Dear Paul, Thank you for demystifying this simple process. You do this exactly as my father did and taught me to do as a young boy. I know it works, since we both used extremely sharp chisels for violin and bow repair. I greatly admire your work and your teaching. You explain things simply, demonstrate clearly and the results speak for themselves.

Paul I have really appreciated your sharpening posts. Thankyou very much for you, they have helped me achieve what you stated.Thanks for your time,which has saved me time.

You are too generous to us Mr Sellers, thank you for a wonderful presentation and for your time!

Got my diamond stones last week. After applying your technique again with the new hardware the difference is unbelievable. The quality of cut and the finished work I can do has change significantly. Your are sure right about sharp tools being important.

Remember also that we do not advocate the unnecessary micro or secondary bevel sharpening. Our method is at least 300 years old and has never been improved on by any modern methods. If that happens, we will change.

It's not really my method. I just wanted to counter what was happening so we could reconsider a method that was highly successful for centuries and question why people firstly, discarded it and secondly, show that once it was discarded it became forgotten and then, ultimately, lost to next generations. I have used this method all of my life. When I saw the hoops the gurus were causing others to jump through and realised they shift depending on what they are selling. It was time to say something.

@CM-ci2fy

6 жыл бұрын

Paul Sellers Hi, could these stones also be used for flattening a new chisel? Thank you!

@ryanjones2576

6 жыл бұрын

I tried your method and it gets my blades extremely sharp with no messing around with jigs. Thank you so much! It's amazing how the methods can change as stores try to push their jigs and money takes over. In fact, this method gets my chisels even sharper than I can get them with an expensive jig.

@jeffreydustin5303

4 жыл бұрын

Each video of yours is better than the last. You are a wood wizard. I'm going to call you Sellers the Grey if you don't object. This one describes in fine detail the method for sharpening a chisel. As an apprentice to other apprentices I must say this clarified may things. Namely, the removal of the burr from the side of the strop was new, the close up of the stroke from heel to edge, I wasn't aware of the push out so to speak at the end of the stroke. I assumed it was more of keeping the motion constantly horizontal in the same plane as the chisel travels across the stone. It is more of a ski jump motion? Best I can describe it.

@apaul13150

4 жыл бұрын

Hello Paul, I bought a 3*8 medium eze lap stone over 15 years ago. I have used this with a leather belt to achieve razor sharp chisels. The stone has become now clearly worn out. I was introduced to this product as a DRY stone, and have always used it without any lubrication. Just bought a new replacement, and became curious as to whether or not I have been doing something wrong all these years? Seems it might be the case! You use glass cleaner? I am not sure what that is? Some say thin oil (WD40) or water? I was thinking maybe white spirit which is oil based, very thin and evaporates? Also any advice on cleaning the stone? Many thanks and merry Christmas.

@brucewelty7684

4 жыл бұрын

@@apaul13150 What country are you in? Glass cleaner is a solution sometimes ammonia based. Windex is the most common in the USA. WD40 is technically not an oil. Using a very thin mineral oil may work, it is messier than water. Water with a mild detergent mixed in works well. White spirit? the flash point may cause you to get burned? As for cleaning the stone that is one of the benefits of glass cleaner or water/detergent mix. it is already a cleaner.

Well! This is maybe the tenth time I came upon this video ever since I first considered solving one of my problems by working wood. Woodworking brought in a good amount of its own problems and one of them was sharpening. Every time I come to this video I come with more experience, and it all makes me appreciate just how right you've been all along. I could have saved money and more importantly time, if I had paid attention earlier.

Paul is old school woodwork at its finest

Push forward from a start angle of 30-degrees, stay at 30 for about 1/3 and then gradually drop your hand to the close of the stroke. It's not so much a forced action but very natural. Try it and join thousands of others using this method.

To be honest i really like and truly understand the way you teach and show how to sharpen the chisel.. compare to others.. Im from Malaysia do wood working about 5 years and still learning.. Thank you..

