I taught a class on sharpening at the Woodcraft store in Grand Rapids tonight. I really enjoy teaching sharpening. It a skill that is basic and necessary in order to be a successful woodworker. Yet it seems to be misunderstood by almost everyone. I think that the skill is lost because there are so many companies selling machines to make it easier.
I usually start the class by asking how long it will take to sharpen a chisel. The responses range upward from a few minutes. I counter with fifteen seconds. I explain that unless you can find a method that is quick and easy you will try to avoid sharpening. Using dull hand tools will lead to myths like; hand tools are slow, hand tool woodworking is hard,... Then I sharpen a chisel or plane blade in 13 seconds and use it to produce a surface that is ready for finishing in a few more seconds, without breaking a sweat. Then I bask in the comments expressing surprise over the simplicity of the method.
Within 30 minutes or so all of the students are producing edges nearly as fine as mine. We go on to sharpen things like scissors and kitchen tools but all of that is meaningless compared to the feeling of power all of the students have. They know that their wood working skill set has been elevated and that their projects will be of higher quality. They actually look forward to doing a task that they previously dreaded.
To top it all off...I didn't get cut tonight.
Ahh...the Joy of Sharp.
W. C. "Bill" Sias, Joiner and Cabinetmaker.
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