Absolutely no need to apologize for expressing a perfectly reasonable opinion based on your personal experience. Back in the 80s, I used an oilstone to sharpen my chisels, simply because that's what was available. Honestly, I had no idea what grit it was, yet still managed to get a sharp enough edge to get the job done. Although, as I've mentioned elsewhere, I do own several different honing guides, not to mention a range of water stones and an excellent Faithful 400/1000 diamond stone, I tend to use sandpaper clamped to an offcut of MDF when I'm at work. Onsite, the advantage of sandpaper is that it is usually free - if you're nice to the decorators - gives you a large working area, and means you have one less gadget to lug around.
That's kind of you. It's hard to position an opinion properly. I'll get there. I appreciate your story, it sounds very similar to that which I see played out. Thanks for the comment.
For what it's worth, you helped me alot. I was overthinking the whole sharpening thing. I did order a norton India stone but I have a cheap set of water stones and once I stopped over thinking I started getting a really nice edge with very little work. I think with all these "scary sharp" systems you see a lot of yt wood workers talking about makes many people go about it all the wrong way. Cheers my friend, I appreciate all your work and knowledge you share with us. You are just so much more practical then most, if that even makes sense.
Thanks for that. Don't forget, you made that happen. You decided to take it back to basics and get results you are happy with. I think I did the 400# grit video based on one of your comments. Ultimately, the India isn't magic. It's just a good way to learn the basics and it'll last a lifetime if you want to stay with it 👍
There's a lot of bad info out there when it comes to sharpening. Not to say those methods don't work at all. They're just less efficient. How I sharpen has certainly evolved over time as I've found things that work better for me.
I have used a india stone, some polishing compound and leather stop for 30 years and i have gotten great results everytime. I stand by the 400 grit but a good edges last a long time if properly stopped. Keep the ideas & instruction coming. They are helping someome just starting out or a pro like me that needs grounding from time to time
Hi Carl. Your set up sounds exactly like mine! It is reassuring to know that you are getting results that you're happy with. I failed to mention it in the video, but the India does bed in somewhat and becomes less aggressive, perhaps "finer" whereas a waterstone keeps cutting at the same level. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.
I thought the 400 video was great and appreciate the point you're trying to make. I think people often loose sight of what grit #s actually mean, a 400 grit surface is smooth to approx 44 microns, whereas wood fibres are roughly 50 microns, a 1000 grit is 18 microns. Personally I'm not convinced that going much over that will result in any better wood surface because I can't imagine how even a smoother edge surface will eliminate the fibrous nature of the wood. Personally I've used sandpaper on glass and an amazon diamond plate and they've both been good and cheap, I find using a guide helps a lot as well
Hi Bert. Thanks for the feedback. One thing in our favour is imparting a cut surface onto the wood instead of abraded. Even 400# grit edge tools will often give perfect results. I'm sure some people in some situations will benefit from very fine grits. Good honest furniture for the home isn't one of them. Carving lime, some aspects of luthiery? Your methods sound fine to me, if a guide gets you where you need to be I see nothing wrong in that 👍
That sharpening can of worms is always filled with some hurt butt. I appreciate that you have shed some light that is beneficial for beginners at the minimum to get started in the overwhelming world of sharpening. This is a viable method that is cheap with attainable results. The only thing some one might want to add is a cheap 250 grit diamond plate to do correcting. Then down the road you could add polishing stone if you feel the need to get the next level of sharp. But the Norton India will get most any beginner going and is all some people ever need. Glad you did the previous video, keep up the good work.
I have a cheap £25 double sided diamond stone by Faithfull 400 one side 1000 the other ( which is still going after 7 years) and finish with veritas chromium oxide on the strop . It takes only a couple of minutes to sharpen and going again. All my planes i use regularly are restored Stanley or record that I've bought from recycling centres for only a few pounds and cleaned up for use .
Magic! People really like the diamond option Kelvin. £25 over seven years, what's not to like? You've done well on the planes too. Just think how much they were new!
