I Finally Found a Sharpener I Like!!! | Super Sharp AND Fast

I have tried all kinds of sharpeners and sharpening techniques. It is hard to find a sharpener that is simple, fast, and produces a perfectly polished edge. This work sharp unit is the best chisel sharpener I have used. It is very simple to use and creates perfectly polished edges in a relatively short amount of time. I recommend purchasing additional glass wheels so that you have a wheel with each grit on both sides. I also recommend purchasing the leather honing wheel below so that you can get a perfectly polished edge. This is key if you want to get irons extremely sharp.
Work Sharp WS3000 Sharpener - amzn.to/3Pr8O29 (Amazon - Earns Commissions)
Work Sharp WSSA0002023 Tempered Glass Wheel For WS3000 - amzn.to/3qZD0re (Amazon - Earns Commissions)
Work Sharp WSSA0002001 Leather Hone Kit - amzn.to/44bLM3r (Amazon - Earns Commissions)
Fine Abrasive Kit for Work Sharp WS3000 - amzn.to/3NpcrmP (Amazon - Earns Commissions)
Work Sharp WSSA0002005 Coarse Abrasive Kit - amzn.to/3JpsEqI (Amazon - Earns Commissions)
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[@miloh7871]

I’ve had one of these for over a decade and I really like it, but a year ago I got the 3 disc CBN wheels for it from Woodturners Wonders. Now I love it.

[@jimkane9832]

The back of the chisel is hollow for a reason, I wouldn't spend too much time trying to make it perfectly flat. You only need it to be flat about 1/2 inch from the edge. The less hollow you make the back the more time it will take you to sharpen it in the future because you are increasing the surface area that you have to grind.

[@trig]

If you are not sure when to progress, to the next grade of abrasive, colour the end of the chisel with a black permanant marker pen. Sharpen the chisel lightly for two secondsa and look at the sharpened face, if all the black marker is gone then move onto the next grade disc.

[@randsipe224]

The Worksharp gets me a perfect bevel. I made my own mfd discs to accept compound to polish the tool.

[@reggiejenkins6458]

I've had this for a few years. I built a special stand/cabinet thing for it to hold all the discs, accessories, etc. Best thing I did with it was buying diamond discs. They're pricey but super fast. It's a great tool overall.

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Interesting. I'll have to look into that!

[@JackKirbyFan]

It sounds great and yes, sharpening takes forever. I agree.

[@garybutterfield8953]

I have had the Work Sharp for several years. It works OK. One thing I did was to remove that piece of sandpaper that is stuck on the machine. After spending a lot of time flattening and polishing the back of my chisels (on water stones) I was not happy that I was scratching the mirror polish on that sand paper. Removing the burr is very easy to do by laying the chisel flat (like Spencer does) on the spinning disk.

[@AdanaConstruction]

Great video! This is a wonderful machine that I’ve been using for about four years now. Work sharp supplies slotted blue discs which I find work extremely well because they reduce tons of heat and expel the shavings quickly. I hand flatten all my chisels with 400 grit on a piece of granite. I use a rubber belt dressing block to clean my discs, saving you time and money . This tool is a wise investment if you work with hand tools!

[@williamsturley6631]

I bought the 3600 and 6000 grit paper (pricey though) and the package said the 6000 is like honing with leather. So use the 6000 paper down and use the beveling portion of the tool instead of fighting trying to keep the bevel on the leather freehand

[@corcoransullivan1562]

I’m gonna check this out. You make excellent videos!!

[@mobuctze87]

I was always told by an old carpenter that the oval on the backside means it’s still good to resharpen and when that oval disappears after years of sharpening it’s too weak now and it’s time to get a new one. It always seemed to make sense in my mind

[@user-xp6zd2sf1l]

Good instructive presentation. You are one sharp cookie.

[@davidestep94]

I have a set of Marples chisels from the early 90s, I use these in the cabinet shop and a set of black handled craftsman in the van for installation. I don't loan chisels out to anyone, they won't come back to you as sharp as they were and they be nicked up. I use an oil stone dress up before use and they be ready for a good shave

[@hansangb]

Spencer, TayTools has a much cheaper version of that sharpening system. But it uses a drill press instead of a dedicated machine and doesn't have a tool rest like the one you showed. I bring it up because they have a float glass with four different grits just for flattening the back of the chisel using Cubitron. There was one video where in about two minutes, he took a junk chisel and sharpened/flattened in about two minutes. I'm betting that if you just ordered the cubitron/xtract circular sand paper from him, you'll flatten it in minutes. Actually, now that I think about it, you should become an affiliate to TayTools as well.

