How to SHARPEN a new JAPANESE CHISEL - (SUPER POLISHED & DEADLY SHARP!) 

I recently attended a timber frame class at EcoNest in Oregon. Robert LaPorte spent nearly an entire day on how to sharpen a NEW Japanese chisel. What a wonderful experience.

Thank you for posting this video. It helped me in sharpening my Japanese chisels.

I just acquired some very old Japanese chisels and I am now only learning that it takes more skill than conventional western chisels to create the sharpness.

Your method of sharpening is like I do. Norton has a great video on this method of sharpening. I never sharp on grindger too fast mount a wheel on drill press run on losest belt speed. I would lay the back on the length to flatten pressor at the primary. This way you remain planer. Minor techniques, but not all shops can afford Sharpton plates! I do all mine on granite grind and sharping and honing on glass with rough. No micro and no strop!

Is it common practice to use water? Or is it dependent on the type of stone? I was looking at an Arkansas stone kit with honing oil, not sure if thats ok or is water better? Thanks!! Woodworking Noob lol

Looking to buy a quality set of oire nomi chisels...what brand or maker would you recommend?

Seth, very informative video. What style/brand of flattening plate do you recommend

fascinating - but im suprised youre using a dry stone grinder - temper and all that. ive just bought my first japanese chisel, initially the edge is holding much better than my current paring chisels (sorby and Isles) - they were 9 inch shanks, but they are now 7 or less and have become difficult to temper. interesting your comments about secondary bevels - we often get used to such things without question - could it be that secondary bevels save time when you are under pressure? There is a tendancy to "Worship" the old which often brings up the question, are those who are asking the question, makers or just tool enthusiasts? For instance i use a fiber wheel with polishing compound on my lathe - here everything is done by hand

Great video. I just bought a few Ouchi chisels, second hand ones and will follow your advice for sharpening these.

Thanks a lot for the video, very informative. What's the brand/maker of your new chisel?

I would like to know the woods you most commonly use this chisel for, and the actual angle of the bevel is. Do you use different bevel angles for different woods? Thanks

you didnt mention what angle japanese chisels should be. 30 degrees?

Hi, I'm curious why you think a micro bevel will ruin the chisel?

When you prep the blade for the fist time, you need to get the back to a mirror finish first and after that you get to the bevel and work on the ura just to remove the burr. In case you have to tap out the ura ,you've worked on the bevel and now you have to hit it with a hammer and it may go out of flat.

i don't know how i ended up here, I know nothing about any of this but this was some soothing 9 minutes and 46 seconds of my life I'm very happy with.

Brilliant, I am thinking about buying japanese chisels, I looked at Fujikawa or kakuri, those adapt to my budget, have you ever used them? Can you recommend some on the same price range?? Cheers

So, it seems you can only sharpen then so much before you run into that big hollow in the back of the chisel? I have some of my father's very old chisels and they are noticable shorter than younger chisels of the same make/model.

Seth, are you right or left handed? Where to find those chisels?

Sharpening is much easier when you relax a bit. There's no need to press down that hard on the bevel like you do. It also makes it much easier to put pressure where you want it, the hagane.

Can you tell me how much the chisel cost that you were sharpening? It was an awesome chisel. Nice vid! 👍

I find that I’ve developed a step in the back of the chisel and it catches and damaged the stone so I personally flatten the entire back.

If you do freehand you developed a feel for when you are seated on the primary, and you can see the trace path. Too high too low you will hear, feel and see a difference. It's like playing an instrument it takes some practice, skill, and knowledge by observation! For newbies, go to glee market but a chisel for a dollar and practice first, then play with the expensive chisles! By then you will be ready 'grasshopper'!

So what happens when you sharpen the chisel bevel back far enough to get to the curved b part under the base?

Hi, what stone (brand) do you use?

Thorough video. Did not quite understand the point about a microbevel ruining a Japanese chisel, why is that a problem?

What make is the chisel and what make is the plane as . Thanksnin advance 👍

Pleased I watched this as I was about to buy a set of the shapton pro series as couldn’t see any andvantage to the glass stones and they look so thin that I was worried they’d wear out. So was going to 1000 5000 10000 ones but think I’ll go with the glass ones now. Just the lapping plate that I’ll have to sell a kidney for😂 good video

I've been wondering : why are people so opposed to secondary or rounded bevels on japanese chisels?

Why do you think a micro bevel destroys a Japanese chisel??? I have worked with Japanese chisels for 30 years and always used them with a micro bevel. Japanese (traditional) chisels have precisely the cutting steel embedded in the mirror side, in addition, the chisel will generally last much longer with a micro bevel. And after I came across a honing jig in 2004 I've been using one ever since - I'm trained in "freehand honing" but see so many advantages in using the jig that I've "converted". And now that we're at it, using a dry tinder on a Japanese chisel is (for me) a no-brainer -since it's precisely at the tip on the mirror side that the hardening is important, it doesn't take very much before the hardening is gone.

Ummmmm so i went to that website and I was like, "hey! that set of chisels looks amazing!" *adds to cart* *not understanding Japanese*...and then I was like, now what do i do?

Why would a microbevel ruin the chisel ? It's simply for convince.

I found a site, www.japanwoodworker.com/categories/chisels, that is in English. Have you been to this site before, and if so, what are your thoughts of the products available for the prices listed compared to Noroihamono?

Woodprix comes with very useful plans with all the details you need.

Dale brotherton and Toshio Odate have great books i'd highly suggest you read. blog-diyjapanesejoinery.com is another good asset.

First of all, it is in Japanese. So, it is hard to spend close to 80 Eur for something you do not even understand properly.

I'm probably a pervert... I'm coming for watching your the chisel again and again LOL. yeah really good chisel. and also your sharpening technique is outstanding. Umm... I also want to buy it very much.

Japanese tap their chisels with a hammer and anvel to get the ednge in the don't grind it

Using a bench grinder will fuck up any japanese chisel. The heat will destroy the integrity of the metal.

You are using the word flat a lot of times but in fact flattening the stone like you do with another stone is not make it really flat. In fact you make it convex. Everytime you go over the edge of the stone you want to make flat you lower its edge. Bit the same as making mirrors for a telescope. At least you have to give pression in the middle of the flattening stone and not keep it in your hands with your fingers over the edge of the stone. That way you will not give pressure on the edge of the stone.