SHARPENING
Bench Stones
Guides about bench stones.
4 guides
Diamond vs Water vs Oil Stones: Which One Should You Buy?
Cut Speed, Mess, and Budget — A Plain-Language Comparison
Diamond vs water vs oil stone comparison: cut speed, mess, maintenance, and budget ($30–150). Pick the right sharpening stone system for your shop.
How to Sharpen a Chisel: A Beginner's 2-Stone Method
Get one chisel from rounded edge to paper-slicing in 15 minutes, with a $50 setup
Sharpen a dull chisel from rounded edge to shaving-sharp in 15 minutes — what stones you need, the angles that matter, and how to know you're done.
How to Sharpen Chisels and Plane Blades
Diagnose, Flatten, Hone, Strop: the Four-Step Process That Works on Every Stone System
How to sharpen chisels and plane blades: diagnose the edge, flatten the back once, grind a 25° primary bevel, hone a 30° secondary microbevel, strop.
Sharpening Station Setup: Build a $50 Bench Rig
Build a dado-well sharpening station from a 2x10 scrap: 3 stones sit flat, water stays contained, whole thing clamps to bench in 30 seconds. Under $40.