Or a few tools for honing an edge on chisels and plane irons.
Keeping the edge sharp is something every woodworker learns quickly, whether you are a happy hobbyist or a seasoned professional. Speed comes with time: the more edges you have sharpened and honed, the faster it goes.
Veritas honing guide
I usually give my irons a first grind on my Tormek T-8 and then continue on my Japanese water stones. Yes, I use a honing guide; it is the easiest way.
There is one more thing you quickly realise: there are no shortcuts to the perfect edge… nor a honing guide that suits every tool in the toolbox! You have to choose the guide to suit your needs and your tools. And your budget.
Most often I use my Veritas Mk.II honing guide for plane irons, or their side-clamping guide, which is also better suited to narrower blades such as chisels.
Another favourite is the Lie-Nielsen honing guide, with a number of different jaws depending on what you are sharpening or honing. It is made of stainless steel and brass, with a precision that beats all the others! Long-term test in progress!
Besides making sure the sharpening stone is suitably wet, the stone also needs to be flattened at regular intervals. There are many ways to do this, but we use a diamond plate that is used only for flattening Japanese stones, nothing else. That way the diamond plate stays fresh for a very long time.
When it comes to Japanese sharpening stones, Naniwa are the ones we use most.
Sharpen This – a good, informative book on how to sharpen most edge tools.
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