Post #319303 by ootwoods on Tue, Jul 17, 2007 1:20 PM

Unless you bought extremely high end chisels, they probably need to be sharpened "properly" before they will perform well.

Most things bought "for cheap" as it were, come with a finish that means some guy waved them across a high-speed grinding wheel to put a basic bevel on them.

That usually leaves a somewhat jagged (at the very small level) edge, which will not slice as cleanly as a finished edge.

you want to use a fairly fine whet stone or diamond hone to refine the edge (follow the bevel that is already there, until you get an extremely fine, bright, even edge) and then a strop or something to remove the wire edge that forms on the opposite side (which you can usually feel with the tip of your fingernail).

After that, they should cut really nicely. Occasionally, touch them up with an ultrafine stone or a strop (you can find nice power-strops out there.. basically a revolving soft leather wheel that you put rouge on) to keep them at top sharpness.

I learned that valuable lesson with wood-turning tools. They come "edged" but certainly not "sharp".

Even my Marples Blue-Chip Chisels required a finish honing when I got them home.