Get The Sharpening Jig here:
https://www.mikefarrington.com/sharpening-jig
Pick up your Double Taper Sanding Disc Here.
https://www.mikefarrington.com/dt-disc
Tip Jar... Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/MikeFarrington
In this video I go through the process of how to sharpening a few Japanese chisels I bought off eBay. I was lucky in that when the chisels showed up they were very high quality, so I decided to give them the royal treatment and bring them back to their former glory. I have posted links below for those in need of some sharpening gear.
Keep in mind that sharpening is a big topic. How to do it and what is a good enough result will differ person to person. My angle is fine carpentry and fine woodworking. I want my tools sharp enough to perform tasks within these two disciplines. After using a bunch of different methods, jigs, stones, etc. I have refined my system to what I showed in this video. I do not discourage other methods, there are many and lots of them work great. This is just what works best for me.
Sharpening starts with a flat back, I think this is best done on a diamond stone. Even though they cut slow, they stay flat. I have tried to flatten backs with water stones, and I end up never really getting flat, as the stone dishes, that dish is transferred to the back on the blade. So, a diamond stone it is. Extra coarse and extra fine are great starting points. Once the back has been buffed with the diamond stones, move on to the water stones. 5k is a great stone. If all you did was work up to the 5k stone, you will have a very sharp tool. 8k is sharper still. Past that, diminishing returns, it's fun but doesn't really net a ton of results. I should mention, at each step cutting short is only going to cause problems. Spend enough time at each grit to be thorough. A magnifying glass can do wonders at this step. It takes away some of the guessing as to when you are done with a particular grit.
Once the back is dialed in, grind the bevel. This really should be done at a bench grinder. A cheap grinder from a garage sale will do this step fine. For most chisels 25-30 degrees is just fine and the place you should start. A belt sander or disc sander can do this process as well if a bench grinder isn't available. So if you don't have a bench grinder look at what other aggressive sanders you have in your shop, one of them can probably help with setting up your bevels.
After the bevel is ground, it's time for final sharpening. I think my jig is a great way to go. It's quick, easy and consistent. Polish up to your selected grit and get to work. Doing this freehand is fine as well, it is a little slower and takes a bit more practice.
Sharpening is important! If you are installing a lockset on a door, or fitting a dovetail, your work is going to look like garbage if your tools aren't sharp. If you take the craft seriously, take sharpening seriously. The closest thing to a super hero power in woodworking is having really sharp tools. Let me know your thoughts, feel free to ask questions.
Radom thoughts in a passing parade...
Stropping, I don't like stropping because it is slightly inconsistent. It rounds over the area that is being sharpened. This really isn't a problem until it is, as you go through touchup sharpenings, it becomes difficult to really hit the stropped area.
Microscopes and magnifying glasses. I think you should get on or the other. A decent magnifying glass is like a 10-15$ purchase and can really give great insight as to what is happening with your scratch patterns as well as the burr. Better still is a microscope like the one in the video. These are like 35ish bucks, but really get in close and show what the deal is.
Stuff and Junk I used in this video:
Wear a fun shirt: https://amzn.to/4hARMK4
4 pack of water stones: https://amzn.to/40B9beL
2 pack of stones, this is a great starting point: https://amzn.to/4jxjGrX
12k stone for some extra credit: https://amzn.to/42zZRtX
30k stone for the hardcore sharpener: https://amzn.to/42ADtAY
Here is my recommendation for diamond stones:
Diamond stone, extra coarse: https://amzn.to/40EgoKQ
Diamond stone, extra fine: https://amzn.to/4ggYIL9
Lapping plate, don't buy a cheap one of these, this one is certified to a certain level of flatness, I am not sure if the cheaper versions are: https://amzn.to/3EjkEYY
Cabinet door bumpers: https://amzn.to/40Qz77g
Microscope: https://amzn.to/3PT6SPh
Magnifying glass: https://amzn.to/4hrhoJc
GlueBot: https://amzn.to/3ErGtFt
Cheap grinding wheels: https://amzn.to/4jBkADJ
Mid grade grinding wheels, these are awesome: https://amzn.to/4hi6aam
Top of the line grinding wheels (80 and 180 are useful grits, but 80 is the starting point): https://amzn.to/40SGMCg
Bench grinder I should have bought: https://amzn.to/40Es00i
Bench grinder I have: https://amzn.to/3WGOc9c
Tormek bench grinder attachment: https://amzn.to/42zTFT4
Tormek chisel grinding attachment: https://amzn.to/4hxVkfP