Thanks for sharing this! The stones were a big investment but I'm really happy with the results. I've wasted way too much time with a hand grinder, constantly dipping the edges in water to cool them and then using and an eclipse guide on waterstones that seem to cup after every few uses. The first couple of edges I tried with your technique were a bit lacking because I was stropping a too high an angle but after I got that worked out, every one has been a winner.

this is the way my old dad showed me, I've never done it any other way .. thanks for the videos Paul, well worth the viewing

bravo! thanks for sharing this video was the final piece of research I needed to figure out how to get my CHEAP CHEAP CHEAP chisels to perform on some oak. This is all new to me so your technique with the rolling decrease is going to take some real practice but this got me off to a damn good start!

Small nicks come out fast on the coarse Eze-Lap diamond plate, large nicks are best done on a mechanical grinder of any type. I have both the Veritas Sharpener and also a regular 8" grinder for hi-speed steel turning tools for when I am turning on the lathe. I use this for grinding edge tools too because it is fast. In general, never use mechanical grinders on my tools unless the edge fractures badly. I have gone through four plane irons 48 years continuous service yet I ground only 12 times

Until I tried this techniques, I was doubtful, having always hollow ground and then used a honing guide for my micro-bevel. I've just tried this technique on six chisels in just a few minutes ending with amazingly sharp edges. I'm getting very clean, easy cuts in a variety of woods in the test cuts I'm doing. I'm sold on Paul Sellers chisel sharpening technique!

Thank you for sharing your knowledge without cost. I will do the same and the result I don't know a thing about woodworking but I may have other knowledge that others could use. I have a technical job but would like to become a craftsman, the problem is that I am an absolutely terrible business man so I work for others and it pays the bills. I will subscribe to your channel as soon as I figure out how to do so.

Stones just arrived. Can’t wait to use them 😊

Many thanks for your advice.

I've started sharpening using your methods and I only have my old junk oil stones (not even sure what grade they are) and I can tell you that my plane and chisels are 100% sharper already. Makes a huge difference in working wood. Can't wait to get some of those diamond stones some day.

@kerryfoster1

3 жыл бұрын

Diamond stones are excellent.- and stay flat which is a bonus.

Eze-Lap 3" x 8" single-sided steel plates are dead flat, stay flat and can be housed in a wooden tray as I do. I use their fineness description if coarse (250), fine (600) and superfine (1200) These get me from grinding at 250 without any heat beyond my own generated friction, and on to a pre-stropped edge, which is sharp, good enough for most woodworking, but not sharp enough for the precision we need for really fine woodworking.

Paul, thanks so much for the videos! I've purchased my first set of EZE Lap plates and have started sharpening. I have noticed that they are a bit rough at first but seems to 'smooth' out after some work. I am finding that when polishing the backsides, I keep catching little bits that leave a large and noticeable scratch on the back of the chisel. Do the plates release diamond bits that cause this, and can that be expected to go away over time, or might I be doing something wrong? Thanks!

Absolutely. I hear people telling people to press only on the forward stroke. Push and bear down hard on forward and backward stokes all the ay to the superfine plate and the on the final strokes go lighter and lighter on the close out strokes. this presents the least depth of striation to the polishing strokes you will do next on the buffing strop.

Of the makers you suggested I find the best for balance, length, quality of feel bar none are the Sorby gilt edge chisel set series. These include all of their bevel-edged chisels, models 520, 166,167 all boxwood handles, 510 CAB (plastic) handles. I also recommend their registered mortise chisels too. Oddly, I like their 510 set, which have handles moulded from Cellulose Acetate Butyrate - the ultimate for unbreakable handles, virtually indestructible. I like the weight of these the most

Hi Paddy, You need the area close to the tip both front and back to be almost polished, this is essentially to remove any grinding marks. If you take a close look at a blade with grinding marks, you will see that it isn't sharp, but rather serrated(this happens purely because of the grinding marks), so your aim is to remove these marks. My chisels and planer blades have a mirror finish(back and honed bevel) and are as sharp as any razor blade. Hope that helps.

I can recommend EZELap plates. My preference is their 3" x 8" plates and I use their coarse, fine and superfine plates. Which roughly translates into 250, 600 and 1200. Others may tell you you need additional finer grits but you don't. In the US or the UK you can get them from Amazon where the Superfine is $39 and the more expensive is around $50.

