need to be sharpened several times to grind away the over brittle edges on new steel. The thin leading edge may cause problems on a new blade. How often have yoy sharpened it since you acquired it?

Only a handful of times. Probably not enough to get down to the "good steel" if that is indeed the problem. It doesn't seem to be chipping, like it's overly brittle though. It's more like deformation/rolling. Still, probably wouldn't hurt to take it back a bit and see if it helps any. Thanks for the info.

[Glenn Samuels]

George, thank you for the explanation is this information is new to me.
Glenn

[Winton Applegate]

What is your sharpening setup?

I go total wimp.
A jig
Too many stones (Shaptons)
A natural nagura stone (I can't tell you where to get one maybe David can)
No strop.

I can sharpen by hand. I sharpen my pocket knives, kitchen knives, all kinds of drill bits, and cutters at work on the fly by hand with diamond paddles (when the boss isn't looking INCLUDING THE BOSS's dull assed cobalt bits).

The black tool role with the diamond paddles, and little file I use at work. At home I use the Drill Doctor for drill bits. Why ? Because I am not stupid; that's why.
We don't have one at work.
BUT
When it comes to PLANE BLADES I have gone back to using a jig.
THE EDGE CUTS BETTER, LONGER with no chatter or tear out when I pick the right edge geometry for the wood and typed of cut.
Note the secondary / micro bevel angle written on the blade in magic marker in my previous post. No guessing. For the wood I work it makes a huge difference to hit everything right every time.

[Winton Applegate]

25° factory angle so far.

For the crazy hard stuff that "I learned on" note I am using a 46° micro bevel. For bevel up.
Ha, ha,
I don't recommend that for most wood, i.e., for walnut down to 30° but when you hit the highly figured stuff basically huge knots, basically that is end grain, right . . . you got to go steeper and or get fancy with other techniques.

What I recommend is learn the requirements of the wood that is in front of you. It can be different for "the same wood" from batch to batch. Different mineral content . . . even slightly different species from batch to batch etc.

Practice on the wood you have in front of you BEFORE you start the project. Even then you may find your self changing angles some during the project.

My super hard japanese temple builders chisel that I used when building the purple heart work bench required me to get up around 35° when I used it to pare the 3 inch dovetails and other joints because the edge was folding up just like your LN A2.