Unlocking the Real Secret to Sharpening - No BS, Just Results

[@katzmosestools]

Products and Videos Discussed *Support what we do* at KMTools.com *The Most Comprehensive Sharpening Test Ever Done* kzbin.info/www/bejne/fXPNmnijg5p7sKMsi=SvHfDeNdIFOBosHc *kmtools sharpening guide* kmtools.com/products/2-in-1-chisel-sharpening-guide-for-chisels-and-planes *Get the Scary Sharp System Here* shop.kmtools.com/scarysharp *The Best Honing Compound* amzn.to/3KqLZsw *Reddit r/BeginnerWoodworking* www.reddit.com/r/BeginnerWoodWorking/ *Make Your Own Hard Leather Strop* amzn.to/3Ma87IT *Hard Leather Strop that I Loved* bit.ly/hardleatherstrop *Precut Leather Strop* amzn.to/3nBe3R8 *Diamond X-Course/Course Stone* amzn.to/3KocopZ *Diamond Fine/Xfine Stone* amzn.to/3Gcux8J *Inexpensive Water Stones* amzn.to/3ZtFkCg *High Quality Ceramic Water Stones* amzn.to/3K08of3 *Sharpness Scale* bit.ly/sharptester *THE BEST Sandpaper 3M Xtract Cubitron* kmtools.com/collections/3m-sandpaper *The Katz-Moses Woodworkers with Disabilities Fund ABOUT* kmtools.com/pages/kmww-charity

[@theoldfart6404]

Jonathan, I truly appreciate this 'no BS' series; right to the point - get a proper burr, polish, job done. Folks are too invested in 'their way' but the truth shall set you free. Thank you brother.

[@katzmosestools]

My absolute pleasure

[@MMWoodworking]

I love that Jonathan is perusing the sub with the rest of us. I love when big creators still interact with the rest of us. Thanks!

[@arcwoodworking6293]

Loving the No BS series!

[@RussThacher]

I just got home and am getting things ready to sharpen my chisels and hand planes that I got while gone. I've spent so much time watching these videos and this one is perfect as a final lesson before I start. Thanks for the quick, no BS walkthrough.

[@katzmosestools]

That is awesome! Have fun my friend

[@Drevid]

I F'n love this series. I learn SO much. Thanks!

[@katzmosestools]

I'm so glad!

[@MCsCreations]

Really fantastic lesson, Jonathan! Thanks a bunch! 😃 Stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊

[@stustreck]

Bald arm...It's called "Woodworkers Alopecia."

[@katzmosestools]

😂😂😂

[@MCsCreations]

Facts.

[@BiggMo]

….Will Smith’s heading your way

[@chivo2102]

KEEP MY SHOPS NAME OUT YO FUCKING….MOUTH!

[@martinhawrylkiewicz2025]

Great vid as always! This past weekend I spent over an hour flattening and sharpening my Narex Richter chisel (3/4“) using a very simple method of mine where I use a rectangular granite tile clamped to my bench. I have a bunch of automotive sand papers of various grits that I stick on the tile, starting with 400 grit , all the way to 5000 grit. I stretch the sanding sheet over the tile, place a short/flat piece of wood board on the edge of the sanding sheet, and clamp it down to my bench. I do the back of the chisel, I do the bevel using my honing guide, and then I switch the sheet to a higher grit. At the end I use my leather strop. Gets razor sharp every time.

[@benni-boop]

Really enjoying the no BS series...please keep them going!

[@BeatsbyTheHuman]

I love this new series.

[@thebluefrog951]

This specific video has relieved so much pressure to be a sharpening perfectionist. It has motivated me to get back to the shop and get working!

[@paddymalone7957]

Jonathan you are one of the best, keep up the good work. Thank you.

[@katzmosestools]

I appreciate that!

[@bradleytuckwell4881]

Great tutorial on this very opinionated topic and your right it is that simple.

[@katzmosestools]

Yeah a lot of people have a lot to say but it’s real simple

[@Brad_R_LiveFit]

I am really liking these No BS videos, too. Keep them coming!!!!!!

[@The42Joker]

After watching this, I bought your honing guide. For me it was a game changer! The jig plans and the guide made simple work and I sharpened everything in my workshop. The Stanley jack plane I got from my grandfather was sharper than when I got it. It takes some getting used to, but the learning curve was enjoyable. The butter smooth surface was amazing. The only thing I will say about the best system is that it is the one you actually use! Thanks!

[@joshharvey9658]

Man, thank you for this new no BS series, l look fwd to them each week, no BS! 😂

[@coolbugfacts1234]

If you do another sharpening video, I'd love to see plane iron sharpening for different applications since you rarely want a perfectly straight and square edge, so like doing a big curve for a scrub plane, or a slight curve to avoid tracks for a smoothing or a jointer plane.

[@mia.s2842]

Thanks, great video. You make it look so easy.

[@katzmosestools]

Hahaha thank you my friend. Once you figure out what that burr looks like it is easy.

[@robjchristopher]

Great stuff - I admire this no BS approach. Got yourself a new subscriber!

