How To Sharpen Chisels By Hand - Like a Pro ! 

the author does like to from scratch, shaping and trimming wood from large blocks into fine finished products. ru-vid.comUgkxD-QRFQz730FJEh4f9BYSf-nkIMIC9hL_ as another reviewer mentioned, most projects require a lot of high-dollar equipment that most of us dont have the room or budget for. But, knowing how to do these things, even if we wont be able to practice the full stack project, is still great.

Rob, after 40 or 50 years of sharpening I doubt you would change your ways now and I will say that your Technique is very thorough to say the least . I have to say though in my experience of 44 years in the Machine Shop as a machinist I would like to give a word to the wise because it might help in the future of some of your students. I was taught in the beginning of my machine shop career when polishing or flattening to always use a figure eight pattern and the reason for this is the part that's being polished gets polished at an even plane the Figure 8 pattern accomplishes this it may take a little bit to master the movement but afterwards the yield it produces is very much worth the time you put in to master it thank you Rob you're a great teacher

Want to learn to sharpen plane blades? Check out this video: ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-okLIEoz00v0.html

Now I know where these guys come from on the stones and knives forums that constantly preach FLATTEN FLATTEN FLATTEN all the time :) Pocket knife guys like me just don't get. Our philosophy is more like flatten every January wether it needs it or not..... Alright, Im going to go buy a 400 dollar Shapton plate and hit those glass stones and see if my pocket knives come out any better. Im pretty sure that Im just going to get 400 dollars poorer..

I’m binge watching your sharpening and planing videos, Thank you! Truly, you’re an absolute legend. This is the type of craftsmanship that must be taught to our generation. This is critical information to share and pass along. The plane sharpening video explaining why the shaving was split and not perfectly one slice was beyond incredible. Thank you!

My grandfather always says that a sharp tool does at it is told. A dull one has a mind of its own. I have learned over the years that is always true.

After following you for a couple of years I find that my chisels are way more responsive than they used to be, although I still don’t feel that I get them to the point that you have your chisels. I have finally trained myself to the point that I realize the 30 seconds that I spend sharpening a chisel or a plane iron is the best thing that I do during a project. It doesn’t take long and it just makes everything go so much smoother.

So what I hear you saying about cheap chisels is you’d vomit if you’d use my harbor freight ones? 😂😅

Shapton: Make sure you clean your blade and your hands before using the 16000 stone Rob: Hold my beer

Thank you very much for this video. I am preparing for my first woodworking project (sawhorse video by Next Level Carpentry) and with your help I just flattened and sharpened my first set of chisels by Narex on a Trend diamond stone. Process took 2 hours... I am gaining an appreciation for masters like yourself in the woodworking field. -Carter

Rob , How many times do you sharpen the chisel by hand before you regrind?

Not sure I totally follow this method as the tertiary bevel is really a guess, you don't know the angle that is being created. If you crush the edge on a dense hardwood won't you need to go back to the grinder and reestablish a known angle? I would think finding that tertiary bevel for honing would be difficult for most users as they would constantly be raising the chisel higher and higher until they got a burr, thereby going past the effective cutting angle of a bench chisel. I hollow grind so I can contact my stones with the true angle of the chisel. Thank you for the video, I am going to give your method a try, I'm just not totally sold on it.

I feel like that would be a really cool demonstration if you make an epoxy chisel as far as showing the scratches as it would go from dull to transplant as you sharpen. Great video Rob and his crew. I bought that 16,000 grit and it has made a difference for me but not as much as watching Rob explain his method. Thank you

Hi Rob very great video I used a thing to insert the chisel set the correct angle and I noticed it was missing a rolling wheel now I'm 60 years old and finally I figured out how to freehand sharpen it properly the chisels get sharper not perfect but practice makes perfect. Why do you use water to sharpen? Also I like you say not to use circular motion but straight back and forth but also try to work all the stone rather than create a hollow in the stone nice teaching Rich good work thanks also having the stone ant right comfortable level is very important when using it and can make a big difference to outcome

Rob has earned a customer with his great free training via these RU-vid videos and great service from his web site. Even though I have to wait longer for shipping from Canada to the US than if I ordered from a US site it is worth it to support him.

Nothing beats chiseling with a sharp chisel. Thank you for your pro tips, they reinforce what I have learnt. Always a pleasure to see a master craftsman like yourself showing how you do it.

