"Conan The Librarian" wrote in message
...
Wolfgang wrote:

...If everything is done just right, the result is two perfect glass
knives....

I never cease to be amazed by the knowledge there is in this nuthouse.

It took longer to write that description than it does to read the manual
(well, the important bits, anyway) and make a knife.

Making GOOD ones does take a bit of practice, though.

... Polishing the blades makes a HUGE difference!

Yep. I used to use what we call "the big green crayon", which is
chromium oxide. I'd smear some on a leather strop or a piece of softwood
and use that for final honing/polishing. It also works nicely for carving
tools, as you can use the tool to cut the profile in a piece of softwood
and then smear the stuff into that profile and hone the gouge on that.

These days I use 3M "microfinishing film" for final polishing. You can
see it at: http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...04&cat=1,43072

Back when I did more wood butchery in a shop than in someone's back yard, I
had two sets of chisels. One set, all steel Mayhews, I let no one else
touch. If someone needed a chisel I let 'em use the cheap crap. These
days, alas, I've gotten lax. Now I won't let anyone look at the Mayhews.

But be careful if you go to that website. I've seen people go in there
and never come back. :-)

After successful completion of a twelve step program, I'm no longer even
tempted......well, for now, anyway. I got another monkey on my back these
days.......goddamn the pressman!

As for your comment about sharpening fixtures -- that is a complaint of
mine as well. There really isn't one that will do everything well. They
are either hard to center the iron in or they are tippy, or they don't
work with narrow chisels, or ...

So I learned to freehand out of necessity. I still use a guide when
establishing a bevel angle or fixing a damaged edge, but for the most part
it's quicker and easier to just do it freestyle.

BTW, Lee Valley has come up with a sharpening guide that addresses lots
of the problems associated with them:
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.a...68&cat=51&ap=6

Too many parts. Icky. Assuming it works.....and I'm willing to take that
on faith.....I still wouldn't be interested. As you know, there's a certain
sublime satisfaction to be had in doing some things well the old fashioned
way.

Wolfgang