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?