I think it's a case of practice makes perfect. end grain is where my chisels suffer. time to revisit my sharpening skills. thanks Rob

I absolutely love your style of teaching. This is my third time watching this video in particular. I’m a BBQ but I’m trying my hand at woodworking. Thank you for all you do.

What stones should I order?

Wasn't until a friend of mind recommended your videos and I acquired some of the sharpening tools you use that I truly began to appreciate the importance of taking the time to prepare your tools. Essential for success. When you have a dedicated setup like you recommend it encourages you to sharpen more frequently because it is relatively low effort for the results. Thank you

Great video, Rob. Do you ever strop?

Great walkthrough, I need to spend more time on the backs of my chisels to get them flat. Does the process change at all on the back for Japanese chisels? Thanks

I know exactly what you are talking about. I spent 15 years in a machine shop. First 7 years was in a production shop. There grinding room had grinders with gig's to establish angles. Then I spent the next 8 years in oilfield machine shop.grinders with no gig's. So I had to learn to sharpen by hand. One thing about tools it never cuts well right out of the new package. A new drill bit always went to the grinder before it touched any metal. N then it would cut through steel like butter. Most novelist say "ooo my bit is dull get a new one" never reaching perfection as they don't learn to sharpen. Sharp tools are a pleasure to use.

Anyone remember Phil Hartman’s SNL character “The Anal Retentive Carpenter”? Don’t know why that came to mind. Random.

I will attest that dull chisels are dangerous. so is improper use of them. (lets have a safety video Rob!) On my very first dovetail, after watching how to cut them I was clearing waste out (the Paul sellers way, meaning not cutting the waste with a fret saw or coping saw) and was holding the wood with one hand and clearing the waste with the other, 1/2 inch chisel ointed at my hold fast(what should have been)needless to say I nearly ended my career as a woodworker and possibly an alive person. it came out hot, and I sharpened them to scary , SCARY, sharp, thanks rob,, it hit my wrist in the "non attention seeking way" and it could have been worse, but millimeters, possibly thousands of an inch away from my vein. never point a chisel with ANY FORSE at any part of you. i very valuable lesson for me, and maybe you if you do that sillyness

Grape analogy is good, but what would be better is how much pressure it takes to start crushing your grandmother’s delicate succulents. We’ve all done that. Better than popping bubble wrap. 😂

What about gauge chisels that are not flat because all of the chisels we use are not. There are rounded ones as you should show how to sharpen those as well

Great video and makes sense. In another video comments, a machinist says there is supposed to be a cup in the flat side about 1-cm from the tip, but no “why” explanation.

Now I just have too convince the wife too let me buy those stones……….

Question: I bought a set of Stanley sweetheart chisels. They came with a primary bevel of 30 degrees, with no secondary bevel as far as my eyes can see. Should I grind the primary bevel down to a 25 degree angle and make a secondary at 30, or just keep one bevel? Thanks to anyone who could answer!

If you Google " what is a tertiary bevel? "The name Rob Cosman comes up,then it says"Secrets to Sharpening/bevel angles and blade Geometry. Wow, you've been published lol

Why is chisel sharpening different than plane iron? Why not use the thin ruler on the chisel back side like you do for the plane? These stones are very expensive. Is it really necessary to have the 8000 grit ceramic? Why not use the 1000/16000 combo that was used on the plane sharpening?

Hello Bob, I watched almost all your videos about sharpening a chisel or hand planing knife. I am interested in 2 things. What is the liquid in the stone spray bottle and what is your recommendation to properly prepare and sharpen a new chisel. I don't understand English very well so nmg to find out from which granulation you go from the lowest to the highest, when you sharpen the chisel? And why do you use 2 types of stone and rub one against the other, I don't know? And how and with what is the best way to clean the stone after sharpening, so that dirt does not remain on the stone?

how would I know whether a previous owner properly prepared the chisel with original sharpening the first time they obtained the chisel? And would I need to 're' prepare the chisel upon my acquisition of the chisel?

Hello, I have recently purchased some chisels second hand and one of them had rust and a rounded off back (near the edge) and a rounded bevel so when you say "find the primary bevel" and there is no flat edge what should I do?

Hey Rob, I swapped a couple of comments with you a couple of months ago, about doing dovetails with a bad right hand. Haven't accomplished anything, but Roy Underhill has inspired me to take on a Roubo bookstand, which takes some fine chiseling. The problem with that, for me, is I can't swing a hammer with my right, nor can I hold the chisel effectively with the right. Damned if do, damned if I don't. I'm envisioning a power woodcarving chisel made for fine detail work like morticing hinges. I've seen a few but haven't had the chance to try one out. They talk about very small stroke lengths and high frequency for tiny carving tools, or tools meant to cut sheet metal. I don't think an oscillating tool would work, nor obviously a rotary tool. Something like the pneumatic chisel, with more finesse and a cutter that doesn't bounce around. Definitely would need power control. Have you seen any such thing? Any other ideas?

