# Recommendation for beginning sharpening set



## BenDupre (Jan 23, 2017)

Can i have your reccommendation (with links if pissible) for a good set of sharpening stones or diamond plates to do chisels, plane irons, and some chip carving knives. I have no idea what the investment would be. I want something that is easy and reliable, but then cheap. Not cheap and unreliable or cheap an not easy you get my drift? The $7 combination stone i bought at harbor freight isn't working for me. I spen $30 on a fine diamond plate but it is really small and hard to lap on. It wont hold still.

Also love to have any helpful pointers and hear opinions of which types are preferred and why.

Thanks Jocks
Ben


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## MikeUT (Sep 5, 2014)

I guess I'm a sandpaper man. I got a cheap set of diamond stones but switched over to the scary sharp method because my diamond stone wasn't wide enough to sharpen my planes. I guess the costs can add up over time because you have to keep buying the paper but it is a great way to get in to it. After I used the scary sharp method for a while I upgraded to a Worksharp, which is also sandpaper but a little faster.


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## Slider20 (Dec 21, 2016)

I like Diamond Stones, the DMT Fine is pretty coarse, but it will take allot of time flatten a chisel or reshape a plane iron, the extra fine will get you most of the way there, and a strop with honing compound should finish off the job.

This DMT Fine/Extra fine is a good Starter stone, pick up a Strop, and get a DMT Course stone if you find the fine to take too long.

https://www.amazon.com/DMT-WM8EF-WB-8-Inch-DuoSharp-Bench/dp/B000H6L6FA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1490369706&sr=8-3&keywords=dmt+bench+stone


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## BenDupre (Jan 23, 2017)

Mike thanks what do i get for a surface? Is a granite tile from home depot flat enough? Im not sure i know what float glass is. What about MDF? Do i use spray adhesive? If so, how do i change abrasive?


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## eflanders (May 2, 2013)

The least expensive initially and effective methods is the scary-sharp method mentioned above. Get a glass plate, a decent sharpening jig (Veritas mkII) and 4 grits of sandpaper and you can do all that you want. The jig recommended makes things almost foolproof. However in the long run, I think that diamond plates are the best for the initial coarse and then polish with a hard Arkansas oil stone and strop. The Atoma brand diamond plates IME are the best and they too can be gotten at Lee Valley / Veritas.


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## RichCMD (Jan 31, 2013)

Wow! This is almost like asking what religion you should practice or whether your should buy an Apple or Windows computer. The are believers in all camps, and many of them are strongly committed to their choice. Like many things, it seems to be a matter of personal preference and what works best for you. I was fortunate in having access to a class that had all the different choices (sand paper, wet stones, oil stones, ceramic, diamond, Worksharp, etc.) that we could take for a test drive.

Most of my sharpening is for turning tools, which is a whole different topic. For other tools, I seem to have followed the same path as MikeUT, scary sharp and then Worksharp. I have a friend that went one step further and moved up to a Tormek, but that is really getting pricey. At the moment, I use the Worksharp mostly for its speed and convenience. If I wanted something really, really sharp I'd probably use the scary sharp method.


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## mummykicks (Jun 19, 2013)

Watch Paul seller's youtube vids. on sharpening, and the one where he compares 400 vs 1200 etc..
I use this to sharpen:

http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-Oscillating-Edge-Belt-Spindle-Sander-EB4424/100061671

I bought 250, 400, 600 and 1000 grit belts.
It's basically a powered version of scary sharp system, or a worksharp alternative.

I would say 400 and 1K would be the bare minimum. Takes very little time and uses a tool I already have and the belts just become finer grit with use. My 1K is probably 1500 now. They don't get chewed up the way the scary sharp ones do, and last a very, very long time. I do the 'rounded' bevel that Paul sellers does by hand.

Takes some practice, but once you get the feel it's quick and easy, I can get it more than sharp enough for my needs, which is an edge sharp enough to shave with. I was going to build a jig but got good enough results by hand that I really didn't need it.

