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Thread: Show me your sharp

  1. #1
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    Show me your sharp

    I see so many threads on sharpening, all of which have 100 different opinions on how to sharpen something. How about we have a little friendly competition to see who can sharpen the best. There will be three categories: Planes, Saws, and Other Tools.

    Planes will be judged on thickness of shaving. You must post a picture of the shaving captive in a micrometer reading actual thickness of the shaving, and also an image showing that the shaving is at least 12" (one foot) long and fully intact. Contest only open to hand planes- no electronic-powered planes will be considered. Any ties in thickness will be broken by a judgement of the length and smoothness of the shaving itself. Ties will be judged solely by me. I reserve the right to judge solely on my own opinion and not actual fact. Whether or not I had coffee the morning of judging may impact my ability to make a logical decision, but you must agree to accept it.

    Saws will be judged on smoothness of finished cut. Post a picture of the piece cut, and the saw with which you cut it. (Yes, I know that this will favor saws with fewer teeth, but I need to keep the competition simple.) Contest is only open to hand saws- no electronic-powered saws will be considered. Judgement will be made by members and is subject to absolutely erroneous misinterpretation of how smooth your cut really is, even if the picture clearly shows that yours is the smoothest, because you know somehow that's going to happen, so I might as well include it in the rules up front. There will be two categories: Rip and Crosscut. Any use of a shooting board/plane, or other plane to smooth the edge will result in immediate disqualification. Only the raw cut from the saw will be acceptable for judging.

    Other Tools will be judged on photographic evidence presented by the sharpener of how this tool performs better with your method of sharpening. Contest is only open to hand tools. no electronic-powered tools will be considered. As above, judgement is open to members and is subject to their ideas of what is sharp and what's not, whether or not their ideas are accurate or factually based, or whether or not they even know how to sharpen said tool. (*Again, you know it will happen, so I'm including it in the rules.)

    NOTE: All entries must include a description of how you sharpened, including specifics of sharpening method, type of medium used, grits, bevel angle, use of secondary bevels (if any), use or non-use of the "ruler trick", and any other pertinent information on your sharpening method. Although this contest is only open to hand tools, it is acceptable to use powered tools during the sharpening of said hand tools.

    The prize will be bragging rights. No monetary or physical prizes will be awarded.

    This contest is solely for the entertainment of the participants and viewers. Void where prohibited, but if sharpening tools and/or entering contests is prohibited where you live, you really need to reconsider where you chose to live. Children under the age of 18 must have approval from their parent or legal guardian. Photos must be your own and must depict tools that you yourself sharpened. Any heated discussions about the "ruler trick" or the true grit of Lee Valley's green chromium oxide will be grounds for immediate disqualification. Use of steroids, blood oxygen boosters, or other performance-enhancing drugs will result in immediate disqualification. Use of any metals or sharpening mediums not found on planet earth will also result in immediate disqualification- because you never know with you guys. All participants are subject to drug testing, which should be interesting, and probably will explain a lot of things about these sharpening threads. Contest may be cancelled at any time and for any reason without notice. Any use of the words "you su--" (rhymes with "new duck") will result in immediate disqualification. There is no fee for entry into this contest, but contestants are more than welcome to send money to my PayPal address. Any discussion of saw nibs, their use, and/or their reason for existence will result in immediate disqualification. Contest ends whenever I feel it should end, or it may never end, much like other sharpening discussions.

    So- who's the sharpest of the sharp?

  2. #2
    Ha ha this is really funny! I am in a skiing resort right now, but will my entry still be valid next week or so?

  3. #3
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    Clarification, please. Does the saw category include hand miter saws/miter box cuts?

  4. #4
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    Use of steroids, blood oxygen boosters, or other performance-enhancing drugs will result in immediate disqualification.
    Is beer considered a "performance-enhancing drug"?

    Fine Shaving 0.0002x?.jpg

    I didn't take a picture of the length of this one. Does that mean another one has to be done for proper entry?

    The plane is a Stanley/Bailey #4 type 6 with a type 11 blade.

    The blade was sharpened free hand on a Norton 1000, King 4000 and a Norton 8000 stone. The stones may or may not have been recently rubbed over some abrasive sheet. The blade was then stropped before returning to service.

    The sharpening was a single bevel without a back bevel. Some who have seen an image of the back of the blade suggest it may have been dubbed a bit.

    It worked, which is about all that really matters to me.

    jtk
    "A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
    - Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)

  5. #5
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    You need to specify the specie of wood to plane. Soft white pine gives much more continuous translucent shavings than red oak.

  6. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Kees Heiden View Post
    Ha ha this is really funny! I am in a skiing resort right now, but will my entry still be valid next week or so?
    Certainly, but I may take off points since you're having fun while the rest of us are working.