[@WayneSmith-yf3fg]

This is great. I'm still using the wet stone that was my great grandfather's and a strop that I made.

[@conduit68]

A brass wire brush cleans sandpaper beautifully

[@calumgannaway869]

I use the Robert Sorby Pro-edge system. Similar, very quick, go thru a series of grits. It's fast enough I don't put a secondary bevel.

[@Cousin.Justin]

*Welcome Back* 🤙🏻

[@thomasswearingen6971]

I use a micro bevel. Shape at 30% and sharpen with like a piece of paper under the heel. Corse to shape fine to finish. Use a pushing stroke like twice and done. To resharpen just two more pushing strokes. Like the master violin maker who showed me said," you don't have all day to spend at a stone. Only sharpen what you need and get to work." Oh as soon as you see the line it's time to reshape. I have found that is about every ten resharpenings. I found that it takes longer to plug and unplug the grinder then it does to resharpen a blade.

[@whitexeno]

I like the worksharp, i just wish they didn't discontinue the large blade platform.

[@mikejarves7611]

Make a small wooden or metal gantry with a pivoting base. use a digital angle gauge and zero it out on your glass wheel and then set your gantry platform to correct chisel angle.

[@bloomsaddis8928]

Very Clear and Concise Instruction! Thank You! Now I need to know where I can buy one of these in Australia!

[@RichieRich845]

I have the same tool 15:16 I place a few washers on the spindle under the disk and that gives me enough room to use the leather disk upside down, just don't push to hard when your using it this way otherwise you will cut into the leather👍

[@clintprice2123]

The sharper it is the safer it is to use it.

[@Flyingstationwagon]

Not sure if you know? Woodturners Wonders sells CBN plates for the Work Sharp. No more sandpaper

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Thanks! I think I'm gonna have to get some of those!

[@henrypeisch5289]

Work sharp is to chisels as jambmaster is to jambs. There is something in you that will only settle for perfection. It’s a spiritual thing.

[@vincentconte6028]

I've been using this for 2 years now and Love IT!! been sharpening the world

[@SteveBerryUTV]

I've had this system for years. I don't bother with the leather. I find it's plenty sharp enough without it

[@darylthomas4522]

Make a wheel out of MDF instead of leather and you can do the bevel as well directly on the surface .I strop on MDF with compound ,works fine

[@jimbo2629]

There is only one method that works quickly and correctly. I’ve tried everything. The Worksharp is the answer. You can touch up a chisel in 5 seconds with no setup and no overheating. Forget secondary bevels. Mine are all sharpened at 20 degrees. I use a diamond disc in it. It rotates at the correct speed. The angle is totally repeatable without set up or adjustment. My Narex chisels took ages to flatten the back about 5 seconds.😀 That’s about 5 times longer than touching up the edge. There is no better system than using a slope. Forget measuring, honing guides, water everywhere, loss of temper, flattening the stone. Keep it near your workbench with 1000 grit in it top and bottom.

[@rogerhodges7656]

A "natural rubber cleaning stick" (Amazon search keywords) will clean the metal or sawdust out of the sandpaper better than air or anything else. Makes used sandpaper look new almost instantly. (Not sharper but at least it is clean.)

[@juanc.mendoza632]

Hi, from Easton Maryland, can your recommend to that company if they can build the spindle reversible and turn the angle? That will be exactly or perfect to get symmetrical sharpening in both directions. Thank you and keep going to show us your master knowledge.

[@nathansilver9190]

I have that very same sharpener. And I love it. My question for you is did you put your secondary bevel on it? That is super easy too. Great job, thanks for your videos.

[@joelw6215]

I will be buying this Friday. This is a HUGE deal. Most KZbinrs promote the unattainable grinding wheel system that costs $1k+. I have tons of high end chisels I’m too lazy to sharpen. This will pay for itself on the first batch

[@fredzaspel7350]

Thank you for this. Very helpful. Can you provide a link to that polishing compound?

[@crashkg]

I like the Tormek. You get a hollow grind and you can sharpen super fast and not change any discs. It's expensive, but buy once cry once. Plus if you really want to mirror finish you can get the japanese waterstone and look at your reflection in the edge of the chisel.