@natalirivero467

5 ай бұрын

Would the 6" by 2" work? They are more affordable and seem big enough in theory...

@natalirivero467

5 ай бұрын

Would the 6" by 2" work? They are more affordable and seem big enough in theory...

@natalirivero467

5 ай бұрын

Would the 6" by 2" work? They are more affordable and seem big enough in theory...

@natalirivero467

5 ай бұрын

Would the 6" by 2" work? They are more affordable and seem big enough in theory...

@natalirivero467

5 ай бұрын

Would the 6" by 2" work? They are more affordable and seem big enough in theory...

Did you follow the chamfer the same way on the strop as you did on the plates? Thank you!

Hi! Many use a wet stone grinder like the Tormek. The round stone makes the bewel slightly concave, but the angle is always precisely the same. Isnt that the important when sharpening tools. Ofcause a grinder cannot make that convex bewel, but does it matter if it is flat, convex or concave, or does the convex shape give an advantage when carving wood?

Paul, I have the same EZE-Lap diamond plates. I'd like to use the underside of the plates for a nano-diamond paste hone. Do you thing the metal of those plates will be suitable for the task, allowing the nano-diamonds to embed themselves?

How can I maintain the edge square? I am having difficulties with the edge being somewhat round. I admire your craftsmanship.

Are you putting pressure on the chisel for both the forward and the back stroke? Thanks.

Where do you get the leather from Paul? What type is it? Thanks Tried this. My chisels are sharper than for years! Great.

hello, Do you show somewhere sharp of halfcircular and diferent shapes chisels? Reale great video.

Great video! You don't use a secondary bevel at all?

I use 8000 grit diamond compound on my strop. I use it to polish knives in different microns. Using diamond compound I can get a mirror polish in half the time of buffing compounds and can keep straight lines.

Paul, I'm beginning guitar making and have, maybe wrongly, been led to believe that my planes and blades need to be sharpened at really accurate angles. Would you say that this is overkill, and in any case could I use a honing guide with your system albeit I would not have the same bevel.

Could you substitute sandpaper for the coarse stone, at least for starting out?

Hello Mr. Sellers. What kind of steel are your chisels, O-1? Do you recommend one steel over the other?

Thanks for the info. I dont have a leather strap , can i skip this part for now?

Paul. Which side of the leather is uppermost on the block of wood please? The rough side or the smooth? Ta mate.

I was wondering if you could elaborate more on your sharpening stones. Where to buy, the type, the size and how you have them mounted. Thank you for your extremely informative time.

@carlantaya175

5 жыл бұрын

They are ezelap stones. DMT, Trend, Atoma stones are also good.

Do you remove the nick by dragging the chisel perpendicular to the plate until the nick is gone, then sharpen as you normally do?

Do you use any finer grit rough then green.

I have read that a 50/50 Simple Green/water solution also makes a good suspension fluid.

What a pro

What specific diamond stones are you using and where can I get them?

would them stones be good for chipper blades?

Hello, Thanks for the clip. I'm no expert on sharpening but this seems to be a more natural action than that required to maintain a flat bevel. By way of an observation,I have been buying older chisels to try and obtain a good set of older chisels and the thing I noticed on all the hand sharpened ones is the convex bevel. It may go against the current "OCD" technicial sharpening theories but the craftsman who owned the chisels I have bought (and there are lots) seem to favor your technique.

Eze-lap makes a few different sized stones. Which do you prefer?

Thank you for another no-nonsense recommendation. There are so many ways to waste money when purchasing woodworking items

Paul, how do you remove nicks in the cutting edge?

Hello Paul! I'm interesting, why you choose diamond plates for sharpening, not natural stone? Thank for answer

no, just sharpen the whole bevel on a coarse 250-grit plate and continue until the bevel is reestablished. Continue sharpening as normal after that to the finer grits and strop at the end.

Paul, greetings from West Virginia! I was curious if you made the base for the diamond plates or if it was something you found someplace. Additionally, what wsa the stuff you rubbed on the leather? I couldn't catch it. Thank you and have a marvelous day.