    Quote Originally Posted by Phil Mueller View Post
    Clarification, please. Does the saw category include hand miter saws/miter box cuts?
    Absolutely- any hand saw cut is acceptable.

    Quote Originally Posted by Jim Koepke View Post
    Is beer considered a "performance-enhancing drug"?

    Fine Shaving 0.0002x?.jpg

    I didn't take a picture of the length of this one. Does that mean another one has to be done for proper entry?

    The plane is a Stanley/Bailey #4 type 6 with a type 11 blade.

    The blade was sharpened free hand on a Norton 1000, King 4000 and a Norton 8000 stone. The stones may or may not have been recently rubbed over some abrasive sheet. The blade was then stropped before returning to service.

    The sharpening was a single bevel without a back bevel. Some who have seen an image of the back of the blade suggest it may have been dubbed a bit.

    It worked, which is about all that really matters to me.

    jtk

    Rules are rules- it has to be a minimum of 12" with proof, but you're off to a great start there. Beer is not a performance enhancing drug, as I have proven on many occasions.

    Quote Originally Posted by lowell holmes View Post
    You need to specify the specie of wood to plane. Soft white pine gives much more continuous translucent shavings than red oak.
    Species of wood is up to the entrant. I did consider this, and I believe that knowledge is part of the skill of the entrant, and therefore it is fair play.

  7. #7
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    We call this the scimitar but others might say it's a grass hook. I Hope it's eligible for the "Other Tools" category. I seldom use it in the workshop or in the kitchen except to show off and not to shave my arm any more since my wife put her foot down about that, which was probably a good thing. However, it works very well outside on our ungroomed 2 acres where it clears vines and brush better than a machete up to its single-blow limit. It doesn't chop well. The scabbard was an absolute necessity - this thing is deadly when it's loose.

    I originally sharpened it with an assortment of files (flat, round and chainsaw) and wet-or-dry sandpaper in several grits and on various backings. The curve was a real challenge. I'm sure I used more things but it's been a while. For this contest, I took a good look at the accumulated crud which had not been cleaned since the last time it was used several months ago and decided I wasn't going to work that hard. I touched it up for about 10 seconds on a polishing wheel (my "secret weapon" sharpening tool) before slicing the vegetables. The vegetables were at refigerator temperature - they were not frozen - and I think that should be a requirement for any similar entries.

    Scimitar02.jpeg

  8. #8
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    Disston miter saw. 11ppi.

    IMG_0422.jpg IMG_0421.jpg

  9. #9
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    Although I like the idea of such an exercise, I can't see how one could set it up so it's an "apples to apples" comparison. There are far too many variables, which can't be easily validated.

    I was almost jokingly thinking of submitting a photo of me mic'ing a handplaned shaving, but one where I'd cut a hole where the micrometer pins go! Why, I'll just bet I could beat everyone... thereby proving I'm the sneakiest submitter!
    Marty Schlosser
    Kingston, ON, Canada
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  10. #10
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    Quote Originally Posted by Marty Schlosser View Post
    Although I like the idea of such an exercise, I can't see how one could set it up so it's an "apples to apples" comparison. There are far too many variables, which can't be easily validated.

    I was almost jokingly thinking of submitting a photo of me mic'ing a handplaned shaving, but one where I'd cut a hole where the micrometer pins go! Why, I'll just bet I could beat everyone... thereby proving I'm the sneakiest submitter!
    I can set zero wherever I want with my digital caliper.

  11. #11
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    Marty - Malcolm is the only variable to consider here. He has already stated "his ball, his rules". I would send him some Jamiaca Blue Mountain or whatever is considered good-gooder-best right now to start softening up the only true variable.
    David

  12. #12
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    I win! 23 inches long and only 11/16" thick!
    IMG_0723.jpg
    IMG_0721.jpg

    Obviously I need more sharpening threads.

  13. #13
    Quote Originally Posted by Dave Zellers View Post
    I win! 23 inches long and only 11/16" thick!

    Obviously I need more sharpening threads.
    Not so fast! My entry:
    sharp.jpg
    12-1/4" long piece of scrap beech: 0.0005" thick x 12+"L. x 2"W. w/ L-N #4-1/2 fresh off a dose of sharp. Notice the near perfect transparency of the shaving. It positively glints in the light with the polished surface.

    Sharpened on the shop floor (mason really worked hard to pull the portland 'cream' to the top). I flatten it periodically with a P265/30-R20. Free-hand, blindfolded - - sort of by sense of smell, as much as feel. No ruler trick. ... But I did use a Veritas mk.II jig. Once.

  14. #14
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    Wow that jumped you way up to the top of the heap Malcom. Was the shop floor swept prior to the sharpening? If so, was it a hog bristle or nylon bristle broom? What size are the granules of the Portland cream?
    David

  15. #15
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    Here are a couple of pics from the past. No measurements
















    Regards from Perth

    Derek

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