[@rickcimino5483]

Yes, I agree and given that he A) seems to have all of the best tools available and B) cited stumpy numbs who has I think three Tormek's, I don't get why he does not use that system.....but who am I to judge?

[@InsiderCarpentry]

I have a grizzly which is a bit cheaper version of the tormek and didn't care for that style of machine.

[@garybutterfield8953]

I like the Tormek too. I find it more versatile than the Work Sharp. The Work Sharp does do chisels pretty well but not much else. Plane irons don't fit. Spoke shaves, knives, curved cutting edges etc. are much easier on the Tormek. I found mine used on marketplace and didn't pay too much...

[@jeffcarter1466]

I have a Tormek and it is too slow for me to recommend. But I spent the money on it so this is what I use with wet stones in between Tormek visits.

[@crashkg]

@@jeffcarter1466 i feel like the slow speed let’s me dial it in faster and I can go from grinding stone to leather honing in one go without changing wheels. The fast spinning of regular grinding wheels makes me more careful and take longer to get an edge.

[@patrickcowan8701]

I use my chisels for chipping concrete. I think i need that sharpener. PS. You can do surgery with those chisels.

[@ifiwooddesigns]

Like you, I absolutely hate sharpening and don’t like the idea of wasting time on stones or the Tormek machine. Honing guides are horrible also. I like that machine and believe this actually will alleviate my frustration with chisel sharpening. A suggestion I have for the spacing for leather would be to create MDF disks and making them thinner to include the thickness of leather. If still not enough to get underneath the disk, I’d suggest adding a couple of washers to raise up the disk. I’ll probably do that if/when I purchase this unit.

[@daveparker5569]

The purpose of the leather is to strop. You do not have to get the angle perfect at all. Because you should have worked to a very fine wire edge. Then strop quickly. Your only goal is to remove the barely noticeable wire edge at the cutting edge. The strop will act like a micro bevel setting and softly grind away that thin edge so that it does not immediately break when you begin using it. And don’t strop the backside of a chisel once you’ve flattened it. You’re working against yourself! Flat is flat. Stropped is no longer flat and there is a lot of material to remove to get back to flat. Now, you may find you do need to strop some chisels. The steel on some chisels is simply not going cooperate all the way down to truly sharp without heavy stropping. This will become apparent with experience. And heavy stropping should still be a relatively quick process. 😊

[@zephyr1408]

I carry a cheaper Narex 1” Chisel in my Akibus tool belt! I hv 2 Cherries ( set ) in my Van. I sharpen it once to flat and 1or 2 times a week 7-10 strokes on the Chisel back only ( once sharp just re sharpen by back only!) So once and done ! My 2 Cherries hold a long edge! The problem with the machine? Heat! Heat can and will break down a good chisel quick! But I am sure you already know that Spencer ! I absolutely enjoy & learn something every video u make ! Thk U very much 4 your hard work!

[@vinnyrea5608]

Hi spencer, cant you make a wueel from a piece of plex glass, or trespa panel and add your leather strop, so u could turn it upside down. Or add a wide metal washer to lift the disc a few millimetres.

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Great idea! I'll have to try that.

[@nickelwound1978]

Which compressor attachment is that, with the blow gun and the quick disconnect on it? Thanks for the video!

[@trig]

I love my worksharp, but with time the bearing surfaces will ware and the wheel deflects away from the chisel leaving an unsquare end with a tapered cutting edge that I suspect is sharp towards the centre of the wheel but unsharp at the furthest edge. I am just going to buy my third in a ten year period, so I doubt this would eber be a problem for nonpro's. CBN wheels are available but the finer grits tend to become compacted with steel and at that stage they are useless, in my experiance this dosent take long. I should add that I am an animal with my chisels. I fit oak doors to fully painted door frames for a living so 800 grit is as sharp as I need/find worth while whilst finesing hinge and latches.

[@aptpupil]

On the next video... "Hey guys, just a follow up to my last video. I now have 7 of these machines setup with different grits, so i don't have to change out the paper each time..." 😂

[@IDPAHoneyBunny]

Hi Spencer, amazing video. Thanks im ordering everything but i can not find any refence on stumpy to the compuond you use, you have a link to his video? or to the product please? thanks T

[@Dirtyharry70585]

For knives I use a Ken Onion variable speed belt sharpener. Same process move from heavy grit, to 600~1200 grit. After that,it’s like two minutes to razor sharp a dull blade. I’ve even sharpen a razor knife blade.

