Sharpening woodworking tools is a crucial skill that every woodworker must master to achieve precise and clean cuts. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned professional, understanding the importance of sharp tools is essential for producing high-quality woodworking projects.
Why sharpening woodworking tools is important
Sharp tools are safer to use as they require less force and provide greater control, product better results, and ultimately are much more enjoyable to use. Dull tools can cause tear-out, splintering, and inaccuracies in your cuts, leading to a subpar finished product. By keeping your tools sharp, you can work more efficiently and achieve cleaner cuts with less effort.
How often should you sharpen your woodworking tools?
The frequency of sharpening your woodworking tools depends on many factors, including how often you use them, the quality of the steel, and the materials they are subject to. Steels such as High speed steel for example can retain their edge for a long time, although they usually aren't able to be sharpened as finely as other steels with a finer grain structure such as white paper steel. At the end of the day it is up to the user to determine how often they deem sharpening necessary.
We generally recommend keeping a strop such as the Zen Wu double sided strop handy for small touch ups as you work. If you notice a considerable decrease in performance then it may be time to hit the stones quickly to remove any microchips or fix up a rounded edge.
What are the best sharpening techniques for woodworking tools?
There are various methods for sharpening woodworking tools, including using sharpening stones, honing guides, and sharpening jigs. Each tool is different and will require different positioning to hold effectively. There are however some common factors for sharpening any tool.
Maintaining a consistent angle: With a few exceptions effective sharpening requires the tool to stay in contact with the sharpening stone at a consistent angle. Changes in the angle can roll over an edge or prevent the cutting edge from being abraded altogether.
Achieving a burr: This is perhaps the most important aspect when sharpening your tools. The presence of a burr indicates that you have applied correct pressure right to the cutting edge. The burr should be more noticeable when sharpening on coarser grit stones. If you don't feel a burr chances are you haven't actually sharpened anything.
Removing the burr: Removing the burr is the last step in the sharpening process and can often be overlooked. Some steels which are especially "sticky" will require chasing the burr. This involves going back and forth between the back of the blade and the bevel. Light pressure should be used, once completed successfully you shouldn't feel any ridges on either the bevel or the back of the blade.
Should I use a jig?
Using a jig takes a lot of the guess work out of sharpening and can give any user a very serviceable edge without any prior experience. While jigs are tempting and great when starting out we highly suggest that you start developing hand sharpening skills early on. Hand sharpening will improve your work flow and ultimately can achieve a sharper finish than a jig. Jigs simply cannot match the finesse that hands can achieve. With the exception of a couple of highly specialized jigs, Japanese tools must be hand sharpened.
Sharpening is a skill just like any other area of woodworking. It requires practice, patience and time but pretty quickly it should feel like second nature.
Stay tuned for more!
We will be releasing a video series on various sharpening techniques for a wide range of tools. Please subscribe to our mailing list for updates.