@@faceedgewoodworking I like the diamond stone mainly because I don't have to worry about flattening. Yes saved a fortune on tools that way , though I'm a tight ass farmers son lol . I also have a collection of antique saws from the same places which cost an average of 50p each lol
@@kelvinsparks4651 Tight? Perhaps you appreciate how difficult it is to earn money? It's easy for things to become a vanity project rather than a solution.
Yes, I have the same Faithful 400/1000, and I paid £25.99 about eight years ago. There is a wee bit of rust on it now, but it still does a stellar job of sharpening even my chef's knife.
This has been really informative, thank you. You say what I often think when I see certain 'experts' on YT (who are sometimes trying to flog their gear). As you imply, there's a 'good enough' approach to woodworking. One thing off my list - I'll now be content with my 1000 diamond and a leather strop + autosol (I do like a nice shine!)
An excellent video!! I managed for 40 years with just an India combination stone and never had a problem achieving a good edge and producing a fine finish, then I jumped on the band wagon and bought into water stones and diamond plates. Do I get a better edge? well yes of course, but do I notice any huge difference in the planed finish? Not really, except on really difficult woods. As far as planes are concerned I am quite happy with my old Record and Stanleys. I have used all the so called elite planes and while they are nicely made have never found them to be worth the excessive outlay. I would much rather spend my money on wood which is after all what this is all about. I will say that the old planes can vary in quality and anything from the 80s onwards can be quite bad but as you say there are thousands of old planes out there and most of the old ones can be made to work beautifully for a few pounds so why oh why do we need to be buying more stuff just for the sake of having the latest pretty thing.
Hi David. Like you, I've been lucky enough to experiment with a few different ways of getting an edge. A stropped edge off an India is good for a great deal of work. Finer is possible, finer might be beneficial in some situations. But for routine Woodworking and furniture making 400# to 1000# is fine. I like well made things. As you rightly point out. Once we hit the 1980's, quality was variable to say the least. But a good Bailey is equal to anything. That doesn't mean I'm anti modern quality planes. They're lovely. I just hope people don't get wrapped up in a fear of missing out. The wood won't care which plane is used.
All very good points. I sharpen my irons and chisels to 600 grit and finished with a strop and get glass smooth surfaces. I intend to try higher quality 1000 grit plate someday to see if I am missing anything but for now I am satisfied with the budget 600 grit plate and strop. Thanks for your wisdom!
I just use 1,000 grit but I use a guide and I hollow grind my tools on a bench grinder too. So I'm never honing very much at all. Then I waste time polishing on ceramic hones before I strop. Why? Because I can! Some irrational part of me feels the need to I suppose? I should try dispensing with that extra step and see how it goes.
If you are stropping, and stropping adequately, you’re polishing your edge with an abrasive (leather I assume) which is around 1 micron, I.e. in the range of 8-10,000 grit. Explains the glass smooth surface 👍
@@CabinetFramingUK I stop too. Autosol on leather/wood block. The refinement is similar to 8000 but it's too much of a jump to get there without an intermediate stone.
Hi I use a washita and a arkensaw translucent stone get a great edge on all my tools I think it's getting out of hand I would say the sharper your tool it will blunt faster I would say you need an edge that works , it's as much skill when sharpening not just the stone the hype put out by some woodworkers is a sales pitch
I love stuff on sharpening blades, glad I happened upon your video :) I got taught by my dad when I was about 7 years old. I got the general idea very quickly but it took a couple of decades to really feel the nuances. I have no need to go higher than 400, if someone were to lend me a 1,000 i'd give it a go- not sure it would make a huge amount of difference TBH
Hi Damon. 7 years old, perfect time to start when you have a skilled relative to show you the ropes. You're right, I think we develop that nuanced understanding in all aspects of work. I suppose that process never stops. Thanks for commenting!
Some of finest old furniture in the world will have been made with tools sharpened to less than a 1000 grit. I can’t believe folk get so hung up on this.
@@jgo5707 I would also add that continually sharpening to 5 million grit or whatever takes a lot of time away from actually making things. Get it sharp and make, that’s surely what it’s all about?
