Sharpening
| Thoughts on sharpening: | |
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I remember when I first heard someone say that a dull tool is more dangerous
than a sharp one and I thought to myself "how can that be?", but as I
started using tools I realized that dull tools require you to apply more
force to the tool. This leads to a lack of control and that can mean things
like tools slipping or jumping to places they shouldn't be. Of course sharp tools are not necessarily safe. If they are dropped, don't try and catch them. But I think that the process of sharpening them gives you an awareness of their potential and will help you to avoid the occasional cut. The price you pay is the loss of the skin on your fingertips as they are worn away on the sharpening stone. |
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| Japanese Water Stones: | |
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In my opinion, sharpening is best done by hand. That way you can screw up slowly instead of in a hurry. My preferred method is by using Japanese Waterstones. Here is some basic information about them and the terminology used to describe them. |
 Summary of Japanese Waterstones |
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The best waterstones I've found so far are those made by Shapton. Read about my experiences with them here: |
 Shapton Waterstones |
| Sharpening Guides and Jigs: | |
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It is handy to have a guide to hold the blade of the tool at a constant angle. Here is a discussion of a couple of types of jigs I've used. |
 Sharpening Guides |
| "Scary Sharp (TM)" and Other Methods: | |
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Some people think that stones are a pain and they just stick some sandpaper on a sheet of glass or an old stone tile. Since all that really matters is where the blade meets the abrasive, this makes sense. Here is a link to some |
Scary Sharp |
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