It’s been a while – more on that later.
I want to get back into the swing with some new content, kicking off with this demo on how I sharpen my chisels.
There’s plenty of info in this video to help you pick up my swift sharpening method. If you’re like me and want to get stuff built efficiently by hand, using old (crappy?) tools then this could be worth a good listen through.
It’s about developing the routine. And matching the sharpening kit to your tools.
I’m looking to fire back up with new videos – help me out by letting my know what you’re looking for in the comments. If you have questions on anything that’s covered here ask away and I’ll look to get a Q&A video filmed as a quick follow up.
And we’re currently running an offer on all of our video courses.
It’s the biggest discount we’ve offered so worth a look to see if there’s owt that takes your fancy.
Browse all of the series HERE
Use code 35OFF at the checkout.
![Which Saws Are Best For Ripping Thick Stuff? [Video]](https://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/what-hand-saw-is-best-for-thick-rip-cuts.jpg)
![How do I Sharpen a Router Plane? [Q & A Video]](https://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/11/how-to-sharpen-a-router-plane-video.jpg)
![Bench Top Edge Jointing [with Video]](https://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/bench-top-edge-jointing-video.jpg)
![Quick Homemade Clamps – Small & Large [with video]](https://www.theenglishwoodworker.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/08/how-to-make-your-own-woodworking-clamps.jpg)
Good to see you back. It’s been way too long
I’m very happy to see you making content again!!! I’m looking forward to what’s next!!
Great to see you back again – I need some new projects and inspiration 😁
You’re a great teacher, Richard. Been a keen admirer of what you produce, how you work, and your ability to make fellow woodworkers feel like they can crack it too, since the workbench magazine article many moons ago. Very pleased you’re publishing again, keep plodding on mate.
Welcome back Richard.! Been a while right?
I was thinking about your tuition from days past and wondered how long it had been. Your intro to the Chisel sharpening video was classic! 🙂
Looking forward to more content. It really does provide inspiration to get back into it!
Brgds JtH
Welcome back Mate!
Richard – I’m glad to see you’re posting videos again. I’ve been hoping you’d be doing this. Thank you. You’re a great and entertaining teacher.
Great to have you back.
Good to see you back Richard.
Whatever kept you off air, I hope things are better.
Video on how to use the basic kit properly would be helpful.
How to stand, hold the tools and how to improvise with a basic kit .
Good to see the Fred Dibnah of Woodworking back on
track !
Great stuff as usual with no fluff.
Yes! Awesome to see you are back in business!
Finally !
Aw man, getting your mail made my day ! So happy to see you back… Richard, I stand eagerly waiting for anything you care to share. And Helen, could I beg for some hints (recipes even;;;) for your gorgeous paints ? Cheers from France to you both.
Good to see you back online
Your videos helped me through some tough times. So happy to see you back and excited to be inspired again!
Fab! – i was just looking yesterday, wondering if any new content i’d missed. It’s been too long, great to have you back for inspiration and wisdom.
I’m so glad you’re back.
You’ve got something rare and compelling.
A great teacher.
Thanks Richard
Looks like I am not the only person who has been pleasantly surprised by your message!
Nevertheless I am very happy to hear that you’re back!
Good to see back.
It has been a long time…
Good to see you, Richard! Don’t fall off the face of the planet again without letting us know. 😉
-I would love more furniture projects, or smaller projects. That “one plank table” was a good video series – what can I get from a couple of rough sawn boards?
-The milk paint recipe from the hall table (I think it was).
-The danish cord bench was fantastic; “old school” methods combined with a modern look
In general, what I love about your content is that not only do you create very solid things, but the overall design and style of your stuff is really, really good.
-My small side table continues to serve us well – perhaps a bigger sofa table to go with that? We have a big modular sofa, so I’ll be making a 1×1 meter table!
-A good book case, or a book cabinet with glass doors?
I could go on and on! 🙂
Great to see you again, Richard! I was very pleased when I got the good news from Helen that you would be releasing something again – but I did not expect so soon!
My favorite woodworker is back at it – love it! You are unbiased, no nonsense approach, great humor and a down-to-earth angle. That is not too common these days. Most other woodworkers are either trying to sell stuff, has gone all in on content creation rather than woodworking, has a $500 K setup – or one particular message is more important to preach than to acknowledge that people are different and wants to do things in different ways.