Nick, broadly I'm with you. We do know that Turkey stones were prized for their fine edge, so too Charnley Forest and Arkansas. These stones do impart a superfine edge needed for some very demanding work. What I wanted to do was show both in my practical experience and by referencing what many think of as the Woodworking bible (Joyce) that something around 1000# is perfectly acceptable. And while learning, raising a burr can be done quickly on an India. Helps a newbie get the basics right.
I started with a 400/1000 combination diamond plate and have since bought single sided DMT 800 and 1200. I finish with a leather strop and green honing compound. They work fine. However I have recently bought a cheap combination water stone from Amazon. That works well too and gives a higher level of polish but with more maintenance needed. Not sure if how that relates to finish on the wood. I was happy previously. I'm just curious to try other ways of doing things. Must admit to wanting to try a Norton stone, and some of the natural stones. How will you find what suits you best if you don't try a few different options.
Rob, it's natural to be curious. With so many options out there it's easy to think we're missing out. I like old stones because I get wrapped up in history. Doesn't mean it's the only way. Based on recent comments, I would say Diamond plates are the most popular and successful.
@@faceedgewoodworking I studied geology at university so have another reason for wanting to try natural stones. I think for most work diamond plates make a lot of sense and I'm glad I went that way. I think what I'm looking for (other than curiosity and a yearning to use natural materials) is something that allows me to occasionally just step it up a level. So diamond plates and a strop for day to day sharpening, and perhaps a 3000/8000 waterstone for the occasions where I want to push things just that little bit further. And if that extra stone can be a natural stone (e.g. a Belgian coticule) so much the better.
I don't think diamond plates higher than 1,000 grit are too legit. That's down to the plating they have to use to bond the diamonds to the plate. Once you get past 1,000 you should move to other media. Personally I'm using Spyderco ceramic hones myself. But I'm questioning the efficacy of that. I'm thinking I can go from 1,000 right to the strop and it should polish as much as I need. But I'm going to have to verify that under the microscope.
I've found that some people want to do everything they can to discourage people to get into woodworking. They insist you need prohibitively expensive tools, ridiculous numbers of tools, etc if you are going to be "a good woodworker" and anybody that uses cheap tools or works around what they have is nothing more than a "wood basher". Then you have others, like yourself, who want to help people to get into this hobby and offer practical advice. Will people benefit from a highly engineered, precision manufactured tool? Most likely but that doesn't mean they can't do really good work, that they can enjoy and be proud of with a 2nd hand plane, some affordable chisels and a bit of effort to prepare them. I can only assume the former either need to justify the money they've spent, feel threatened that others may be better than them or just want to inflate their own ego.
Hi Dave. Thanks for your feedback. Ultimately, any approach is valid as long as it's safe. But, like you, I have reservations about being prescriptive about the necessity of relatively expensive tools. As long as people get stuck into some version of Woodworking rather than standing to the side worrying about having the most desirable kit then we're heading in the right direction.
The fact that people get twisted up about these things is sad, find the medium you enjoy using, use it, and get back to work. I understand that some are adamant about their views and the content creators probably have sales links for their products..but there's much more important stuff in each of our lives to get upset about and if you don't have anything worse going on than that, then count your blessings.
Agreed. I think it comes down to human nature. We know that famine, disease and pain are widespread. But part of who we are as humans means we focus on the biggest problems in our own situation. It's just how we're wired! I hope folks see my suggestion as a straight forward option. I don't have a dog in this fight. I don't earn anything if people buy diamond plates, honing guides etc. We get something that works and move on 👍
There's a lot of variability when it comes to woodworking. I have a fair number of Stanley planes and they're not all the same. Wood is a natural product so that's as diverse at it gets. The honing products themselves are not even the same even if they're the same product. A new India stone is not going to cut the same as one that's been broken in. Who's to even say they're all made the same new? They should be, but are they? I imagine there's some variability between batches. So what's the case in one shop may not be in another.
@@faceedgewoodworking I'm sure effective grit is a difficult thing to quantify. I guess you'd have to measure the created scratches. Which would be hard to do.