Hi Rob,can I use stainless steel compound to strop chisels/plane blades?I cannot seem to find chromium oxide

Hi Rob ,Your technique of using the Trend 300 grit diamond stone for flattering your shapston stones, can it be used on a Chinese water stone 10,000 grit. At the moment I flatten on 240 grit wet and dry paper on a glass plate. Thank you for your videos on RU-vid ,I've learnt a lot.

Yasss, my vote won! Also

If you Google "what is a tertiary bevel your name comes up Me. Rob cosman.wow what an honour eh?

you have taught me very much in so a short couple of video's, thank you for your help.

So sorry I did not mean to correct or change. So many things change over the years and I would not have thought sharpening with sandpaper was an option years ago instead of stones. I have tried and use sandpaper and will continue to use it. I was just saying how I was taught years ago is all

Don't know why he didn't just flatten with the 300 . It's much quicker

Does anyone in the UK know where you can buy these fine stones? I can only find up to 8000.

I would start my flattening on the 300 grit side of that stone to save some time. But anyhow, great tutorial.

Hi rob. I used to go down to my shop on a sunday afternoon to sharpen my plane and chisel sets, my wife told me i spend all my time at work ,and eventually she left. Theres only the user that appreciates the work that goes into having sharp tools.

GREAT VIDEO are you using a set of magnifying glasses

Learning to sharpen is, to my mind, THE most important skill one can acquire. To be able to sharpen a tool in these few seconds, with out the use of a jig, means you will always be mindful of your tool and never shy about keeping it sharp. This changes our skillset, which means it changes the way we work wood.

I have really enjoyed watching these videos (I must have watched 4 or 5 now). I have recently started making guitars and the one thing I have learnt is that sharp well set up tools are essential. Thanks for the Tips !

Thanks again Rob. I've watched all of your sharpening videos at least twice, just to make sure I haven't missed something or picked up some bad habits. My plane irons and chisels are such an exquisite pleasure to use thanks to you. Having used a Lie Nielsen jig in the past with pretty good success, i see two major differences with your technique. First, now I always sharpen whenever there is even a slight hint of dullness, but with the jig I usually waited too long because setting the jig was a bit of a pain. Second, with the jig I often had to use a square to check that I hadn't put a skew on the blade, and the right side of the bevel often became wider than the left. The jig doesn't allow for circular motion, and it's easy to apply too much pressure on your dominant hand side with repeated straight strokes, thus cutting the blade out of square. With the circular motion, I never have that problem because I can more easily feel even pressure and/or naturally compensate for or correct uneven pressure with each turn. One last note..... Shapton lapping plate versus Trend 300 - I started using your technique with the Trend, then upgraded to the Shapton lapping plate at considerable expense. It is probably a bit better, but I knocked it onto a concrete floor and put a crack in the glass back, so I'm back to the Trend and still getting great results. The Shapton may still be flat, but the crack makes me nervous. Now there is a rubber mat beneath my sharpening station. I hope my clumsy mistake is helpful to at least one of your readers.

What is the best way to cut this out of I don't do hand tools.? Half lap that is on an angle for an x brace?

Great video! How long to sort out the back of a new chisel?

You're surprised? Do i have to tune up my tv before i plug er in? Lol

Thank you! This is a great learning video on how to sharpen chisels. I had no idea how to sharpen chisels but now I have an idea how to sharpen them!

Thanks Rob. It was very well done.

Fantastic. I've always struggled to sharpen my chisels . . . now I know why!! Thanks, heading to the shed right now to practice :). Thanks.

Sharpening is must have skill! Can't do sht without it🤷😆

Thankyou for sharing your knowledge and expertise with us.

Like the NEW apron BUT you need to put the PATCHES on it. Really like the way you teach you explain every detail.

How do you know it's sharp? If you raised a burr and properly cleaned off that burr, it will be sharp. You never say it, and maybe for most woodworkers it goes without saying, but for the benefit of others you should point out that the chisel (or plane blade) will be very sharp at that point. A sharper edge than most people have experience with even in knives and tools like that so careful handling is very important. I cringe when I see you wrap a rag around the blade, pull it off of the end then move your hand back to wrap it again. A slip there that puts the cutting edge into your hand will definitely cut you. Have you ever experimented with stropping a chisel? Your sharpening method is pretty quick so I'm not sure what the advantage would be with stropping unless it allowed quicker touchups. It might be possible to get a bit sharper than your 16000 stone with a strop but I'm not sure about that either.

