I've just started getting into woodworking and have picked up several old Stanley planes (#3, #4, #5, and a block plane) along with some other tools. They're all in good shape, but I don't have a sharpening setup yet. A guy I bought the tools from suggested a honing guide while I learn and mentioned the Work Sharp MK.2 blade sharpener with different grit belts. He said he used it because he got tired of hand sharpening, plus he mentioned that a two-sided diamond stone might cost around $40. What would you guys recommend for a beginner setup?
10 Answers
There are tons of ways to sharpen your tools, but I like to use a flat piece of granite countertop with sandpaper glued on it. Depending on how rough your blade is, start with 400 grit, then move to 600, and finish at 1000. For polishing, I go up to 3000 and 5000 grit paper, and I have a leather strop for the final polish. It's affordable and quick! If you need to establish the primary bevel, using a bench grinder with a slow-speed wheel works like a charm. I do use a honing guide, but it's also good practice to sharpen freehand.
Same setup here! I can get my blades razor sharp really fast.
I really wouldn't go for a belt sharpener like that. Instead, grab a set of diamond stones in coarse, fine, and extra fine. For a lube, I usually just use some window cleaner on the stones, and it works great. You should eventually pick up some green stropping compound and make a leather strop. Hitting the extra fine stone and then stropping usually gets my blades back to a scary sharp edge in under five minutes—easy peasy!
I just looked up the WorkSharp MK.2, and it’s not really a belt sander, which is good to know! I can see how it could be a decent option.
You can also use a piece of wood with strop compound until you get a proper leather strop!
Have you heard of the unicorn method for sharpening? If you have a bench grinder, look into it! Just an idea as you explore all these sharpening methods!
The Veritas side-clamping honing guide is a lifesaver. You can set your lengths accurately, and it really speeds up my sharpening time since you don’t waste metal. I also use a mix of diamond stones and water stones along with a strop to get that polished edge.
If you want to start simple, maybe try getting some diamond plates up to 3000 grit and see where you go from there. It will give you a good idea of what you need.
I still stick with my Arkansas oil stones. They give an edge that’s sharp enough to shave with—super reliable and inexpensive too. And I use a budget honing jig that comes with a bevel gauge that makes it easy to set up!
I’ve been using Shapton waterstones for my knives, and they work great for tools too, but they need frequent truing. If you start to have really hard steel tools, it can be tough to sharpen with them. If I didn’t already have these, I’d definitely go for some diamond stones instead. Lots of stropping is key too!
I also have those! Diamond plates are good for tools, but I really enjoy the feel of the Shapton stones for my kitchen knives.
I use a set of DMT diamond stones that I find works better than Shapton stones for my needs. The kind of feedback they give makes sharpening a much easier task.
I recommend getting a budget-friendly honing guide and a set of water stones. It’s a more upfront cost, but the stones last for years, and the results are amazing. Plus, you’ll save time in the long run!
Start with this video I found. I think it aligns with your method of using a marble slab instead of wood. The guy talks about affordable diamond plates too, which could be good!
I’ll check out that video while I’m typing this! I really like the idea. I’ll just use my marble slab for this instead of wood.
I started with sanding it on a granite slab but switched to waterstones—like a 1000/4000 Norton combo, really effective. I still use a basic honing guide to keep everything in line as I sharpen.
Do you have any recommendations for a good honing guide that can handle chisels and plane irons? I think I might try the sandpaper trick on a slab of marble I have.