People go nuts over sharpening, and I thought I needed all kinds of stones and rouge and everything else until I read a research paper (measurements, not opinion) that basically concluded 1K-1200 is about as fine as you need because finer edges dull so quick the benefit is marginal. You end up with a 1K edge after very little use.

Pual sellers claims 400 is good enough, given that they sand to 250 for finishing.

Hand tool types get all religious about a piece of metal with an edge on it. If you screw it up you can sharpen it some more and fix it. Get some cheap chisels from HD or some such and practice on them, the only difference is they will lose their edge a bit quicker, but if you have a quick and easy sharpening system that really won't matter.

At the end of the day:

Paul sellers with tools sharpened to 400 will still do better joinery than 99% of the rest of us with ones sharpened to 30K…


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## BenDupre (Jan 23, 2017)

I have the belt sander. Who do you buy belts from? HD only carries 120 grit and below from what i can tell.


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## bobasaurus (Sep 6, 2009)

If I were doing it now, I would buy all diamond stones except for the final honing stone. For that, a shapton or sigma water stone at the highest grit you can afford is best.


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## Rrrandy (Feb 1, 2017)

I'm a sandpaper kind of guy…


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## LDO2802 (Mar 22, 2017)

I am new to this forum, but for the inability of the stone to stay still I recommend taking some plywood and creating a holder for it. That way you can clamp it to your workshop bench and go nuts. Eventually I would recommend a wetstone grinder with the tormec SP-650 to adjust the grit and then hone it with a nice glass plate before polishing and stroping.


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## BillWhite (Jul 23, 2007)

Don't confuse "cheap" with effective.
There are a zillion sharpening methods, but "cheap" isn't one of the choices.
Bill


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

> Watch Paul seller s youtube vids. on sharpening, and the one where he compares 400 vs 1200 etc..
> I use this to sharpen:
> 
> http://www.homedepot.com/p/RIDGID-Oscillating-Edge-Belt-Spindle-Sander-EB4424/100061671
> ...


Polishing wood and metal are 2 way different things. 1000k in paper is wayyyy finer than a diamond stone. If you mess up lapping an A2 chisel you will regret it. If you mess up sharpening it, it's may not be a quick fix without a grinder.


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## BenDupre (Jan 23, 2017)

Thanks for the advice. Today on the way home from work i bought a marble tile and some wet dry paper. I still spent $40. if i cant make that work i will consider some DMT plates.


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

Granite sink cutouts are awesome as well.

For honing. Paper will go a long way. I kept a plastic container over my setup to keep the dust out. I threw more paper away because of dust than use.

For refurbing. Paper can get used up quick.


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## them700project (Aug 12, 2015)

a lot of ways to skin this cat

I bought dmt duosharps which gets you to 1200 grit and i went with films out to .3 micron

Ive since bought a couple naniwa chosera stones 1000,3000 which make a better transition for me to starting films


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## Redoak49 (Dec 15, 2012)

If you go with the Veritas MKii and a couple of Duosharp diamond plates it is about $200.

The scary sharp method is about $100 with the MKii. You can go cheaper with a different honing guide but I would not recommend it.

A Worksharp 3000 is about $200.

You can add honing to any at a very low cost.

All will get you to sharp tools. The nicest IMHO is the diamond plates and is fairly quick and not messy.

I use the Worksharp as it is quick and easy.


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## OSU55 (Dec 14, 2012)

Agree with Rich about the religion thing. DMT Duosharp stones, 45/60 um and 9/25 um. Lapping/polishing film with psa mylar film down to 0.3 um. The film lasts a long time, unlike sandpaper, but sandpaper will get you started. For initial shaping/bevel formation, you really need a grinder or diamond stone due to the heavy material removal. Here's my sharpening method, including cheap shop made jigs that work very well - no need for expensive jigs and the cheap jigs are limited. While coarse, jagged edges are sharp, especially after stropping, they don't last as long. The smoother the edge the longer it lasts between honings.