[@mm9773]

4:53 I’ve made a jig I can hold and press the chisel or iron against the stop in one hand, so that I can bring down the sharpening guide from the top and just let it drop before tightening it with my other hand. Makes a real difference to me.

[@garymiller5937]

Thanks 👍 Jonathan. You make everything look so easy because you've done it all so many times. I will try it though. 😊😊

[@Aaron-nj4ou]

I just bought the Veritas guide because the cheap Eclipse style was giving me a lot of grief 😢. I live 15 mins from LV so I do like supporting them but I will have to see if I agree with your assessment. Glad to see you are making videos again. I like this series a lot.

[@elmadouf]

My 2 cent : I like to establish my bevel with a grinding wheel or a tormek. I like having a concave bevel because it takes very little work after that on the stones to get a bur a polish it since I'm only grinding the tip and the base of the bevel, there's less area to remove before getting it nice and flat. Great tips all and all but I felle you didn't put the emphasis enough on the flatness of the stones. I struggled so much before understanding that I needed a nice fat stone to get a nice sharp edge.

[@viscountav]

Woah. I saw that discussion on Reddit, and noticed his brand new comment about making a video. Great to see other life in action.

[@katzmosestools]

Yes sir!!!

[@BariumCobaltNitrog3n]

I'd like to see one like this for knife blades.

[@tdholman]

I would like to see a video that covered some less known tools and their uses such as card scrapers. A basic video on measuring and layout tools would be awesome as well. Thanks for all your woodworking videos, but especially these no BS videos. Love the content, have a few items on my Christmas list from your website.

[@MASI_forging]

Really nice work 💕💕

[@J4Julz]

Thanks man, the video helps the confidence a bunch!

[@jimrosson6702]

Another amazing video thank you so much for sharing

[@ducksfan3525]

I want to use the scary sharp to sharpen my kitchen knives. Do you have a jig you recommend to hold the knife to the right angle?

[@jeffhorovitz8663]

What honing guide jig thingy-ma-bob do you recommend?

[@davidstewart3797]

Thank you that was helpful.

[@danielu1763]

Thanks, good video.

[@walterrider9600]

thank you Katz

[@patriciamay638]

Thank you, again

[@josh_watson]

Can we get a no b.s. episode on card scrapers? They look crazy useful, but I can’t burnish one properly to save my life.

[@DanielinLaTuna]

I like your vest. It’s not a Carhart, is it; I can’t quite make out the logo on the label

[@BiggMo]

I needed this… I’ve woodworked since 1977, and I can’t sharpen to save my life. Thanks Jonathan

[@katzmosestools]

My guy!

[@BiggMo]

@@katzmosestools being old, it’s difficult to set up the angle while wearing reading glasses. I’m wondering if one of those digital angle gauges is accurate enough to help setup?

[@katzmosestools]

Yeah. Also just make a jig with a stop on it

[@dpmeyer4867]

cool, thanks

[@between-the-espressos]

Hi Jonathan, As way of background, I have Narex chisels that came with a shipping coating on them (lacquer?). I tried alcohol to remove it, but ended up using acetone to finally get it off before my first sharpening. My question is this: the bottom edges of the sides of the chisel are sharp (can cut you when holding the blade). Is it unadvisable to knock down (desharpen) those? BTW… I am the guy that sent you the Uncopyable book (product management). Thanks for this tutorial!

[@katzmosestools]

Thanks for the book. Yeah you can knock down the sides. Just flatten after

[@joemartinez316]

Thanks you for the short and clear sharpening tutorial. I love the tip at the end with the polishing wheel. Do you happen to have the model of the 8" polishing wheel you used?

[@katzmosestools]

I don’t think it matters. I think you need two stacked though

[@vdis]

How do you sharpen angled blades like the ones you ship with your KM-17 router plane or the Veritas router plane?

[@katzmosestools]

Lap the back and freehand the blade with the included guide. Really easy because of the larger reference surface

[@woodrowsmith3400]

..."... you're not doing your eyeliner..."😂 Thank you so, so much for this series. Not everyone who watches this type of content is a rookie, and those of us who have sawdust in our veins simply need a refresher or a reminder. You rock, JKM.

[@mwhitcraft]

I bought your jig and it doesn’t come with plans or measurements for a protrusion guide. Where can I find one?

[@katzmosestools]

[e-mail] cheers

[@tundrawhisperer4821]

Yeah, I drive down the road with my dull chisels, drop them off and three days later they are sharp as hell. And there’s no BS for me to deal with! It’s great, more time to do fun stuff!

[@robohippy]

Well, I would guess that your extra find diamond plate is in the 1000 to 1200 grit range, which is fairly common. If my secondary bevel gets over 1/16 inch wide, if I skip the grits, there are obvious scratches from the extra fine stone. You can polish pretty much forever with the 60000 grit stone/paper/stropping compound, and those scratches never go away. Maybe I am too old school, but I would think that an edge that gets polished through progressive grits would cut cleaner and longer than one where you make that huge grit jump. I have done the 30 seconds to sharp that Rob does, and a similar method to what you do, but don't have the stuff to test it out thoroughly. Might be interesting. I have found that after about 16000 grit Shapton stone sharpening, there is pretty much no burr left, but I still strop. I am also preferring to strop on poplar or alder rather than leather. Kangaroo, if you can find it is maybe one of the best stropping leathers. Almost no compression.