So good to see you back, Richard! From the bottom of my heart!
I’d like the milk paint recipe as well! And also the bookcase. Good to see you back, Richard!
It was lime wash paint actually.
Actually, it was quark (sort of cottage cheese) and lime paint, if we’re being pedantic. Lime wash doesn’t have the dairy component in it… And yes, i’d really like the recipe too – it looked excellent.
Great to see you back Richard. You have been greatly missed.. Look forward to some new projects.
So glad to see you back at again. I was very pleasantly supprised to see your e-mail. Yes. I do use a Lie Nielsen sharping jig for my 2 Lielsen planes. Your point rings clear on the thicker metal blades. I have been trying to sharpen my Marples chisels (Made in Sheffield England) by hand. I will try what you have subjested to see the advantages, compared to what I have been doing. Seems like my greatest fault is keeping a straight line accross the sharping edge. Just need to keep working at it to get it right. Looking forward to seeing more new content.
Very excited to see you back. We’re still here for you.
I recently told my wife how many fantastic tips I get from your videos, and that I hoped you would be back at it. You are unsurpassed.
I can only echo what the others say. I’m very much looking forward to some new projects. I’d be really interested in more of your back story about how you got into the hand tools, and what you’ve been up to lately. It seems to me that you come from an un-broken background of practical “old knowledge” from your Dad and wherever. You give us little snippets in the videos, but I’m fascinated. You are almost like a missing link back to a forgotten era, which was all about the craft and not the fancy equipment that the internet is obsessed with.
The tea, the chair, the Bukowski and Anarchist’s Tool Chest books — it’s a great space to see you in. Really glad to have you back.
I’m a big fan of your earlier sharpening series and often rewatch parts of it when I need a refresher.
I’d love to hear more about where you’ve been, learn more about a good setup for small workshops, and would really like to see you partner with Lost Art Press on a book.
Welcome back.
You’ve been very present with me this summer as I’ve just finished building my English Workbench.
Love your work
You just made my weekend Richard. So great to see you’re back. You’ve been greatly missed. Glad to see Pinocchio as well. Please do a short tour of your new shop. Cheers from Michigan, USA.
Very glad to see you back!
I hadn’t realised how your teaching has become a part of my life. I see the world differently now. When I encounter something crap or mediocre or dull, I don’t have to accept it. I can make it properly (or die trying). And the whole thing about using as few tools as possible has really resonated through the rest of what I do. You’ve taught me more than woodworking Richard. The hunch you have about making a few vids about fundamentals feels like a good one. What you do in this sharp vid is outline the qualities of each of the elements (steel, oil, stone, leather, paste, diamond and ultimately, wood) and then show the degree of possibilities the human must embrace in order to manipulate them to the intended purpose. I think that’s your strength as a teacher, you are seldom prescriptive and thus you empower us to wake up and start making our own decisions. So more fundamentals please.
Yay you’re back! Not too sure about the Charles Manson look at the beginning 🙂
Welcome back! We missed you out here. Would love to know your thoughts on router plan irons and sharpening saws. otherwise, just fire away on whatever you feel.
It’s great to see you back Richard. While you were ‘away’ I finally finished the Danish stool digging out the parts I had prepped when you first released the video and springing the equivalent of three quid on two hundred metres of hemp string.
In terms of future projects how about something with curves?
By the way I like your hat. It reminds me of my favorite ratting cap that I lost many years ago crossing Putney Bridge on a windy day.
Very happy, you are back!
I’m looking forward to your next videos, ’cause i need some motivation and inspiration.
For the first i would love some smaller projects, something like the danish stool with its great design!!!
Good to see you back.
As always its fine look at sharp cutting edges .The real job .Then may i tell you you need haircut or do not go out .You may be grabbed and sent to boat to be send to France as invader. Start of your video i thought i was back in army in Persian Gulf. Yours as English as oak so need to cut that hair old son . Now your the best at your job and showing us how to do it is great.
Just to echo the other comments, it’s great to see you back at it.