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## HorizontalMike (Jun 3, 2010)

After I did this belt sander conversion, I have never had to look back or for anything better. Plus the highest grit I use is 180, even though I purchased everything p to 600:

http://lumberjocks.com/reviews/3179


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

http://trestore.wkfinetools.com/chisel/chisels-rest.asp

http://trestore.wkfinetools.com/techniques/sharpFeltW/sharpFelt2.asp

From James D. Thompson:


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## bbasiaga (Dec 8, 2012)

Here is what I have collected:

10×4" DMT coarse stone
8×3 fine diamond stone, also DMT
4k/8k Norton water stone
Grizzly slow speed when grinder
Veritas MK11 honing gauge

If I knew what i was doing when I started out, I wouldn't need all that stuff. If I were starting with new tools (meaning not restoring old hand planes that require lots of grinding), the coarse diamond and a 1k/8k water stone would be fine. The coarse stone is good for fixing a nicked edge, and for flattening the others. You could go all diamond stones if you don't want to mess with water. I never even use the 4k side of that stone. Just go 1k straight to 8k with great results.

The honing guide is necessary for me because I can't hold something steady enough by hand. May not be a problem for you.

The grizzly grinder is nice for resetting a primary bevel, or straightening an edge. I mainly only use it on old blades and blades I have sharpened enough where the secondary bevel is very large. It is a nice to have, not a necessary to have. I got it on a pretty good sale so I didn't waste too much cash on it.

Brian


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## jimintx (Jan 23, 2014)

This is a valuable thread, so thanks to all the contributors, and the OP for starting it.

In all this discussion, I would like to know: what exactly is a steel lapping plate, and how is it used with various grits on it?

Thanks


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## BLarge (Aug 29, 2011)

Combo stone, 4K/ 8K. Wet Sand Paper and flat piece of stone for flattening, inexpensive honing guide.

Craftsmanstudio.com

Don't overthink something simple…... nor overspend.

Ps- a slow speed grinder if you wish to hollowgring your irons and chisels.


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## Carloz (Oct 12, 2016)

Here is what I settled on. As for the honing guides I had nothing but troubles with them. No matter what I did the iron or chisel would get honed on one side more than on the other. I switched to freehand and have not have problem ever since.


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## BenDupre (Jan 23, 2017)

Carloz please describe and let me know where you got/how much. Thank you for sharing


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## Carloz (Oct 12, 2016)

> Carloz please describe and let me know where you got/how much. Thank you for sharing
> 
> - BenDupre


It is 10" DMT stones, I the cheapest I found were on zoro, just wait for their 20-30% sales.

You probably could get away with double sides stones with different grits on the opposite sides that can save you some money.
I would start with coarse and extra fine stones and add other grids as you need.

The main advantage of diamond stones that they never wear, and you do not need to lap them as you'd do with wet stones. 
Sandpaper on glass is good to get a feel of honing and decide if you like messing with hand tools without much investment but it is not good as a long term solution.
All kind of power grinders is good for chisels but you cannot get the same level of flatness on a pane iron as with hand honing.


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## boatz (Nov 17, 2013)

Over time I have developed a program that combines all of the above. I use sandpaper, DMT diamond stones, and waterstones. 
I use sandpaper on a piece of float glass I had a local glass company make for me - cheaper than granite. I use the sandpaper when I am starting out flattening backs. 
I then move to DMT diamond stones - course,fine, and Xfine. Then I use an 8000 grit waterstone. When I am working on a bevel I use the Veritas Mk II honing guide. If I am touching up an already set up blade I just go to the 8000 grit waterstone or the Xfine diamond stone and the waterstone.


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## Jeremymcon (Jul 16, 2016)

+1 for the dmt diamond stones. Get the big ones. I think mine are 3"x8". Fine and extra fine should be enough for most things you'll want to sharpen. Obviously go coarser if you have some repair work to do.

I own the extra-extra fine dmt stone, but honestly, I wouldn't buy it again. It's expensive, and I had trouble with the first one. It put scratches in my tools bigger than the fine stone did! My replacement is better, but honestly it doesn't seem to be any finer than the extra fine. Quality control issues, I guess. I'm back to my 6k water stone for final polishing, just as soon as I get a new diamond plate to flatten it.