[@zephyr1408]

Oh by the way I cut off the top of my Narex so it is flat for my mallet! So far I beat on it over a yr ! Not a bad deal?

[@josephvan66]

I really enjoy all your videos. As an old fashioned staircase builder, I like to keep up on how you young guys are doing thing nowadays. I think this was your best video! I’m interested in purchasing through your Amazon account, but I must admit I’m not sure how to do it.

[@InsiderCarpentry]

The links in the video description are affiliate links. If you click those links and make a purchase I get a commission. Thanks!

[@ottawapop]

Outside of chisels, I found it pretty underwhelming for everything else.. I sold it. I’m happy with hollow grinding on a 8” wheel and then hitting the water stones. Very fast with a little free hand technique.

[@k2fish]

Spencer, I am not a very hairy guy either . I just tell people that hair doesn't grow on steel!

[@clintprice2123]

Spencer, great informative video. I saw you have an air nozzle in the air line on your bench, do you have a link to that item? It looks like a very useful item

[@InsiderCarpentry]

amzn.to/3NCgix3

[@mikemorgan5015]

Good video as usual. With chisels and plane irons, I find that once you get them flattened and sharp, stropping with fine compound often will keep them REALLY sharp for a LONG time without having to go through the other steps, unless you damage the edge somehow. The Sweetheart chisels are pretty good steel and hold an edge pretty well. But they DO come from the factory WAY out of flat. That's disappointing. In an industrial manufacturing facilty, how long could it take to add that little bit of extra quality finish? I think the customers who are buying these mid/high end chisels would happily spend an extra few dollars for a set that has the bottoms flat and polished. I would think that alone would sell a lot more, just for the WOW factor of seeing the polished, flat backs. But what do I know? I just imagine the positive feedback and sales increase they'd get when every KZbin influencer who reviewed these chisels said, "Let me show you what sets these apart and closed the deal for me make this purchase." As they zoom in on the mirror finish that still shows the little unpolished hollow spot straight out of the package. I think that'd be a no brainer. But again, what do I know? Well, I know it'd be a huge selling point from my perspective, knowing that I wouldn't have to spend a couple of hours flattening a set of chisels before I could put them to work. Especially for something that would take just a few seconds with an industrial production machine. As for THIS machine, I like the glass plate idea alot. Sound a bit under powered, but not terribly so. I like the small footprint and speed of changing the plates. I would love to see this with a reversible motor so you could alternate which side you sharpen on. With flat wheels like this, the farther you are from the center, the more material you remove because the speed and amount of abrasive is higher. Not a huge deal, but I'm a bit OCD about some things. Haha!

[@jamiedyer7782]

Crazy really most chippies just throw their chisels away when blunt they don't realise that new chisels don't even come sharp. They've never used a sharp chisel probably never had to work with hardwood so clueless

[@mikemorgan5015]

@@jamiedyer7782 Yeah, haha! When I was framing and forming many years ago, I always carried a 1in chisel in my pouches, as did a lot of others. But mine were sharp. What a time save when you need a quick notch or to knock off a protruding corner. I learned the hard way to never let anybody borrow it. They use it for everything but what it was designed for, and IF i got it back, it'd be badly damaged. To them it was pry bar, concrete chipper, nail cutter, you get the idea. Argh!!! Still pisses me off thinking about it. Haha!

[@neilgillies6943]

Had mine for years, much better than wet wheels (which are always dry when needed 😁). Suggest sticking a large magnet at the back to collect all the metal detritus. One of my better buys!

[@SubaruAficionado]

Can one flip the strop disc and use the underside to polish the bevel? And while we're at it, why not have one strop wheel with coarse on one side and fine on the other? Also, do wheels only mount in one orientation?

[@John-cb6wn]

I would think a wet wheel is the way to go

[@tonysilva3429]

Thanks for the demo. Off topic, but how do you keep the handles on your Sweethearts? I’ve tried using sandpaper on the metal part but not working.

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Spray them with hairspray and them pound them in.

