My dad taught me how to do most of my woodworking, but we didn't use hand tools, we always used power tools. I have recently gotten into hand tools, and I am not terribly good at sharpening them, so I am looking forward to seeing these!
Ben, this has come at just the right moment for me! I've watched most of your youtube clips and now want to start making something, but as all my old tools are blunt I need your new series to get going. No excuses now... Thank you very much for your very informative videos.
I used a TORMEK sharpening system when I ran workshop (teaching A level D&T) and it was absolutely great.... I spent ages looking into the easiest and quickest SAFE method students could use and TORMEK was fast and easy to use to get razor sharp edges..... bit pricey and only cost effective if you have loads of chisels, spoke shaves & planes to keep sharp... for knives I've used wet & dry and the spongy back of a mouse mat then a bit of leather belt - one side polish other side strop....easy & low tech
thank you again Ben you seem to have a knack of hitting the nail on the head for me. i needed to figure out what sharping system to work with and by jingles you come up with this one YEA for you. OH and about your new bench please let us ( me ) know what vices your need for luthier work
Would be great to see a method for people that don't have stones. Like maybe a sandpaper method or something. And the restoration of an old rusty chisel.
lol. Testing a katana on the body of a slave. Got dark quick. Great vids. Great timing for me. I just got a motorized high end sharpener that has not been used but has a few small parts missing. I'm weighing up keeping it and getting the parts or selling it and using my water stone.
I can't wait! Great idea! Water stones rule! ;) I've got some old stones (30+ years, unused at least 22 years) and think they're water stones. They work with water, but i'm not sure :)
I look forward to watching this series! I suffer with a cheap honing guide, so I gave up on it. I spent my time learning how to free sharpen. I do enjoy that method. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. I suppose that is the rationale for a honing guide right? Again, thank you for your content.
I have a few tricks that will help, I hope! I'm talking about different types of stones in the next video but from then on it is purely practical demonstrations of different techniques and tools. Thanks for your support!
I prefer sharpening without any guides because the fundamentals of sharpening will allow you to sharpen anything without the need or hassle of a purposed jig. I use a crap oil stone and black/white compounds on blades/knives. Fine Belt grinder for power tool bits. Diamonds sticks/wheels for carbide.
Also, you’ve told me very little about sharpening, but already much more than the dozen or so videos I gave up on a couple years ago...you rate a fresh press of coffee and a reallocation of morning time (my precious do what I want time, before the worldly cacophony starts forcing my hand)
hi ben I was wondering you have done a video on oil stones water grinders and scary sharp I noticed you have not done one about diamond stones will you be posting a video on this subject cheers keep up the good work :)
Hi Ben! Would you be interested in knowing some of the edges chefs use on knives for different purposes? I ask because I would be very happy to make some videos showcasing these edge and taper formations. I'd also like to show you how I sharpen my 1 inch chisel and see what you and Tom think, I only use it in a forward slicing motion so I've tailored the edge to my odd style. OH also look into the Bob Kramer line of honing stones and strops, especially for high end diamond embedded tempered glass stones. Can't wait to see this series, I've been exacting my edge honing and knife smithing practice since I was a child
Please please please please please! :) this sounds 100% intriguing! I had no idea chefs had different edge formations though, now I think about it it makes so much sense.. I am planning on doing standard knife sharpening towards the end of this series and if I learn from your videos I will happily link back and give reference.
I used to like carving sandstone until I ran out of things to sharpen, but those were the halcyon years of my street fighting days. My ambitions have gotten more modest as my patience has waned and my eyesight has dimmed
I've been wondering something recently: when using a jointing plane to prepare a surface for jointing, say a book matched guitar body, would you still have a curve sharpened in the blade's edge? Or is there a time for a square edge to be sharpened?
Requius76 Ben doesn't build acoustic guitars, so he won't have a ready answer to your question, but the answer is that you sharpen the edge dead straight , without a curve. Square as well, preferably, but squareness isn't absolutely essential, as you can set the blade parallel to the plane sole even if it isn't square. The reason for sharpening the edge dead straight when truing the glued edges of an acoustic guitar top is that the preferred method of planing the edge is by using an inclined shooting board, to utilize the full width of the blade. If the edge of the blade isn't dead straight you end up with a planed edge which is very slightly warped. . . not good for a glued joint. Most luthiers will have a dedicated blade for planing the glued edges of acoustic tops and backs .
murrmac Thanks for that, I appreciate the advice. I should have said an electric guitar body specifically, something like two 45mm thick pieces to glue together. Would that be the same logic with a straight blade edge?
