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+-- Thread: Lie-Nielsen A2 steel ?? (/showthread.php?tid=7359829)
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RE: Lie-Nielsen A2 steel ?? - Hank Knight - 01-02-2021
I have a bunch of A2 plane irons. For years I sharpened them with either Norton water stones or a Norton combination crystolon/india stone followed by a translucent Arkansas stone (my current regimen). I never could get as keen an edge on them as I got on my O1 irons. Finally, I decided to try diamonds on a cast iron plate and a charged leather strop as the final steps. 3Micron diamonds on a surface ground CI plate made the difference. My A2s are now at least as sharp as my O1s. A2 steel is tremendously tough and resistant to abrasion. Consequently, many sharpening media struggle with it. It's no sweat for diamonds; they cut it quickly and easily where other kinds of stones have dificulty. Having said that, if you're getting good performance with your current sharpening method, why worry about it? You can drive yourself nuts chasing the perfect edge. As others have mentioned "mirror polish" is not necessarily the hallmark of a keen edge. I polish my Japanese chisels on a natural water stone that leaves a matte surface. They are the sharpest chisels in my workshop. Also, keep your eyes open for an article entitled "The Unicorn Method" that will appear soon in Fine Woodworking Magazine. Several guys over on Wood Central have developed a final honing method that enhances the performance and longevity of most edges. They dubbed it the "Unicorn Method." I've started using it and it works.