Why free hand? The resutls will always be somewhat inconsistant no matter how much practice. Much more so for beginners. Also, window cleaners for cars will work just as fine. It has stuff in it that helps prevent rusting, unlike window cleaners for indoor use. Diamond wetstones are cheap these days. $20 on amazon will get you set up for a very long time.

Well, a couple of things. I did get one of the Trend lapping plates, and for sure it is not dead flat. I also have some of the DMT lapping plates, not the sharpening stones, but actual lapping plates, up to 8000 grit, and as near as I can tell, they are pretty much dead flat. As for scratches, from the world of sanding wood, supposedly the abrasive grit scratches above 600 to 700 grit are invisible to the human eye. General advice about sanding is to step up half of the previous grit, so if you sand at 220, next grit should be about 320, 400, 600, and up. I am still new to sharpening flat work tools, but not wood lathe tools. Jumping from 1000 to 16000 is a huge jump.

If you had a 300x diamond stone at your disposal why didn't you start with that grit? Keep up the great work, thanks.

I have just started hand sharpening after using various honing guides that never seemed to work. The results are better than any honing guide, even though I’m a hand sharpening beginner. However, there is definitely a technique to finding the bevel and raising the chisel few degrees. But it doesn’t take long. Like you had mentioned on previous sharpening videos-I used old (read cheap) chisels and old Stanley plane blades to practice on. I now sharpen multiple times during a project. Hand sharpening is so convenient. Thanks Rob!!

Nice video but I was taught that the slight hollow found on the back of most chisels is put there by the manufacturers so that only the last 1/8" (3-4mm) needs to be honed and polished. Removing it means honing the whole chisel every time which is hard work and with thin the whole tool over the years reducing its life. It might be worth asking the people who make them if the hollow is a feature or an error.

Why don't you use the 300 grit at first in order to flatten it faster?

Why is it that Paul Sellers says that you don't really need to go above 1200 when sharpening but other highly respected woodworkers go up to 16k and above?

Like a PRO! Sign me up, I want to look like a pro! :)

One of the best videos I have ever seen on sharpening. Everything was explained in a "common sense" manner. Thank you for posting this.

ive been waiting for this one

You should have a list in the description that shows the materials you use and where to get them

Hi Rob. I can't thank you enough for your videos. About this chisel thing, I don't use the trend or any oher diamond plate anymore to flatten the back of a chisel. It always lead to some unwanted heavier scratch at some point. I don't know why is that, but with the suehiro debado stones (ceramic) and a sharpal to flatten them I always get perfect results. To me diamond plates are great for reshaping bevels, or other heavy work, but I avoid touching final surfaces with them, they aren't as realiable as ceramic stone, from my experience. Sure it's a matter of chance the same happened to you this time, but who knows ;)

I don't think it's technique or the Trend plate. I would bet the IBC is manufactured to a much better standard than the Wood River. I've worked cheaper chisels for hours over the course of multiple days and couldn't get them flat, even using a 220 diamond plate. I had to use a dremel to hollow the backs before I could get them flat. Quality chisels, flat and polished in 15 minutes tops. Ashley Iles, Kanetomo, Veritas and Blue Spruce, no problem with Shapton Kuromaku and a DMT 220.

I notice Rob didn’t appear to sharpen a secondary bevel on his chisel. Are second bevels overrated?

Rex said we don’t need secondary bevels

Hi Rob, great video, after watching this video I bought into the shapton system as I wanted to sharpen all my tools by hand, no grinder. I purchased I think 9 stones not including the trend plate, so I got the heavy holder, the pond and the lapping plate. I went from 120 grit all the way up to 16,000 grit. I didn't bother with the 30,000. Il let you know how I get on

Rob, you've become my favorite master woodworker, especially as a master training coach. I have been a woodworker (building guitars) for decades, but after watching you I've learned so much about sharpening my chisels and planes. I would love to sit under your teaching. Thank you for including good teaching techniques on RU-vid. "I'm a devoted fan! " Dwayne Barker, Barker Guitars, Ltd.

