Chisel sharpening – what is important?

It was a journey for me as a hobby woodworker learning how to sharpen a chisel. I started out using a honing guide with the scary sharp method. Then I tried water stones, and diamond stones. I wondered back and forth between freehand sharpening and using a jig. Now I use a combination of diamond stones(300 grit, 1200 grit) and water stones(5000 grit, 8000 grit). Sometimes, freehand sharpening. Sometimes, using a jig.

Here are some things that are unimportant:

• Oil stone, water stone, diamond stone, or sandpaper, it doesn’t matter.
• Honing jig or freehand, it doesn’t matter.
• Flat grind, hollow grind, or convex grind, it doesn’t matter.
• The exact cutting edge angle does not matter.

It is important to create a burr on the back when honing the bevel. It is important to remove the burr on the finest stone of your choice.

Each sharpening media has their pros and cons, so pick your poison. Don’t spend too much time pondering the choice.

A grinder allows you to reset the primary bevel quickly. If you don’t have a grinder, I’d recommend using a honing jig. Otherwise, freehand sharpening is a skill worth learning, especially when you have a way to reset the primary bevel. I remember at the beginning, I would have a primary bevel with many facets from multiple attempts of freehand sharpening. It would have saved me so much time had I have a grinder.

The grit of the first stone depends on your estimate of how dull the edge is. I start with 1200 grit. If I am spending too much time without getting a burr, either I am not honing the edge, or the edge is quite dull. So I either increase the sharpening angle a bit and continue honing, or I go to a 300 grit stone.

The grit of the last stone depends on what kind of work you do. If you are doing basic carpentry, or simple DIY, 1000 – 1200 grit would suffice. If you are doing very fine work, then 4000 – 8000 grit.

The cutting edge angle depends on what you are doing and the quality of the steel. The range is from 15 degrees to 35 degrees. Lower angle means sharper edge, and higher angle means more robust edge. Lower angel for pairing, and general bench work, while higher angle for chopping. It is important to adjust the angle based on what you observed when using the chisel. If the chisel is sharp, but feels hard to push or chop with, maybe the angel is too high. If the chisel is not holding its edge for a reasonable amount of time, maybe the angle is too low.

When should you sharpen your chisel? To quote Dan Faia, “when it is no longer cutting the way I want it to.” That would be my answer too.