You lost the debate by apologizing, never do that. In all honesty, those cheap diamond plates are just about ok, Rex Kruger did a vid on them but the plate will bend after a time. Let's face it, these days very few want to or can hand sharpen correctly, it is a dying art. My arthritis prevents me sharpening by hand for more than 5 mins, 40+ chisels and irons needs a mechanical component. The Trend 300/1000 diamond stone is the best of all the diamond plates and will last a pro 50+ yrs. The whole sharpening world is a gate pushed wide open and YT content creators have muddled the waters in search of clicks.
Hi Duncan. Nah, I'm still yelling 'cos if I stop that would mean I lost the fight th-cam.com/video/ErFKxSjpXdI/w-d-xo.html 😂. Wow, bendy steel! Bad batch perhaps? Bloody good price on the Trend! trenddirectuk.com/trend-dws-cp8-fc-classic-pro-stone-fine-coarse-8-x-3-inch-double-sided.html?gclid=CjwKCAiA0cyfBhBREiwAAtStHBusSr0Q53RpHZtLaM4H7KxemJSS6HirjFm7gISFMMBcFLR6cg5RhhoC_s4QAvD_BwE
I try to stay away from this topic altogether. I have found that religious fanatics and fundamentalists are easier to reason with than people who sharpen to 15,000 grit. :)
Absolutely no need to apologize for expressing a perfectly reasonable opinion based on your personal experience. Back in the 80s, I used an oilstone to sharpen my chisels, simply because that's what was available. Honestly, I had no idea what grit it was, yet still managed to get a sharp enough edge to get the job done.
Although, as I've mentioned elsewhere, I do own several different honing guides, not to mention a range of water stones and an excellent Faithful 400/1000 diamond stone, I tend to use sandpaper clamped to an offcut of MDF when I'm at work. Onsite, the advantage of sandpaper is that it is usually free - if you're nice to the decorators - gives you a large working area, and means you have one less gadget to lug around.
That's kind of you. It's hard to position an opinion properly. I'll get there. I appreciate your story, it sounds very similar to that which I see played out. Thanks for the comment.
For what it's worth, you helped me alot. I was overthinking the whole sharpening thing.
I did order a norton India stone but I have a cheap set of water stones and once I stopped over thinking I started getting a really nice edge with very little work.
I think with all these "scary sharp" systems you see a lot of yt wood workers talking about makes many people go about it all the wrong way.
Cheers my friend, I appreciate all your work and knowledge you share with us. You are just so much more practical then most, if that even makes sense.
Thanks for that. Don't forget, you made that happen. You decided to take it back to basics and get results you are happy with.
I think I did the 400# grit video based on one of your comments. Ultimately, the India isn't magic. It's just a good way to learn the basics and it'll last a lifetime if you want to stay with it 👍
There's a lot of bad info out there when it comes to sharpening. Not to say those methods don't work at all. They're just less efficient. How I sharpen has certainly evolved over time as I've found things that work better for me.
I have used a india stone, some polishing compound and leather stop for 30 years and i have gotten great results everytime. I stand by the 400 grit but a good edges last a long time if properly stopped. Keep the ideas & instruction coming. They are helping someome just starting out or a pro like me that needs grounding from time to time
Hi Carl. Your set up sounds exactly like mine! It is reassuring to know that you are getting results that you're happy with. I failed to mention it in the video, but the India does bed in somewhat and becomes less aggressive, perhaps "finer" whereas a waterstone keeps cutting at the same level. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.
I thought the 400 video was great and appreciate the point you're trying to make. I think people often loose sight of what grit #s actually mean, a 400 grit surface is smooth to approx 44 microns, whereas wood fibres are roughly 50 microns, a 1000 grit is 18 microns. Personally I'm not convinced that going much over that will result in any better wood surface because I can't imagine how even a smoother edge surface will eliminate the fibrous nature of the wood. Personally I've used sandpaper on glass and an amazon diamond plate and they've both been good and cheap, I find using a guide helps a lot as well
Hi Bert. Thanks for the feedback. One thing in our favour is imparting a cut surface onto the wood instead of abraded. Even 400# grit edge tools will often give perfect results.
I'm sure some people in some situations will benefit from very fine grits. Good honest furniture for the home isn't one of them. Carving lime, some aspects of luthiery?