As everyone else says, great to see you back! Learned 90% of my woodworking from your videos so thanks!! Like the idea that posh tools for hobbyists aren’t the devil!! Looking forward to seeing what you come up with.
Came round this morning, following a heart op yesterday, feeling slightly sorry for myself and a little glum; opened your email, watched the video and swept the blues away. Glad you’re back. Looking forward to more.
Thanks lad.
Really good to see you back at it!
Lovely to see you back Richard.
A nice surprise to see your email, Richard. Looking forward to seeing your posts and videos.
I was looking forward to this email a long time already.
I would enjoy if Helena could give us some insight into her pait. Video,blog anything would be nice.
Some smallish projects from your side like a wall cabinet or on a somewhat larger scale a book case would be nice
The magic is between 27:05 and 27:42. When learning, it took a long time for me to finally recognize the feel and sound of hitting the heel and the tip. Richard has captured the sound change in this short segment. It is subtle. The only thing I would add or caution is that whenever you feel the heel, no problem, keep going you’re just dropping the heel (bevel angle), but every time you feel the tip, you are making the cutting angle steeper. You can get a fat edge if you just keep hammering away at that tip. The trick is to keep the heel down and to work the grit so that you creep towards the tip and then stop after just a couple or few swipes at the tip. I find it useful to start away from me on the stone with draws half to 2/3 back. If I lengthen the stroke (coming further back beyond 2/3 and towards the full length of the stone), that is making subtly larger angles and brings me more controllably to the tip. If by the time I get to full length I’ve still not felt the tip, I will reset my angle at the further end and repeat. Hope this helps someone! I learned a lot from Richard’s sharpening series (on his site). It is worth every penny.
I m in mild (my way!) histerical laughter
You deserve an award!
its fantastic to hear your voice again! as you can see you really have been missed by ll of us.
best wishes as always mate!
Sam.
Glad to see you back posting straight forward stuff, very refreshing in the woodworking space. Watched the video last night but seems to have been taken down?
Hmm maybe more to the point like before would be better.
Always loved your deliver. I prefer the projects method of learning as opposed to task oriented. So would love to see another project like the chair where you taught a bit of design process and walked us through the thought process… not just what to do but why and how you decided.
Great to see that you’re back! You’ve been missed. This Yank really appreciates, among other things, your use of English.
What a pleasant surprise to see your update in my email inbox. Great to see you back Richard!
Welcome back! Like with so many, your work and the lovely, unique spirit behind it, has had a profoundly positive impact on my woodworking, feeding into my life in general. The more I progress, the more your style and view of things seems to dovetail with mine. I built the 7-foot version of your English Workbench just over two years ago using wood from the demolished house next door (over 25 laminations to get the five main boards!). I couldn’t be more pleased with it. The face vise works amazingly well. Just love it, love it, love it.
Interestingly, though, my experience with using your sharpening method goes against some of your advice, but in a very positive way. Most of my tools are entry level or DIY. However, being outside the West, I decided to import a Lie-Nielsen 5-1/2 as my base hand plane, ala a buy once, cry once, lifelong tool. Anyway, about a year ago, I bought Get Sharp, along with a standard-width version of your extra, extra course DMT sharpening stone and the same, full size Norton oil stone. I also wanted to give sharpening guides a try and got a cheap standard clone.
Listening to your advice in GS, like the new vid here, about avoiding using the method on thick, modern steel blades, I bought some cheap Wood River blade sets from RC, with the understanding that they were a bit thinner and not as hard as my LN blade. The plan was to test things and then use whichever blades in some future DIY plane builds to fill out my plane stable.
Anyhoo, over the last year, I’ve used your GS method with a WR blade (no camber) and the sharpening guide with the LN 5-1/2 (only issue is frequent need to set blade angle back to true). Results were a bit strange. It takes forever on the super-rough stone to grind the 1st bevel. Then, on the Norton, the same thing. Lots of time and I usually give up on getting a true burr. The ends result is a functioning blade, but not as sharp as I would expect.
Now, get this: I recently tired of this and decided to put the original LN blade back in to test with your GS method for the first time. Before that, I did a hollow bench grind to remove a curved bevel from hand sharpening. Well…the LN blade worked very easily on the Ex-Ex-course diamond stone. Then, within seconds of working the fine bevel (I do 25 and 30 using templates) on the Norton, I felt a perfect burr. Finished that, stropped, and I was immediately pushing out Rob Cosman superfine shavings on the 5-1/2. It’s been heaven ever since.