[@stevegoodskills8531]

Good info in this video. Nice shout out to stumpy nubs. There's an art to sharpening chisels. So how do you tell if your chisels are sharp if you have bald arms?😂

[@tonytools9342]

Hey brother what block place do you recommend for trim carpentry

[@InsiderCarpentry]

I get mine from Lee Valley. Very good quality.

[@normandfontaine5508]

Hi Spencer, tank’s for this video. I have a question; this system does it hone the chisel square? I wonder because it is sharpening on a wheel, the right side (leading edge) of the chisel, see more circumference from the sharpening disc as it turn. I hope, I did explain well my point, English is not my first language. Sorry for that. Keep doing your videos!

[@danm3988]

There is an adjustment to get a square edge

[@spbygga8123]

I have one- I found it slightly rounded the chisel. I use a sorby belt sharpener now

[@scottrogers9542]

How about using a thin washer to aisle the leather up slightly

[@scottrogers9542]

To raise. Sorry auto correct changed my words

[@InsiderCarpentry]

That's a great idea.

[@elliottbray9364]

Just get a normal bench grinder and fit CBN wheels, you'll never look back and they will last you a lifetime. Yes it is a hollow grind instead of flat grind, but the hollow grind creates a heel and toe on the chisel , that allows you to find the angle easily when you want to then move on to the sharpening stone to put a finished edge on the chisel. Don't waste your time moving up the grits to the thousands, because first time you cut a lump of wood with your chisel, that finely tuned edge has gone.

[@noskills9577]

I’ll admit I skipped through this one.. but don’t underestimate the time saving benefits of only sharpening as far as you need to go. Having some chisels sharpened at 300/400 grit that will do most general cutting tasks well enough is very handy, keep a few that you’ve sharpened as far as possible for those must be perfect cuts. Sharpening everything as far as possible might be enjoyable if you like the process but is just a waste of time.

[@InsiderCarpentry]

Well said. My OCD usually makes me want to go all the way to samari level sharpness.

[@brenth3089]

Why does the whole back have to be flat? The chisel end is only about 1” or so. So why not concentrate just the end section?

[@InsiderCarpentry]

I would say that in general it's because in order for that section to be perfectly flat, the rest has to be perfectly flat also. Except if you have hollow area on on a chisel that doesn't affect the blade like I had on one of mine that I showed in the video.

[@danm3988]

Why not just write the grit size on the face of the paper? Its much easier to do and a whole hell of a lot easier too see.

[@Zamboni-0805]

Today's Stanley Sweethearts chisels are not same as they were back 20-30+ years ago. I personally would never but a Stanley Chisel. If you were to buy high-quality chisels you are going to spend more than $30 a chisel even if you buy them in a set.

[@Discovery123.]

And Stanley chisels 20-30 years ago are not the same as they were back 50+ years ago, so.

[@jeremiahjackson117]

Y’all sound old AF. If it works, it works. Comparison is a cheap way to flex your insecurities rather than focusing on what matters. SMH

[@daveparker5569]

You will spend $100 per chisel to get the quality steel required for REAL edge retention and sharpness. The new stanleys are fine for most of us in construction. But they are nothing like the old sweethearts. Personally I have only Lie Nielsen Chisels.

[@rickyspeakman4445]

How come rob cosman can sharpen his in seconds or minutes?

[@amosluyk]

Years of practice. He enjoys it. For those who don't need to sharpen tools every day, a solution like this might be perfect :)

[@plgard]

Because he’s Rob Cosman! 😜

[@dan__________________]

I can too. I learned the process from Paul Sellers. Freehand using two or three diamond stones.

[@quietwoodworking]

Cos he's the man.

[@Icantball67]

I’m just curious about one thing. You talk about using multiple smaller steps between grit and you didn’t like going from 300 to 1000 on your diamond stones. However on the machine you went from 400 to 1000. Is there a reason you didn’t have a 600 or 800 in there? It just still seems like a bit of a jump in my mind. I have no experience sharpening and very little sanding experience so I’m literally asking and not trying to be a wise guy.

[@InsiderCarpentry]

400 to 1000 is actually not that big of a jump. 80 to 120 is a huge hump. The finer the grit gets the larger the numeral jump will be.

[@irvinedavidson8234]

I use a brick and some spit much cheaper

[@billboy7390]

You make to big of a deal with the stropping. It don’t have to be perfect. You should never need to go back to 120 until your angle is off. Cutting end grain is a better way of testing sharpness.