Your methods sound fine to me, if a guide gets you where you need to be I see nothing wrong in that 👍
That sharpening can of worms is always filled with some hurt butt. I appreciate that you have shed some light that is beneficial for beginners at the minimum to get started in the overwhelming world of sharpening. This is a viable method that is cheap with attainable results. The only thing some one might want to add is a cheap 250 grit diamond plate to do correcting. Then down the road you could add polishing stone if you feel the need to get the next level of sharp. But the Norton India will get most any beginner going and is all some people ever need. Glad you did the previous video, keep up the good work.
Hi Jim. Thanks for your feedback. Your suggestions are completely reasonable. I'm sure many folks do exactly as you suggest.
I have a cheap £25 double sided diamond stone by Faithfull 400 one side 1000 the other ( which is still going after 7 years) and finish with veritas chromium oxide on the strop . It takes only a couple of minutes to sharpen and going again.
All my planes i use regularly are restored Stanley or record that I've bought from recycling centres for only a few pounds and cleaned up for use .
Magic! People really like the diamond option Kelvin. £25 over seven years, what's not to like? You've done well on the planes too. Just think how much they were new!
@@faceedgewoodworking I like the diamond stone mainly because I don't have to worry about flattening. Yes saved a fortune on tools that way , though I'm a tight ass farmers son lol . I also have a collection of antique saws from the same places which cost an average of 50p each lol
@@kelvinsparks4651 Tight? Perhaps you appreciate how difficult it is to earn money? It's easy for things to become a vanity project rather than a solution.
Yes, I have the same Faithful 400/1000, and I paid £25.99 about eight years ago. There is a wee bit of rust on it now, but it still does a stellar job of sharpening even my chef's knife.
This has been really informative, thank you. You say what I often think when I see certain 'experts' on YT (who are sometimes trying to flog their gear). As you imply, there's a 'good enough' approach to woodworking. One thing off my list - I'll now be content with my 1000 diamond and a leather strop + autosol (I do like a nice shine!)
Thanks Damian. I have no tools to sell. Just a perspective that some may find useful. Your 1000 grit stone and Autosol will be perfect.
An excellent video!! I managed for 40 years with just an India combination stone and never had a problem achieving a good edge and producing a fine finish, then I jumped on the band wagon and bought into water stones and diamond plates. Do I get a better edge? well yes of course, but do I notice any huge difference in the planed finish? Not really, except on really difficult woods.
As far as planes are concerned I am quite happy with my old Record and Stanleys. I have used all the so called elite planes and while they are nicely made have never found them to be worth the excessive outlay. I would much rather spend my money on wood which is after all what this is all about. I will say that the old planes can vary in quality and anything from the 80s onwards can be quite bad but as you say there are thousands of old planes out there and most of the old ones can be made to work beautifully for a few pounds so why oh why do we need to be buying more stuff just for the sake of having the latest pretty thing.
Hi David. Like you, I've been lucky enough to experiment with a few different ways of getting an edge. A stropped edge off an India is good for a great deal of work. Finer is possible, finer might be beneficial in some situations. But for routine Woodworking and furniture making 400# to 1000# is fine.
I like well made things. As you rightly point out. Once we hit the 1980's, quality was variable to say the least. But a good Bailey is equal to anything.
That doesn't mean I'm anti modern quality planes. They're lovely. I just hope people don't get wrapped up in a fear of missing out. The wood won't care which plane is used.
All very good points. I sharpen my irons and chisels to 600 grit and finished with a strop and get glass smooth surfaces. I intend to try higher quality 1000 grit plate someday to see if I am missing anything but for now I am satisfied with the budget 600 grit plate and strop. Thanks for your wisdom!
I just use 1,000 grit but I use a guide and I hollow grind my tools on a bench grinder too. So I'm never honing very much at all. Then I waste time polishing on ceramic hones before I strop. Why? Because I can! Some irrational part of me feels the need to I suppose? I should try dispensing with that extra step and see how it goes.