So, from my experience, your sharpening method with those two stones and a strop (green paste) works very, very well with Lie-Nielsen blades. Yay! Very weird on the WR blades, though. Gonna’ have to work on those eventually.
Lastly, one more thing that somewhat contradicts your advice in GS, but in a good way, is my experience with bench grinders. I have an entry-level Makita GB602. I only use the rough stone and it works great on all my blades, including the LN. Cuts em like butter and doesn’t get hot. I’m planning to ditch the fine wheel and add another rough wheel like the one that came with it. That way, I can avoid angle issues that have sometimes come up having only the left side to work on.
So, to sum up:
A: You’re awesome and give a lot to the world. Never doubt that for a minute!
B: Your sharpening method works great on Lie Nielsen blades (have only tried LN and WR).
C: Entry-level grinders with cheap rough stones are not to be sniffed at. Mine has done everything I need it to do so far. I don’t feel the need to buy anything fancier.
Now, if only you had sent out your new coupon a bit earlier. I paid full price a few weeks ago for one of your vids! (No worries. I’m happy to give you the extra dough.)
Steve, I had a very similar experience with a Quangsheng I purchased to fit a wooden jack plane that I built based on Richard’s video. I’m fairly certain that Quangsheng and Wood River come from the same factory in China so the blades may well be identical.
Even with the smallest possible secondary bevel it takes well over an hour to completely re-establish the primary bevel on an extra-coarse DMT diamond stone. It is also nigh-on impossible to establish a camber.
I would have deep-sixed the blade years ago were it not for the fact that once I have it sharp it retains an edge for a considerable time.
Very interesting! Thanks for posting that, Terence. Having the LN blade work so easily and the WR not is so counterintuitive. It’s nice to know others have experienced similar results.
Bummer on the WR blades, though. My current plan is to go with hollow grinds to reduce bevel meat and use them on my double-sided Trend 300/1000 in the Rob Cosman style, with strop replacing Shapton. I’d like to get back to hand sharpening anyway. That’s the way I was sharpening before buying GS. I think I’ll use the WR blades for a slightly cambered, medium-set DIY Jack and straight finishing smoother. I have a DIY scrub that covers heavy cuts already. Built that with Richard’s plane building video, but it’s in the German scrub style with an EC scrub plane blade.
I love the LN blade. I have noticed that it doesn’t seem to hold an edge as long as I would expect from what folks say about premium blades. But functionally, it’s great.
It sure is a joy to see you again! From France, with love.
Good to see you back at it. So question on sharpening. It seems that sometimes I just cannot raise a bur. I can eventually get the chisel sharp enough, but I never really see of feel a bur like many video often show where its a clear piece that you can peel off like a banana. Mine kind of just looks more like a rough edge for a bit that falls apart when I touch it. Any clues on what could cause that?
As for other content? Saw sharpening! I need to learn how, but am too afraid to ruin a saw, so I have been buying the disposable japanese type saws.
I too, would love to see Richard’s take on saw sharpening. So far, I’ve been using Paul Seller’s vids for that. He has a number of vids on both rip and crosscut on his YT channel.
I have a very minimal saw stable: Rip and Crosscut EC bowsaws, a rip Pax Tenon Saw, and a Ryouba. Everything can be sharpened but the Ryouba.
Originally, I was planning to buy a full line of Pax saws, but they were sold out when I needed them and I went with the two bow saws and one tenon instead. Boy, I am I glad that happened! I absolutely love the bow saws. Love the Pax, too. It literally wouldn’t cut at all before the first sharpening, but it soon turned into a champ.
Wow well it’s like a reunion on here. Many thanks for posting this video
I do have a question:
Why work back of the chisel on the oil stone at all – once it’s flat and polished once it’s not going to lose this is it? I understand fine grit polish and strop the back but as for re-grinding the flat – does it need to be done regularly?
Really do love this blog and videos – don’t overload yourself but please don’t disappear. Thanks
The main reason to “work back of chisel on oil stone” would be to send the burr back up ,you’ll find that flipping the chisel like this weakens the burr more rapidly which makes it faster to polish out.
