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In the February Fine Woodworking there is a reprint of an article from issue #126 written by James Krenov. Krenov wrote "People wonder if I ever sharpen my tools because they hardly ever see me doing it. When I do, its just a little bit. It becomes self-defeating if carried too far because you're fussing more about your tools than you are working, and at some point, fussing just takes over." Krenov wrote that he had used the same oilstones for 30 years and had "never trued them up or anything". Interesting.
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Yeah, I read that.
I admire Krenov for his abilities, dedication to his craft and his integrity. But I'm having a hard time buying this. If he meant he honed lightly and briefly but frequently, sure, maybe. But that's not what he said. He banged out dovetails in the hardest hardwoods and often used his planes as finishing tools. I'd bet on razor sharp.
But hey, maybe he really did just cruise, and made it work. Some people have the gift, and the gift includes getting away with it. Me, I'll keep on honing, baby! Hmm, there's a song in there somewhere...
Best,
Aram, always learning
"Perfection is achieved, not when there is nothing more to add, but when there is nothing left to take away.” Antoine de Saint-Exupery
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I didn't know that was how Krenov seemed to be sharpening his tools. But sharpening overkill exists and I think many beginners are hung up on sharpening as a result of that.
Look at how Sellers (I don't use his method though) sharpens his tools and anyone can see sharpening overkill is not a myth. You can spend $100 or $1000 and the difference can be nothing.
Do we want to fuss over sharpening or over actual woodworking? The choice is personal, but I hardly spend more than 15 minutes on sharpening per every 10 hours of handplaning (A2 or PMV11 blades) or chiselling.
Simon
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HomerLee said:
In the February Fine Woodworking there is a reprint of an article from issue #126 written by James Krenov. Krenov wrote "People wonder if I ever sharpen my tools because they hardly ever see me doing it. When I do, its just a little bit. It becomes self-defeating if carried too far because you're fussing more about your tools than you are working, and at some point, fussing just takes over." Krenov wrote that he had used the same oilstones for 30 years and had "never trued them up or anything". Interesting.
Krenov honed on a hollow grind (I received a plane from him in which he prepared the blade). Hollow grinding reduces time in honing, and freehand honing reduces the time spent sharpening. My set up is not cheap if you include a CBN wheel with a half-speed 8" grinder. But it is fast. The Spyderco stones I use, along with green compound on hardwood, require minimal maintenance. Sharpening is a quick process altogether. In short, one must be interested enough in sharpening to become proficient at it, and to become fast and spend as little time as needed to maintain sharp edges. Once satisfied with the edges, stop obsessing about them. That maximises time woodworking. Regards from Perth Derek
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Derek Cohen said:
My set up is not cheap if you include a CBN wheel with a half-speed 8" grinder. But it is fast. The Spyderco stones I use, along with green compound on hardwood, require minimal maintenance. Sharpening is a quick process altogether.
Derek
Derek, with a shop that has no water and is subject to an occasional freeze, I've found the CBN/DMT/Spyderco process to be ideal. I don't miss the waterstones one bit, and the speed of the process is a delight. It really makes woodworking a lot more fun... Cliff
Cliff
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I'm sorry, but what's the "CBN/DMT/Spyderco process"?
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I've used a regular speed 36 grit grinder to hollow grind (occasionally)
Then a hand cranked grinder with an MDF wheel with a piece of leather glued to the wheel. The leather is charged with .5 micron diamond paste. I also have an old strop also with .5 micron paste for quick touchups at the bench.
These two steps (grinder and strop) are all that I've been using for a few years.
It's quick and not messy at all.
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Granted a razor sharp chisel is no longer sharp after the first whack in a dense wood, this is why I think the quality of the tool steel may be more important than how sharp it is.
Its personal preference, but I think the 2 minutes it takes to restore a razor sharp edge is no big deal.
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It's likely Krenov never had any edge tools that weren't O1 steel, or the vintage equivalent of it. Given that, it's not surprising oil stones and a strop were all that was necessary to keep his tools sharp. It's also entirely likely he sharpened at the end of the day vs. while he was teaching. Same kind of thing with commercial transport aircraft. You never see them getting worked on. That's because they fly in the day and get worked on at night, when nobody's watching.
Still Learning,
Allan Hill
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