Also, you *need* to purchase or make a leather strop, and use it. Makes a world of a difference on fine tools. Don't use the barber style strops - use one that is attached to a board. Load it with green chromium oxide polishing compound. I use a liquid product from chefknivestogo.com, but I believe the usual stuff you can buy at a hardware store works just as well.


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## BenDupre (Jan 23, 2017)

Okay here we go. 400 800 1000 on marble tile. Question: is the leather supposed to be smooth side up or shaggy side up?


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Either side works as does MDF, flat plywood and any other flat surface.

I've been using oak with good results.


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## BenDupre (Jan 23, 2017)

Well I got my harbor freight chisels 'wicked shaahp'! Next I try plane irons. Im still not sure if the harbor freight smoothing plane can be made usable but thats for another thread…

So I learned that with all the sandpaper i went through it is going to be cheaper in the long run to buy some diamond plates.

Also someone let me know what is proper: do you reset the chisel in the honing guide as it gets shorter or just leave it and keep going?

A note on the HF chisels: one in my batch was rounded off and i had to exchange it. Some of them were not ground square which made this take more time. And the bevels were close to 25 deg but not right on. Sees like i ground a new bevel on each chisel. I used a honing guide and set it at 40mm per instructions. But its not an expensive one. But all got sharp. And all were hollow on the back which was good. We will see how they hold up.


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## Carloz (Oct 12, 2016)

> I own the extra-extra fine dmt stone, but honestly, I wouldn t buy it again. It s expensive, and I had trouble with the first one. It put scratches in my tools bigger than the fine stone did! My replacement is better, but honestly it doe plate to flatten it.
> - Jeremymcon


Diamond stones from the factory come with some part of the diamond crystals sitting too high. They do scratch the tools but fortunately they are dislodged easily. You need to hone some throwayaw blade for an hour or so before the grid becomes close to the intended value, Mine extraextra fine stine does a good job to the poing i do not need a strope


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## bobasaurus (Sep 6, 2009)

You should also look into the lapping films from lee valley. A set is all of $25. They sell one that's about equivalent to 100k grit.


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## MikeB_UK (Jul 27, 2015)

> Okay here we go. 400 800 1000 on marble tile. Question: is the leather supposed to be smooth side up or shaggy side up?
> - BenDupre


Shaggy side is a slightly finer polish than smooth side, doesn't make too much difference though.

Am I the only person using oil-stones here?


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## TarHeelz (Sep 13, 2012)

Follow the path of Paul Sellers:

1) For now use sandpaper. This will allow you to get sharp immediately with extremely low initial investment. Over time, however, you are likely to find paper frustratingly slow and at least as expensive.

2) Buy some leather scrap and make a strop. Buy some polishing compound. (<$20)

2) Every month/quarter (whatever your budget allows) buy an 8×3 diamond stone from DMT or EZ Lap. Figure $40-55 each. Start with coarse. Then fine. They x-fine. You start with coarse as you can immediately use that stone with the rest of your sandpaper system.

You're all set.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Atoma diamond stones should be considered as well.


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## RonAylor1760 (Aug 17, 2016)

I keep it real simple …










Course, medium, fine diamond plates from where else, but Harbor Freight. My first set was from a local ACE hardware, but HF ended up beating the price, so now they are my go to at $9.99 for the three plate set (this is my third set in 20+ years). Next up 800 grit wet dry sandpaper ($8.00 at Lowes) on glass. Like Paul Sellers I use a few squirts of window cleaner ($1.00 per gallon at the Dollar Tree) on the diamond plates and sandpaper. Next a leather strop charged with chromium oxide ($11.99 - I keep a stick wrapped in plastic and I think it will out-last me by many, many years).

Just a few minutes working from left to right to a proper edge!


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## BenDupre (Jan 23, 2017)

Snick snick snick










Thanks Lumberjocks!

