How do you sharpen your tools?

Whether it’s your favourite carving knife or your long-neglected splitting wedges, we all have to keep our tools sharp. It’s one of the more varied set of techniques in green woodworking, and it causes much discussion. New carvers often overlook the practice and kit when setting out.

Many carvers favour slow-spinning, water-cooled stone machines like the Swedish Tormek grinder. Others swear by Japanese waterstones or Arkansas oilstones secured to their benches. Something flat like MDF or a steel block with some wet/dry abrasive paper often works in a pinch, too. There’s also the knife-makers’ power tool of choice: the belt grinder.

So, it could be quite interesting to get a picture of how you put edges on your tools. There’s a simple poll below. Feel free to add your own answers to cover all those I’ve missed. Also, use the comments to share any specifics on how you go about sharpening. There’s plenty of scope for a series on sharpening – from sloyd knives to axes.

[polldaddy poll=9729074]

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