Thanks C.A. However do you cope? Only 600# grit 😂! I think wisdom is a strong word but I'll take it. It's not often that I hear it applied to me 😉
If you are stropping, and stropping adequately, you’re polishing your edge with an abrasive (leather I assume) which is around 1 micron, I.e. in the range of 8-10,000 grit.
Explains the glass smooth surface 👍
@@CabinetFramingUK I stop too. Autosol on leather/wood block. The refinement is similar to 8000 but it's too much of a jump to get there without an intermediate stone.
Hi I use a washita and a arkensaw translucent stone get a great edge on all my tools I think it's getting out of hand I would say the sharper your tool it will blunt faster I would say you need an edge that works , it's as much skill when sharpening not just the stone the hype put out by some woodworkers is a sales pitch
That's a lovely set up Peter. Perfect for fine work. An edge to suit the task at hand, can't say fairer than that.
I love stuff on sharpening blades, glad I happened upon your video :) I got taught by my dad when I was about 7 years old. I got the general idea very quickly but it took a couple of decades to really feel the nuances. I have no need to go higher than 400, if someone were to lend me a 1,000 i'd give it a go- not sure it would make a huge amount of difference TBH
Hi Damon. 7 years old, perfect time to start when you have a skilled relative to show you the ropes. You're right, I think we develop that nuanced understanding in all aspects of work. I suppose that process never stops. Thanks for commenting!
Some of finest old furniture in the world will have been made with tools sharpened to less than a 1000 grit. I can’t believe folk get so hung up on this.
This right here. How in the world was furniture made for the last millenia without edges sharp to 10,000 grit. Those poor craftsmen.
@@jgo5707 I would also add that continually sharpening to 5 million grit or whatever takes a lot of time away from actually making things. Get it sharp and make, that’s surely what it’s all about?
@@nickjones3222 gotta get the edge mirror polished, how else will it cut?
@@jgo5707 🤣
Nick, broadly I'm with you. We do know that Turkey stones were prized for their fine edge, so too Charnley Forest and Arkansas. These stones do impart a superfine edge needed for some very demanding work.
What I wanted to do was show both in my practical experience and by referencing what many think of as the Woodworking bible (Joyce) that something around 1000# is perfectly acceptable. And while learning, raising a burr can be done quickly on an India. Helps a newbie get the basics right.
Try the vaunt diamond plate I have it's a useful tool
Thanks Peter, I'll check that out!
some good word of advice here, thanks and keep up the good work
Thanks Kieran. It's an option for people to consider, I'm certainly not telling people they must follow this path. Thanks for commenting.
I started with a 400/1000 combination diamond plate and have since bought single sided DMT 800 and 1200. I finish with a leather strop and green honing compound. They work fine. However I have recently bought a cheap combination water stone from Amazon. That works well too and gives a higher level of polish but with more maintenance needed. Not sure if how that relates to finish on the wood. I was happy previously. I'm just curious to try other ways of doing things. Must admit to wanting to try a Norton stone, and some of the natural stones. How will you find what suits you best if you don't try a few different options.
Rob, it's natural to be curious. With so many options out there it's easy to think we're missing out. I like old stones because I get wrapped up in history. Doesn't mean it's the only way. Based on recent comments, I would say Diamond plates are the most popular and successful.
@@faceedgewoodworking I studied geology at university so have another reason for wanting to try natural stones. I think for most work diamond plates make a lot of sense and I'm glad I went that way. I think what I'm looking for (other than curiosity and a yearning to use natural materials) is something that allows me to occasionally just step it up a level. So diamond plates and a strop for day to day sharpening, and perhaps a 3000/8000 waterstone for the occasions where I want to push things just that little bit further. And if that extra stone can be a natural stone (e.g. a Belgian coticule) so much the better.
@@robnichols9331 Sounds like a reasonable plan to me! I don't have experience with the coticule but they do have a popular following.
I'm slightly ocd with sharpening. 8,000 grit diamond plate and a leather strop 👌
I don't think diamond plates higher than 1,000 grit are too legit. That's down to the plating they have to use to bond the diamonds to the plate. Once you get past 1,000 you should move to other media. Personally I'm using Spyderco ceramic hones myself. But I'm questioning the efficacy of that. I'm thinking I can go from 1,000 right to the strop and it should polish as much as I need. But I'm going to have to verify that under the microscope.