Has Narex upped the quality? Santa dropped off a set of Christmas this week (July)! When I went to use your method, I noticed the back had a mirror polish, no visible machine marks. So I took the back to my shapton 16000. Then added secondary and tertiary edge in your manner (but with jig) It is certainly sharp.

You said that there are people who actually believe that chisels come pre-sharpened. I've watched some of your videos now, and have gotten some good knowledge. However, some of your words are a bit terse. I trust your videos are geared towards teaching, right? Well, teachers shouldn't knock down people who don't know any better. Just a tip from a man who is growing weary of heavy-handed comments from people who are more knowledgeable in .

Do the chisels you sell need prep like this?

Do you see all these $19 auto insurance commercials? They are all SCAMS. $19 a month is for Storage fees (you cannot actually drive and yes! They want money for you not driving.

Freshly shaved, I see. Keep that boy workin! Great stuff Mr. C

Can anyone explain, in a different way, what kind of pressure it takes to "start to squeeze a firm grape"? Great video.

Another awesome video. Once Im not completely broke Ill invest in some better gear/tools. For now I'll apply your lessons to my crappy tools. Lol should still improve it.

Maybe this works well for western style chisels, but for high carbon steel you will need a 2000 or 3000 grit stone before hitting 6,000.

Thanks Rob for teaching me to sharpen. What is the brand of the solvent you use on the metalplate. Something like HomeRide. I tried to look it up on the internet but did not find anything. Could you tell me the formula, so I can look it up from a dealer in my country (Denmark)

Can you use pencil marking on your stone when you're flattening it like you would when planing a cupped board? Also, your opinion on stropping? Thank you!!

I’ve found my trend 300 grit side is not particularly flat compared to the 1000 grit side. They have very different scratch patterns. Surely if they were the same flatness, the only difference would be the size of the scratches. I am disappointed - I think their QA is ineffective. If I had the tools to measure flatness I’d call them out on it.

I think it's worth noting that while some components of the Shapton system are expensive, some aren't so much. An 8000 plate will provide a pretty nice finish for less money than a 16000. A 500 plate might seem pricey compared to others of similar grit, but pretty affordable compared to other Shaptons. I started with the Trend plate and the GS 16000, but eventually added a 500, 1000, 2000, 4000, and 8000. I might spring for the lapping plate eventually, but the basic set gets my chisels and plane irons plenty sharp. The intermediate grits aren't necessary, but nice to have--and may last a long time, since I don't use them nearly as often. I did try some other methods before springing for the Shaptons. Not a *total* waste--I still use them for other things than chisels and plane irons. Not going to waste the good stuff on a pocket knife.

Big bro, 1000 grit is definitely not for flattening the back, that would take ages. I get bored flattening the back of a new chisel even with 240 grit, it still often takes hours

hmm if been told if you use 300 on anything higer than it self you should always clean it complete because 300 particels on a 16000 is no bueno.

If you don’t have a grinder, but do have a sharpening guide, can you use the guide with the 300 side of the plate to establish the primary bevel, or will that damage the plate?

Hello Rob - I picked up a spoke shave at a garage sale that has both a straight blade and a curved blade (not a curved bottom but a curved blade). I wonder if you can advise the best way to sharpen it (I'm reluctant to take a round file to it as too coarse.) Thanks for any help you can provide.

Can you do a quick demo like at the end but with a 5000 or 6000 grit vs the 16000 to see the difference? I'm new and followed your older video with the 1000/5000 shapton stones on my new set of chisels. Curious to see just how much better it can be

Love the videos. I just got a good set of chisels for doing Mortises, and I found that the corners of the chisels were so sharp I was cutting my hands. Do you recommend easing these corners or leave them sharp? Thanks for the teaching videos love them.

The saying that you get what you pay for is so true......just can’t beat good quality tools....... Those chisels are so sharp that it must be a joy to use........I’ll have to look at your sharpening method in more detail......

Thanks for the info. I really learned a lot. It was kinda funny hearing someone in the background saying "spin your stone". 7:38 😀 I would've said "I'm filming here. I think I know what I'm doing. This is a diamond stone."

Excellent advice regarding finger pressure on the back of the chisel. Started with a crappy chisel and found my stride. I think I am ready to work on my 'good' chisels. Thanks.

Super funny watching this; or not depending how you look at it, I learned the flattening techniques on my own, even with the thinner chisels. Mind you, it was on my new set of white paper Japanese chisels where I messed a couple up. Guess I should’ve watched this video first! Thanks for the info Rob!

So Rob....Hand sharpening is great. But how do you do mortise chisels. Would love to see that sometime.