I read with great interest and relief for the outlook that James Krenov had with his hand tools, and sharpening, and maintenance. For years I have been put off by the many sharpening gadgets, guides, holders, science, bevel up, bevel down, yadayadayada. I have always thought that folks can get wound waaaay too tightly over the science of woodworking, and tooling, so much so they forget the joy of the actual woodwork.

 

James Krenov had a very lax position on the sharpening of his tools, specifically hand plane blades. He sharpened free hand, never spent too much time doing it, never worried about secondary bevels, or angles, and he used oil stones. Honestly, growing up as a teenager and learning woodwork in my dads shop, Krenov's method of sharpening is the exact way my dad taught me, just put the cutter up on an oil stone, keep the angle around 45 degrees, and do the fingernail test, if it looks good, it's ready.

Here is a quote from Krenov that I love:

 

Quote

I've had the same oil-stones for 30 years, and I've never trued them up or anything, which doesn't speak well for me. I've got an old Carborundum that I found in Stockholm, a soft Arkansas, and a hard Arkansas and a little kerosene and that's it. People wonder if I ever sharpen my tools because they hardly ever see me doing it. When I do, it's just a little bit. It becomes self-defeating if carried too far because you're fussing more about your tools than you are woodworking, and at some point, fussing just takes over. James Krenov, Fine Woodworking Feb 2016 Issue No. 252

 

What Krenov said about sharpening about sums it all up for many of us. I used to use a roller guide (on and off, depending on the latest fad) to support my chisels and plane irons for sharpening, not anymore, I have been free handing it most of my woodworking life and I am very happy with the results. I love James Krenov approach on this subject, basically he's just saying, get over it! It's just a tool! And have fun! My eyes glaze over when the sharpening gurus start talking about angles, micro bevels, body positioning, and more, jeez, get over it, it's just woodworking! If free hand sharpening on an old oil stone is good enough for Krenov, it's good enough for me, just like ol Dad taught me!

 

And if you are a user of the sharpening guides, and it works for you, stick with it! There are many sharpening jigs out there for the woodworker and it's a great aid, I must admit I can get into the jigs really easy, but in my puritan quest as of late, I am liking free hand sharpening more and more.

I was at a turning symposium a few years back and those guys would turn around and put the tool to the grinder with no guides or preset rest. They just free handed and it and then stuck it in the spinning wood and I never saw one of them get a grab!

It can be done John! It's kind of like life in a way I guess, there are some factions that want you to think you need help, or a new way or gadget to accomplish something, they create a market for it, and just because it made it to market makes it so, it is needed, they say we can't live without it etc etc. And after awhile we get used to seeing it in our society, and it becomes a necessity now. When in reality, we never needed it in the first place. I know I know, too deep for this time of day, I am feeling weird.

I tend to sharpen up went the tool arrives, like when I rehab a plane, or chisel....Sometimes, I need the old MK1 guide to redo the edge back to where I can hone it better.    After that?  Only on a "Need to do" Basis.  Might schedule a day of Maintainence after a project.....sometimes.   Lathe chisels?    Free-hand at either the grinder, or the 1x30  beltsander.  

 

Maybe when I get bored, I might just drag out say..all of the chisels?   Just for something to do....Do I fuss with grits?   Nah, usually stop around 2.5K and maybe a strop.  Got better things to do than work on seeing my ugly mug in a mirror polish edge.   K.I.S.S.  is the rule around here....

52 minutes ago, steven newman said:

K.I.S.S.  is the rule around here

This has been more and more important in my life lately Steve, more so than ever before, perhaps this is why I am thrilled with the idea of moving away from the complicated things that can pile up in a shop regarding tooling and methods, I feel like I need to take a huge breath all the time, and step back and just observe the rest of the world in its haste.

Sometimes we get a tad too gadgetized in our shops. I still sharpen free hand.

18 minutes ago, John Morris said:

Sometimes we get a tad too gadgetized in our shops. I still sharpen free hand.

 

Tormek or Veritas MkII

A set of three Norton Water Stones, the first stone (coarse) doesn't see much use. And my hands.

Dad did it that way, taught me to sharpen my pocket knife, and he sharpened free hand on a stone for his wood chisels, and I have carried it to my plane irons. I have used the MkII in the past, it was a fun gadget at first, and it works beautifully, but I like free hand, and the good ol finernail test.

I don't get caught up in micro bevels or secondary, either. Just one bevel.

light micro back bevel..

finger nail test..