Would be interested to see if you have a comparison to make between the 'off-stone' style honing guides like this one traditional-handplanes.com/GFTH_Blog/2012/07/02/the-ultimative-honing-guide/ ...relative to the kinds where the wheel runs on the stone.
i don't like my waterstones because i get covered in mud, i still use them exclusively though. i don't use my honing guide because it's an unnecessary hassle
Me too! I was going to mention this method but had forgotten where I saw it! The edge of the window is too rough for my liking though, I would use the polished side I think. I must experiment! This is so damn fun!!
My dad taught me how to do most of my woodworking, but we didn't use hand tools, we always used power tools. I have recently gotten into hand tools, and I am not terribly good at sharpening them, so I am looking forward to seeing these!
Ben, this has come at just the right moment for me! I've watched most of your youtube clips and now want to start making something, but as all my old tools are blunt I need your new series to get going. No excuses now... Thank you very much for your very informative videos.
Great! This will be so useful. Sharpening is the most important skill and getting better at that makes everything else easier.
I used a TORMEK sharpening system when I ran workshop (teaching A level D&T) and it was absolutely great.... I spent ages looking into the easiest and quickest SAFE method students could use and TORMEK was fast and easy to use to get razor sharp edges..... bit pricey and only cost effective if you have loads of chisels, spoke shaves & planes to keep sharp...
for knives I've used wet & dry and the spongy back of a mouse mat then a bit of leather belt - one side polish other side strop....easy & low tech
Thank you for this series. I am able to sharpen some tissue blades for polymer clay because of what you have tought.
thank you again Ben you seem to have a knack of hitting the nail on the head for me. i needed to figure out what sharping system to work with and by jingles you come up with this one YEA for you. OH and about your new bench please let us ( me ) know what vices your need for luthier work
You should definitely let Tom do a video on his sharpening method and put it in this series!
Yes, that would be a very nice comparison and option. Thanks for the suggestion! Cheers!
Excellent video series from the Bill Bailey of the tool video world
I look forward to this, cheers.
Would be great to see a method for people that don't have stones. Like maybe a sandpaper method or something. And the restoration of an old rusty chisel.
wow, this is going to take a life time!
lol. Testing a katana on the body of a slave. Got dark quick. Great vids. Great timing for me. I just got a motorized high end sharpener that has not been used but has a few small parts missing. I'm weighing up keeping it and getting the parts or selling it and using my water stone.
A bit of both could be in order.. It depends on how often you feed your tool addiction with rusty old chisels in need of love?
I can't wait! Great idea!
Water stones rule! ;)
I've got some old stones (30+ years, unused at least 22 years) and think they're water stones. They work with water, but i'm not sure :)
Love this video!
I look forward to watching this series! I suffer with a cheap honing guide, so I gave up on it. I spent my time learning how to free sharpen. I do enjoy that method. Sometimes it works, and sometimes it doesn't. I suppose that is the rationale for a honing guide right? Again, thank you for your content.
I have a few tricks that will help, I hope! I'm talking about different types of stones in the next video but from then on it is purely practical demonstrations of different techniques and tools. Thanks for your support!
I prefer sharpening without any guides because the fundamentals of sharpening will allow you to sharpen anything without the need or hassle of a purposed jig. I use a crap oil stone and black/white compounds on blades/knives. Fine Belt grinder for power tool bits. Diamonds sticks/wheels for carbide.
Also, you’ve told me very little about sharpening, but already much more than the dozen or so videos I gave up on a couple years ago...you rate a fresh press of coffee and a reallocation of morning time (my precious do what I want time, before the worldly cacophony starts forcing my hand)
New Shirt Ben ? great new series.
Ben, when making your leather block strops, which side do you glue down, the grain or seude side?