@GH-sx6tk

8 жыл бұрын

+Eric Richardson I'm reading through the comments to try and find out how to avoid rust on these bad boys. Thought i would answer your question. The stuff on the leather is called Chromium Oxide. And i believe he made the holder. Wrangerstar has a video on one he made if you have the interest.

@gpd387

8 жыл бұрын

+Glen H Thanks Glenn for the info

Just to let any UK watchers know that Lidl will have these chisels in on 12th November 2015. I am going to try and get 3 sets; for me and my two sons.

Been having a hard time finding the wider stones. Most seem to be about 2 inches which is fine for chisels, but not so great for planer irons. Any recommendations for wider stones that stay pretty true and flat?

@rngmstrdan

5 жыл бұрын

they sell strops by the same brand with honing compound for ~$27 USD

hello I am 21 yr old apprentice and I was wondering the reason you use glass cleaner is it because it is petroleum based similar to trends lapping fluid

Which manufacturer of chromium oxide wax bars do you use? I cant seam to find ready made wax bars anywhere. Do you buy the powered and make them yourself, if so could you point me in the direction of a little more info? Thank you.

My Dad (a joiner) used to slap his chisel in the palm of his hand to remove burrs. He was on-site so didn't have the luxury of a vice or leather backed piece of wood etc. then again his hands were pretty much like leather after years of hard graft. He used a traditional oil stone. Sounds like that's old hat now.

@chrisc6504

7 жыл бұрын

yes, thats was the way i was taught it was too slap the blade backward and forward on the palm of your hand, never ever ever cut my hand doing it all these year. or you could run the sharp edge across the end grain ,but this was classed as the cheating way of doing it . ( joiner in UK )

No, they will even out quite quickly. I have never had that problem but don;t worry too much. Soon they will 'wear-in' and be top notch. You should still get a good sharp edge.

What diamond stones are you using in this video?? not the grade, but who makes them?

can you do a video about sharpening spoke shaves please

Good call ignoring the people that suggest only applying pressure on the forward stroke. I've been sharpening my straight razor with similar technique for years (minus the haste lol). A well-known technique for straight razor honers is to move in clockwise and counter clockwise movements during the forward stroke. Would it be possible to email you a question pertaining to chisel sharpening? It's a bit difficult illustrating my confusion without a visual aid. I'll take some pictures. Cheers!

@f.b.newton2492

7 жыл бұрын

Tyler hf

Do you have to re flatten your stones with a dia-flat stone after your sharpen your chisels? I am new to sharpening on stones.

@ureasmith3049

2 жыл бұрын

No. These are metal plates with embedded diamonds. They stay flat and can't be flattened.

EZE Lap.

does this work on mortise chisels as well as bevelled edge chisels?

@cleftbajone8080

7 жыл бұрын

DJ Penton yep, gouges too! I learnt the figure 8 method from this genius for gouges but don't use mortise chisels, he's probably covered it tho.

Just got some,

Use Windex or 3 in one oil for the lubricant? Windex produce rust?

i really truly wish i could sharpen a knife as well as i can sharpen a chisel grind... i can shave with my western and Japanese planes and the same with my chisels. but i can barely cut butter with a knife i freehand sharpen. i bought that damn Russian knife sharpening thing i love it

So glass cleaner instead of expensive lapping fluid . Thankyou ❤

Can you use any kind of chromium oxide for this? Just in its raw form i mean?

anything a bit cheape but still effective?? I am 21 and just getting into woodworking and the chisels I have managed to steal off my dad will tear the grain when paring spruce for tenons (I think spruce anyway, offcuts from ceiling joists). So the chisels definitely need some TLC but if I'm going to have to buy three stones at 40 quid a pop, well it just isn't going to happen.

My old feller and the old joiners only ever used one oilstone dont even know what grade they were cant see them fellers paying £400 for a Tormek just plain silly great video thanks

Can you make that strop yourself? How does it stay flat? Does it not matter if it's not perfectly flat?

