Hesitate to ask a sharpening question

[Jim Koepke]

Currently all my blades are sharpened with a fairly loosey goosey 'system.'

Is this video implying if my sharpening 'system' were abandon for a sharpening ritual my results would improve?

jtk

[Patrick Chase]

The man does excellent work. I fail to see how some folks here can have an elitist attitude and start nit picking his work. Seriously. So what if the guy tries to make a little money. Personally I do watch many of his video's and usually learn something from them. If you want to complain about him using a jig or machine tools then I think you should continue with those comments on many of the other threads around here including Brians, stevens, Patricks, etc. and let them know just how you feel about their use of such things. No - he's no more Japanese than Brian or Stanley

I think that certain forms are criticism are more valid than others. While I wouldn't (and didn't) criticize someone for choosing to work as the person in that video did, I think that both he and the poster are fair game on the following points:

1. Posting something so thoroughly power-tool-oriented in the Neander forum. It's OT, period.

2. Billing something made with Western power tools and methods (screws under cosmetic pegs!) as "Japanese" or "Samurai". If I'd spent as much time learning real Japanese methods as Stanley and Brian I'd be pretty offended, too. It's a particularly grotesque form of cultural appropriation.

I think there's also some room for mild snark about the production values of that video :-).

With all of that said the whole thing reeks of trolling, so I suspect we're giving Mr Steele exactly what he wants right now.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

That bamboo water dribbler Japanese tea ceremony thing can not possibly be meant seriously. The whole thing is obviously a joke (maybe making gentle fun of the ridiculous lengths some of us go to in search of the perfect edge?).

It made me laugh anyway.

[andy bessette]

So Neanderthals are not allowed to use ANY power tools? Seems overly restrictive.

[Nicholas Lawrence]

This part of the forum is dedicated to hand tools only, so the power stuff is more appropriate in one of the other forums. That is all they are saying.

[Stanley Covington]

So Neanderthals are not allowed to use ANY power tools? Seems overly restrictive.

I think the point is not that powertools are of the devil, but rather that no handtools were used in the woodworking portion of the video other than to make some decorative shavings. Obviously, this fact makes the woodworking portion of the video less relevant to this forum, IMO. But not the entire video, I am sure. I don't object to either his use of powertools, or their inclusion in the video. I simply want to know the purpose of posting it.

Clearly, Mr. Steel went to a lot of trouble and some expense to make the video. Some explanation of his choice of stones shown in the video would be both very relevant to this thread and informative.

Stan

[Jim Koepke]

I think that certain forms are criticism are more valid than others. While I wouldn't (and didn't) criticize someone for choosing to work as the person in that video did, I think that both he and the poster are fair game on the following points:

1. Posting something so thoroughly power-tool-oriented in the Neander forum. It's OT, period.

2. Billing something made with Western power tools and methods (screws under cosmetic pegs!) as "Japanese" or "Samurai". If I'd spent as much time learning real Japanese methods as Stanley and Brian I'd be pretty offended, too. It's a particularly grotesque form of cultural appropriation.

I think there's also some room for mild snark about the production values of that video :-).

With all of that said the whole thing reeks of trolling, so I suspect we're giving Mr Steele exactly what he wants right now.

You left out number 3:

3. Posting a plug for his site to sell plans for projects.

jtk

[Patrick Chase]

So Neanderthals are not allowed to use ANY power tools? Seems overly restrictive.

No, and that's why I said "so thoroughly power-tool oriented". I think it's safe to say that many of us use power tools as enablers, to speed up some time-consuming steps so that we can spend time doing the "fun stuff". IMO there's nothing wrong with that, provided that we recognize that the Neander forum is not the appropriate place in which to discuss it, except tangentially here and there (or in jest :-).

So to recap: Power tools are fine. Neander forum posts/videos that are mostly about power tools are problematic.

[Brian Holcombe]

My only qualm with it is that he calls himself the Samurai carpenter, I find it to be in poor taste. Other than that I don't begrudge the man of his approach.

[Brian Holcombe]

The man does excellent work. I fail to see how some folks here can have an elitist attitude and start nit picking his work. Seriously. So what if the guy tries to make a little money. Personally I do watch many of his video's and usually learn something from them. If you want to complain about him using a jig or machine tools then I think you should continue with those comments on many of the other threads around here including Brians, stevens, Patricks, etc. and let them know just how you feel about their use of such things. No - he's no more Japanese than Brian or Stanley

...a man can build a thousand bridges but the minute he buys a 20" bandsaw he's a machine tool woodworker!?!

[Dave Zellers]

My only qualm with it is that he calls himself the Samurai carpenter, I find it to be in poor taste. Other than that I don't begrudge the man of his approach.

But Brian, he's got a bamboo dribbler!

[andy bessette]

My own take on the video was perhaps more open minded insofar as, like me, he used a combination of hand and power tools to get the job done. Especially that the whole purpose of his project was to organize the equipment needed to sharpen his hand tools!

On a daily basis I use Japanese saws, various hand planes, chisels, plus a long list of other hand tools. Nevertheless, most of the chips in the trash at the end of the day were produced by my machines, the bandsaw, table saw, radial arm saw, thickness plane, drill press, etc. At 73, I consider myself a thoroughly modern neanderthal. And cannot begrudge a true craftsman who uses the right tool for the job.

[ken hatch]

My only qualm with it is that he calls himself the Samurai carpenter, I find it to be in poor taste. Other than that I don't begrudge the man of his approach.

Brian,

IIRC in some of his other videos he is in what most Westerners conceder full Samurai regalia. It's not worth my time to check if IIRC but bottom line his videos are woodworking porn and a joke. I hope he makes enough money off the posting to pay for all that equipment. Don't cha love marketing.

ken

[Prashun Patel]

In one of his videos he explains how he got that name. It's a tongue-in-cheek reference, in good taste or not.

[michael langman]

In the right place, at the right time, I think his video could be some what acceptable.

But to post that video into this discussion seems utterly rude and unacceptable to me. I am surprised that it was not removed from the post, because it is so self serving and improper to the discussion at hand.

Now I see why the original poster was so hesitant to post a sharpening question.