Hello Richard,
thank you for the video and good to see you’re back.
For Q&A I would be interested to hear your thoughts on turning hand tool woodworking from a hobby into, well let’s say “a modest side income”.
Cheers
Great to see you back Richard. We have missed you!
It’s good to see you back, Richard. It’s clear that we’ve all missed you!
Richard, fantastic to see you back! Two and a half years since I built it and I’m still wellying my English workbench every day. Thanks for posting, some great tips, and looking forward to the new content.
Since you ask for new content suggestions:
– You mentioned in the sideboard videos that this was a prototype, would love to see a follow on about the final design for this. Same with chairmaking, I think you mentioned diving deeper in to this, I’d love to see the next stages from your perspective.
– How about some recount of your apprenticeship days, maybe a rehash of some projects of old with your current perspective on them?
– Some straight furniture ideas: pedestal table, bed frame, Murphy table/bed, and I saw a bookcase mentioned in another comment – another good idea. Anything that hasn’t already been beaten to death!
Lastly, anything that inspires you. As someone with such a high level of skill and knowledge I want to see you work on projects you find inspiring, intriguing, challenging, that you can really dig in to. I think that will create true engaging content rather than picking something just because the crowd upvotes it high enough!
Hope all is well with you and yours and excited to see you back in action!
Nice to see sensible sharpening being promoted, rounded bevels and all!
Great video I like how you emphasize building a routine it really makes sharpening feel less intimidating. I’ve struggled with consistency before, but your method looks straightforward. Excited to see more of your upcoming content, especially if you cover tips for keeping budget-friendly hand tools in top shape.
Nice to see you back. As for skill building I would like to see something on drawer fitting.
I have had my fair share of issues fitting drawers, trying for a nice smooth opening and closing. I have often succeeded but enough times not. Is there a standard process of diagnosing what the cause of sticking or jamming is? Too often I decide it must be one thing, work at it with some planing and adjusting only to discover no that is not it at all. In other words too much trial and error vs having a logical and step by step approach (if such exists) to diagnosing the problem. Any advice on how to approach this would be very helpful.
Glad you’re back and look forward to your next offerings.
Welcome Back! Missed you. I noticed your cinched nail tool chest in the back ground. That is one of my favorite videos – simple & fun. I would love to see how you fitted it out for tools. Jim
I’d love a video or more information on the wooden frame saws you posted about. I’d like to make one or two and learn to use them. Love your videos, it’s good to see you back!
You read my thoughts.
I would also love to know more about building and using the framesaw.
It is so great to have you back Richard.
Welcome back!
The series’ of yours that i have most liked is ones where you go through design, prototype and construction of new pieces of furniture. Watching a professional make important design decisions is SO helpful.
If a person has aspirations of filling their own house with furniture and possibly selling it on the side (or giving to friends) this style of video is so helpful and is so entertaining.
I really love the idea of creating efficient designs that leverage hand tool methods and a couple machines to save time. I saw an MCM dining set in a photo the other day that would lend itself SO well to m&t joinery that i cant wait to draw something up.
I look forward to anything you publish!
Simply – fantastic to see you back!
Glad to see you’re cracking on again Richard! I agree, sharpening is critical to successful woodworking and it does become something of a personal ritual, just like making tea… But I don’t think your method is ‘shite’ – it neatly demonstrates how you have evolved a method that works well. By sharing it, you enable us to modify our own approaches – probably a blend of many sources, and thank you for the lovely down to earth presentations.
Like all of us, I’m very glad to see you back. And I definitely don’t think your method is shite. Just two points:
1. A2 steel and all them fancy chisels are good at what they do, but none does everything better than the old steels. For what it’s worth, though I like PMV11, I always return to my old chisels for paring and critical work. I don’tthink that modern improvements necessarily cancel the advantages of old tools. Each good tool has its place and there’s still the point that if you can’t afford some special tool, your skill with a familiar old tool will be able to compensate a lot.
2. It’s great that you mention the advantages of listening while sharpening. I’ve always used the sound of a blade on the stone as a useful guide but I’ve never come across anyone mentioning it before.
A great video Richard. Thank you.