I would like to purchase a set of chisels that I'll never need to replace. Preferably of such a quality that when things don't turn out how I plan, the tool can not be blamed. There are so many vendors, Lie Neilsen, Veritas PM-V11, Sorby, etc... I don't have enough experience, nor do I have money to buy a set of each to find out who produces the superior tool. Please advise.

Paul or anyone else, can you tell me how you attach the plates to the wood? Thank you.

@MrSjeupie

9 жыл бұрын

I simply chiseled (is that a word?) a recession into the wood the same size as the diamond plates. Just enough for the plates to stay where they are but not so deep that they are level with the wood. Oh, and I drilled with a 20mm forstner bit half a round hole to the same depth at one of the sides so I can easily take the plates in and out (I like to rotate them from time to time so I consume then evenly).

Is it not better to keep the burr as small as possible by removing it on each stone to avoid damaging the edge snapping it off too large?

@ureasmith3049

2 жыл бұрын

No.

Mr Sellers, first thank for tons of words and hours of wood tips. Just today have received my new diamond stones and I'm a little bit confused about what kind of honning fluid I must use and how to clean the stone after use. If you would be kind enough to give me some advice on this. What liquid do you use and how do you clean the stone after using it. Thanks a lot Mr. Sellers. I follow yours advices since a long time. Best regards from Barcelona/Spain.

@Jaccayumitty

3 жыл бұрын

He uses a glass cleaning fluid, you can get it from the supermarket. But he says plain water is ok to use.

Home Depot has terrible looking diamond stones. Where do I buy stones like this in the USA?

Excellent vid, but could you please tell me why you DELIBERATELY make the primary bevel convex? I've watched many, many videos on sharpening chisels and everyone seems to emphasise on keeping the bevel flat and at a certain angle, even going as far to advise one to invest in a honing guide.

In newer videos Paul shows to keep the chisel at a fixed angle - not creating a camber. Are there real downsides or advantages of each way? I'd guess the difference will be small, because the edge itself will almost look identical!?

@ureasmith3049

2 жыл бұрын

Chisels aren't suppose to have a camber. Camber is for plane blades.

where do you get those stones ??? thanks

search for Veritas® Honing Compound

Can the glass cleaner damage my stone?

You make it look easy Paul. But I bet it takes along time to master this. How long does it take to get this down pat. Also where can I buy those stones and the cow hide stone?

@dontspamkoth

8 жыл бұрын

+Tech Tins It really doesn't take that long to master. Sharpen a few chisels and you'll have it down.

@TechTins_Projects

8 жыл бұрын

+dontspam koth Thanks for the encouragement. My fear is I'll ruin the chisels. I am thinking of purchasing a sharpening jig so I can get the angle correct. Chisels and how to use them properly are my biggest wall!

@dontspamkoth

8 жыл бұрын

+Tech Tins This was my fear as well, but really you just have to take the plunge and do it. practice on a cheap garbage chisel first. I have a sharpening jig but it really doesn't help with free hand sharpening. You just have to do it. The leather strop is what really makes the chisel super sharp.

@TechTins_Projects

8 жыл бұрын

+dontspam koth Thanks that helps. I'll buy some thick glass and wet and dry paper and give that a go first. I see other people having success using those and its cheaper. Would you recommend a honing guide?

@dontspamkoth

8 жыл бұрын

+Tech Tins a honing guide won't really help you with free hand sharpening. There's nothing wrong with using a honing guide but if you use one to sharpen, you will always need it to resharpen. learning to free hand sharpen will save time, make sharpening easier and your results will be just as good for wood working.

Is this method the same with sandpaper

@Krrypton

7 жыл бұрын

Yes. Just slap the sandpaper on a piece of (thick) glass with some water, to make it adhere to the glass, and you're good to go. The relevant difference is that you can only use a couple of times a piece of sandpaper before it wears out, while a diamond plate lasts quite a long time. On the other hand, diamond plates aren't exactly cheap, so I guess whether it's worth the investment depends on how much sharpening you have to do.

@deemdoubleu

7 жыл бұрын

I wouldn't use sandpaper, better to use wet and dry.