So for $40 worth of sandpaper and about eight of not easy labor (mostly flattening the sole) the $14.99 harbor freight bench plane is no bargain.


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## waho6o9 (May 6, 2011)

Good effort BenDupre!


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## TheFridge (May 1, 2014)

Nice.

Side note. I wore a dmt c/Xc out after maybe a couple months. Took them awhile but they ended up replacing it. I rarely use it for anything but odds and ends now. If I did it again I'd go atoma or maybe film.

Just using paper strictly for sharpening/honing and not lapping, I could make that stuff last. Wd40 in a squirt bottle, light to medium pressure, and a dust cover worked wonders for me. Dust cover mandatory.

Now I have shaptons. I rarely need to flatten them and have no problems.

Edit: how did you treat the iron? Camber? relieved edges?


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## BenDupre (Jan 23, 2017)

Fridge: if i had the proper tools to measure/inspect i would say the edges are relieved. Bur i did not plan it that way. I still do not know what i am doing so i kept it in the honing guide and tried to keep it as flat on the bevel as i could. I took it out of the guide before stropping.

The plane chatters a little bit but i am not sure if that is an adjustment problem or rookie technique. The blade is sharp. The sole is flat. The frog is flat. The cap iron is flat where it touches the blade. If there is anything else i need to do i am not aware. I watched Paul Sellers restore an old stanley for an hour and five minutes. As far as i could tell there were no cuts. Thats how long it took him. My experience was much longer.

I have a brand new Bailey block plane that i have to tune. Hopefully that will go better. I have a sheffield block plane i bought at ace hardware for $20 ten years ago that worked right out of the box. Never touched it. That one needs some attention now though. I have not watched any youtube on tuning block planes yet.


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## oldsailor59 (Mar 22, 2017)

> I have the belt sander. Who do you buy belts from? HD only carries 120 grit and below from what i can tell.
> 
> - BenDupre


belt sander size would be helpful. some sources I have used: https://trugrit.com/ http://www.supergrit.com/ https://www.sandpaperamerica.com/. you can always go to eBay and search for sanding belts. my experience has been hit and miss. last batch I bought for my 3×21 last about 2 minutes before the seam comes apart.


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## BenDupre (Jan 23, 2017)

Okay rather than spending another dollar on sandpaper i am going with this:

Duosharp kit


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## sawneck (Oct 6, 2009)

> Okay rather than spending another dollar on sandpaper i am going with this:
> 
> Duosharp kit
> 
> ...


How did you like the move from paper to the Duo Sharp…I am thinking of getting some shapton professional stones with a lapping plate. But this kit was recommended to me as well. Be curious to know where you are at with this sharpening journey now that you've experimented with a couple.


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

I've got several types of sharpening systems for knives, (occupational hazard). Got sick and tired of dealing with the mess of oil stones. I use a med grit ceramic for the kitchen but, could not justify the Shaptons price for my tools in the shop, and didn't want to deal with always flattening water stones. I bought two of the DMT (a red/green & a black/blue). $150 for that kit is a good deal, I built a wooden base for mine and added a strop. Overall as a hobbyist, I'm pleased with them and don't feel I wasted my money, they do a good job and are very quick. Recommend getting the Bora HoneRite gold for the plates, I thought I was saving money with the Bora #1 fluid, but the gold is the one which you mix with water. Cost per ounce the Gold is the better purchase.


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## BenDupre (Jan 23, 2017)

> How did you like the move from paper to the Duo Sharp…I am thinking of getting some shapton professional stones with a lapping plate. But this kit was recommended to me as well. Be curious to know where you are at with this sharpening journey now that you ve experimented with a couple.
> 
> - sawneck


sawneck

After trying both in the beginning, I like the duosharp plates much better. I have to say, I do not like flipping and swapping them out of the holder. But that's a minor concern.

I did also buy the Veritas Mk II honing guide and it is a really nice tool. It works very well.

I have rehabbed some old benchplanes since then and I do not use that crappy HF.