Hey, no issue with that here. It's a perfectly good option for high quality results 👍
The Stanley planes are all you need. If you can't do it with those, it's not the tool.
Agreed! Nothing to stop people going for different options. But to deride a Stanley as a slap dash tool is laughable 😂. Thanks for the comment.
I've found that some people want to do everything they can to discourage people to get into woodworking. They insist you need prohibitively expensive tools, ridiculous numbers of tools, etc if you are going to be "a good woodworker" and anybody that uses cheap tools or works around what they have is nothing more than a "wood basher".
Then you have others, like yourself, who want to help people to get into this hobby and offer practical advice. Will people benefit from a highly engineered, precision manufactured tool? Most likely but that doesn't mean they can't do really good work, that they can enjoy and be proud of with a 2nd hand plane, some affordable chisels and a bit of effort to prepare them.
I can only assume the former either need to justify the money they've spent, feel threatened that others may be better than them or just want to inflate their own ego.
Hi Dave. Thanks for your feedback. Ultimately, any approach is valid as long as it's safe. But, like you, I have reservations about being prescriptive about the necessity of relatively expensive tools.
As long as people get stuck into some version of Woodworking rather than standing to the side worrying about having the most desirable kit then we're heading in the right direction.
The fact that people get twisted up about these things is sad, find the medium you enjoy using, use it, and get back to work. I understand that some are adamant about their views and the content creators probably have sales links for their products..but there's much more important stuff in each of our lives to get upset about and if you don't have anything worse going on than that, then count your blessings.
Agreed. I think it comes down to human nature. We know that famine, disease and pain are widespread. But part of who we are as humans means we focus on the biggest problems in our own situation. It's just how we're wired!
I hope folks see my suggestion as a straight forward option. I don't have a dog in this fight. I don't earn anything if people buy diamond plates, honing guides etc. We get something that works and move on 👍
There's a lot of variability when it comes to woodworking. I have a fair number of Stanley planes and they're not all the same. Wood is a natural product so that's as diverse at it gets. The honing products themselves are not even the same even if they're the same product. A new India stone is not going to cut the same as one that's been broken in. Who's to even say they're all made the same new? They should be, but are they? I imagine there's some variability between batches. So what's the case in one shop may not be in another.
Hi Paul. It's a very fair point about "breaking in". Diamond and Indias do indeed break in. I wonder how fine the end up. 600# grit? Cheers!
@@faceedgewoodworking I'm sure effective grit is a difficult thing to quantify. I guess you'd have to measure the created scratches. Which would be hard to do.
You lost the debate by apologizing, never do that.
In all honesty, those cheap diamond plates are just about ok, Rex Kruger did a vid on them but the plate will bend after a time.
Let's face it, these days very few want to or can hand sharpen correctly, it is a dying art.
My arthritis prevents me sharpening by hand for more than 5 mins, 40+ chisels and irons needs a mechanical component.
The Trend 300/1000 diamond stone is the best of all the diamond plates and will last a pro 50+ yrs.
The whole sharpening world is a gate pushed wide open and YT content creators have muddled the waters in search of clicks.
Hi Duncan. Nah, I'm still yelling 'cos if I stop that would mean I lost the fight th-cam.com/video/ErFKxSjpXdI/w-d-xo.html 😂.
Wow, bendy steel! Bad batch perhaps?
Bloody good price on the Trend! trenddirectuk.com/trend-dws-cp8-fc-classic-pro-stone-fine-coarse-8-x-3-inch-double-sided.html?gclid=CjwKCAiA0cyfBhBREiwAAtStHBusSr0Q53RpHZtLaM4H7KxemJSS6HirjFm7gISFMMBcFLR6cg5RhhoC_s4QAvD_BwE
I try to stay away from this topic altogether. I have found that religious fanatics and fundamentalists are easier to reason with than people who sharpen to 15,000 grit. :)
Too late Mihail. One of us, one of us, one of us 😂. Yeah, all I did was provide an option, now I'm Lucifer.