I'm trying to buy a real stone to sharpen chisel. All I'm finding is crap substitute on eBay can't find the real stone anywhere.. any ideas?

@ashyclaret

4 жыл бұрын

Dieter Schmid Fine Tools looks good and a lot cheaper than the UK.

Do you shave your beard after sharpening?

What kind of chisels are those?

@paulmorris563

5 жыл бұрын

Look like marples

Fact is that in creating a sharp edge by hand with no guide you cannot create a perfectly flat bevel. Second fact is that there is no difference in sharpness between a flat bevel and a cambered one. The convex bevel was the standard for three hundred years and who cared anyway as long as it worked well. Secondary bevel sharpening using a jig is extremely slow, but it might help in the early stages if one is fearful of ruining a chisel or iron, so use one if you want to.

@frakasme

4 жыл бұрын

Hello M. Sellers. I bought the same set you recommend and i found out they are not dead flat. Maybe 0.5mm difference along the length. Is this a thing to worry about ? Can it still be used for flattening chisel backs ? Thank you

I can't find the 800 grit anywhere. I see ezelap and dmt sells 600 grit.

@sharpen-up

5 жыл бұрын

600 is fine as your middle plate

Any glass cleaner? Lapping fluid is soooo expensive. I’m guessing it won’t rust the base metal on the sharpeners like water will.

@Bushcraft-xz6xd

6 жыл бұрын

Mr B was wondering the same thing?

@Paul.Sellers

6 жыл бұрын

I just use the lowest cost auto glass cleaner from the pound shop/ dollar store. Never would I ever use lapping fluid.

@mrb4408

6 жыл бұрын

Paul Sellers thanks...

The only time I would ever use a machine to grind any aspect of a chisel or plane iron is if I were to hit a nail or drop it and break the edge on concrete or such. Using my method renders mechanical grinding unnecessary. Too slow,archaic and very boring.

Another brand of diamond plate advertises theirs as "monocrystalline diamond surface". Anybody know what that means and whether it's important?

@Paul.Sellers

8 жыл бұрын

They claim they last longer than noncrystalline and vice versa but they all vary as far as longevity goes because it's not the diamonds that give out first but the electro plating. If you buy EZE-Lap you will not go wrong.

@Paul.Sellers

8 жыл бұрын

+Paul Sellers That should read monocrystalline

@Paul.Sellers

8 жыл бұрын

+Paul Sellers and polycrystalline

Paul. I think the desire for a flat 'bevel;' came from insistence that the bevel-angle was critical ; questionable inside a degree or so. It 's virtually impossible to get 'correct' angle by hand sharpening; especially for beginners and amateurs. Hence the emergence of honing gauges and the rise of flat grinding surfaces that wouldn't wear hollow. That's my theory anyhow. All my cutting irons have 'rounded' bevels, but they are razor sharp and the angle varies little between sharpening.

The most important when sharpening with diamond stones... NO Pressure...

Paul sir, you lied. That was way more than 30 pulls on that strop!

Search Amazon for Green-Chrome-Oxide-Compound

what are the alternatives to the glass cleaner and chromium oxide? How do you make the glass cleaner? what chemicals are in it?

@deemdoubleu

7 жыл бұрын

Water, soap and vinegar though the vinegar is just to stop the glass streaking (I think) so probably just soapy water will do. Maybe even the soap isn't needed for wet and dry approach. After all you use wet and dry with plain water. I suspect the window cleaner soap just provides a bit of lubrication and tames the grit slightly.

You talk about how much to push down while stropping, but few say how much to press down while using diamond plates for sharpening. Light pressure, heavy or what? Sharpening chisels and rehabbia few old planes. Blades on older planes are fairly old.

@chm1701

5 жыл бұрын

John Root. I am by no means an expert, but according to the diamond stones/plate manufacturer’s recommendation, relatively light press is the way to go, as you let the diamonds do the work, instead of you. I suppose it also depends on wether you want to create a flat cutting edge or a slightly curved edge (as recommended on a plane blade), since you can adjust the pressure for different results.

10 yrs later, I have a question. Does one need to start at 250 grit every time? I feel silly asking on a 10 yr old post 🥴