Ben


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## Phil32 (Aug 31, 2018)

Now that you have mastered the sharpening of flat cutting edges like bench chisels and plane blades, it's time to take up *woodcarving* so you can learn to sharpen curved edges such as gouges, U-gouges, bent shaft and spoon gouges. It's a different world.


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## TJMD (Jul 30, 2016)

> After trying both in the beginning, I like the duosharp plates much better. I have to say, I do not like flipping and swapping them out of the holder. But that s a minor concern.
> 
> I did also buy the Veritas Mk II honing guide and it is a really nice tool. It works very well.
> 
> ...


Ben How are the Dousharp plates holding up?


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## BenDupre (Jan 23, 2017)

> Ben How are the Dousharp plates holding up?
> 
> - TJMD


TJMD - i have no complaints. I can't say I have used the super a lot but they perform well. I finish on a strop and I have worn that out.


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## sansoo22 (May 7, 2019)

I wore the duo sharp kit out pretty quickly using it for restore work on plane irons. Wouldn't recommend it for that workload. Mine was a coarse (blue) and fine (red) and you cant tell the difference anymore.

Now I have 4 DMT Dia Sharp 8" x 3" diamond stones. XX-Coarse, X-Coarse, Fine, X-Fine. I also have a Norton double sided 4000/8000 wet stone, a wood river honing guide, and a plexi glass angle jig i picked up at woodcraft. I do not yet have a strop but its on the short list along with the veritas honing jig.

The XX-Coarse stone is primarily for putting a new bevel on beat up old irons and flattening my wet stones. Neither it nor the X-Coarse remain the same grit after a lot of use but I knew this going in thanks to a great write up by Paul Sellers and was the reason i skipped the coarse stone. The x and xx kind of move up a grit after a lot of use.

For sharpening techniques I use mainly the Paul Sellers method for sharpening and the Rob Cosman ruler method for a micro bevel. I wish i could free hand but the right hand doesnt have all of its proper nerve endings firing. Im great in a fight cuz i cant feel it but bad at free hand sharpening because I cant feel the bevel.

When I first got into planes and chisels I looked for a cost effective method to get started and it didnt pan out. Your results could vary if you dont jump into the restoring side of things as heavily as i did. I eventually ponied up the cash for a nicer set of diamond stones and I couldnt be happier. I find myself sharpening much more frequently when I can just pull out a tray of stones from under the bench and get to work.


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## MPython (Nov 30, 2018)

I don't have a recommendation for you regarding what equipment to buy, but I do have some advice. As you see from the reposes you've gotten, there are many different opinions about what sharpening system/equipment works best. The truth is that they all work. They all will give you a good edge on your cutting tools, but each method has its strong points and its drawbacks. My advice is to pick a system - diamond stones, scary sharp (sandpaper), oil stones, power sharpeners , whatever - and stick with it until you master it. It takes a while to learn how to get a good edge with all these sharpening media. Jumping from one to another without having first mastered the one you're using is a waste of money and prolongs your learning curve. I know this from my own personal experience. I've spent a ton of money on sharpening gear over the years, chasing the elusive quick-and-easy way to a perfect edge. I ended up back where I started with oil stones and a strop. What I learned is that they all work, I just didn't spend the time with each method to learn how to sharpen with it. I would have saved a lot of money if I had.


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## Greg66 (May 4, 2019)

The absolute best sharpening system on the planet

https://tradesmangrinder.com/price-list/

If you want something cheaper

https://www.tormek.com/usa/en/machine-models/


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## Bill_Steele (Aug 29, 2013)

> The absolute best sharpening system on the planet
> 
> https://tradesmangrinder.com/price-list/
> 
> ...


Wow-that Tradesman grinder is nice-makes the Tormek seem reasonably priced. Thanks for sharing.


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## BenDupre (Jan 23, 2017)

> The absolute best sharpening system on the planet
> 
> https://tradesmangrinder.com/price-list/
> 
> ...


If you want something cheaper - get a Tormek

Never thought I would hear that !! lol


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