For a person who wants to do a perfect guitar set up from start to finish, what tools do you recommend for a bigger?
hi ben I was wondering you have done a video on oil stones water grinders and scary sharp I noticed you have not done one about diamond stones will you be posting a video on this subject cheers keep up the good work :)
Hi Ben! Would you be interested in knowing some of the edges chefs use on knives for different purposes? I ask because I would be very happy to make some videos showcasing these edge and taper formations. I'd also like to show you how I sharpen my 1 inch chisel and see what you and Tom think, I only use it in a forward slicing motion so I've tailored the edge to my odd style. OH also look into the Bob Kramer line of honing stones and strops, especially for high end diamond embedded tempered glass stones. Can't wait to see this series, I've been exacting my edge honing and knife smithing practice since I was a child
Please please please please please! :) this sounds 100% intriguing! I had no idea chefs had different edge formations though, now I think about it it makes so much sense..
I am planning on doing standard knife sharpening towards the end of this series and if I learn from your videos I will happily link back and give reference.
I used to like carving sandstone until I ran out of things to sharpen, but those were the halcyon years of my street fighting days. My ambitions have gotten more modest as my patience has waned and my eyesight has dimmed
One of my most desirable pleasures is sharpening my tools and razors.
I've been wondering something recently: when using a jointing plane to prepare a surface for jointing, say a book matched guitar body, would you still have a curve sharpened in the blade's edge? Or is there a time for a square edge to be sharpened?
Requius76 I second this as a question I would like answered :-)
Me too, I recently bought a record no 7 jointer and the blade had been ground to a curve, to me square makes more sense
Requius76 Ben doesn't build acoustic guitars, so he won't have a ready answer to your question, but the answer is that you sharpen the edge dead straight , without a curve. Square as well, preferably, but squareness isn't absolutely essential, as you can set the blade parallel to the plane sole even if it isn't square.
The reason for sharpening the edge dead straight when truing the glued edges of an acoustic guitar top is that the preferred method of planing the edge is by using an inclined shooting board, to utilize the full width of the blade. If the edge of the blade isn't dead straight you end up with a planed edge which is very slightly warped. . . not good for a glued joint.
Most luthiers will have a dedicated blade for planing the glued edges of acoustic tops and backs .
murrmac Thanks for that, I appreciate the advice. I should have said an electric guitar body specifically, something like two 45mm thick pieces to glue together. Would that be the same logic with a straight blade edge?
Would be interested to see if you have a comparison to make between the 'off-stone' style honing guides like this one traditional-handplanes.com/GFTH_Blog/2012/07/02/the-ultimative-honing-guide/
...relative to the kinds where the wheel runs on the stone.
According to Alan Parsons a razor will always keep its edge if stored under a pyramid ...
Stored, yes, and never used perhaps? Has anyone tried this in a verifiable way? I'd watch that video! :)
👍👍👍
is "scary sharp system" an actual name, or just how you call it when someone uses a benchgrinder?
I hope you also go into a how to or send me link if you have already.....I'm a rookie at sharpening!! Thanks!
This will be a huge series, next one up tomorrow looking at different types of sharpening stones.
Tormek T7, it's the dog's bollocks!
i don't like my waterstones because i get covered in mud, i still use them exclusively though. i don't use my honing guide because it's an unnecessary hassle
Agreed and me too pretty much, and agreed :)
For what its worth Ive seen Ray Mears burnish his knife on the edge of his land rover window.
Me too! I was going to mention this method but had forgotten where I saw it! The edge of the window is too rough for my liking though, I would use the polished side I think.
I must experiment! This is so damn fun!!
Wait - there will be no burying of katanas in the bodies of slaves? I BLAME TO... wait. Tom didn't have anything to do with this. I BLAME THE EU!
0:48 Well that WAS very stupid thing to say.
"Rambling on about sharpening Masterclass" would have been a more accurate and less pretentious title.
Jimjams Only if you are not familiar with the channels format.
This is the intro video.. The meat begins tomorrow :)
For a person who wants to do a perfect guitar set up from start to finish, what tools do you recommend for a bigger?
Sidney Pendergrass I recommend a really good tuner, fret dressing kit (I have Crimson Guitars' kit myself), and feeler gauges