[@canobenitez]

I only have 3 stones, 320,1000 and 3000. Do you think I should get more more? (I was thinking 600, 1500 and 2000)

[@robohippy]

I can't remember his name, but I think his channel is Face Edge Woodworking, or some thing similar. He sharpens on an old oil stone, which I think is a 400 grit stone, strops and then cuts. Seems to get nice shavings and clean cuts. So, play with it a while. If you get fine shavings and clean surfaces, then you don't need finer stones. Rex Kruger doesn't go beyond 'xtra fine' stones, which are generally 1000 grit. You do need to strop that burr off. You can get 'polishing compounds' at your local big box store. I prefer to strop on a piece of poplar or alder wood with no leather. Ask 10 of us the same question, and you will get at least 12 different answers. End result is most important. Me, I HAVE to experiment. I blame it on my dad, who was an engineer. So, I have just about everything.

[@charlesward8196]

Diamond stones to 1200 (DMT green) and a piece of scrap leather with polishing compound glued to a scrap of wood. The diamond stones are still providing flat, parallel surfaces, WITHOUT ANY FLATTENING AFTER A DECADE, the the cheap strop provides a mirror polish in 30 seconds. Window wash for diamond plate lube, wipe them off and put them away.

[@genesfel]

One thing about the 30 deg microbevel i cant seem to understand is: yeah, i only need to touch it up for like a few seconds to get it sharp again, but isnt the microbevel gonna move backwards everytime, thus getting wider and wider, until have to regrind basically the whole bevel back to 25 deg?

[@katzmosestools]

Eventually you touch up your 25 degree bevel and bring it back but it takes so long you may only do it once or twice in the life of the chisel.

[@zirconiumzach8601]

Does adding the micro bevel increase the sharpeness of the chisel? I can get my chisels sharp but i havent gotten them paper cutting sharp yet.

[@katzmosestools]

No but it decreases the amount of time you need to spend sharpening. So much faster way to get the same results.

[@tommylee85]

I've been wanting to buy my first sharpening stone for years, but I'm always scary I won't be able to use it correctly...I'll try to use your method, I like the "no stress" approach :D Just wondering...the burr goes away stropping? I've seen people doing the bevel and then goin' again to the flat part of the chisel to take the vurr away.

[@daveparker5569]

The point of stropping is to very gently grind away the burr. You only want to strop on the bevel side of the chisel. Stropping is essentially creating an organic micro bevel. You do not want to create a bevel on the backside of a chisel for two reasons. 1. Flat is flat and stropped is no longer flat. It is the flat backside of a chisel that keeps your cut flat and square. It guides where the chisel is going. 2. It takes an appreciable amount of work to re flatten.

[@tommylee85]

@@daveparker5569 thanks for all the informations! I really thought that to take away the burr it would take a gentle pass of the back of the chisel on the stone.

[@PaulMcEvoyGuitars]

Good video!! What are the tiles you have the scary sharp paper glued on to?

[@katzmosestools]

Check pinned comment or description

[@mm9773]

This reflects my experience. First you watch dozens of videos and you fuss over which sharpening guide you should buy, then - before you’ve ever sharpened anything - you work yourself into a crisis over whether you should train yourself to do it freehand from the start, because that’s how the real nerds do it, and then you buy two diamond plates and a 12 dollar sharpening guide and you find it’s not rocket science. It’s still a chore, I still don’t like it and I don’t do it often enough, but I think I made it as easy for myself as possible, and that’s half the ticket.

[@villijs33321]

Neeee, I don with this since school - I stick to my Tormek :)

[@williammoore4101]

Well, Jonathan... How else am I suppose to apply my eyeliner if not in the reflective back of my well-stropped chisels?

[@johnmclain6535]

I was in that Reddit thread with that crazy scalloped chisel. No idea how that guy did that. Lol

[@Saintcustomwoodworking]

Your eyeliner in it LOL

[@crystalrabbon]

Did you know that your router plane and brass mallet is being sold on banggood? Just saw a YT video that featured them.

[@katzmosestools]

Yes. We partnered with Hongdui on them and they are allowed to sell on bangood

[@crystalrabbon]

@@katzmosestools oh Good! 💕

[@WoodcraftBySuman]

A well polished chisel bevel is a great mirror to reflect my ego 😂

[@katzmosestools]

Hahaha right?!?

[@adamqp]

Any tips for when you go to flatten the back of a chisel and, even after five minutes, you still have a part that is clearly not getting the scratch pattern?

[@katzmosestools]

Go to a lower gritt or just keep going

[@kevinguise5024]

Grinder method looks dangerous. If the blade catches, it can be pulled down between the buffing wheel and the guard.

[@williamwasp2550]

Thank you...thank you...thank yoooooo 😂

[@brentonnoe9538]

JK great video stay safe

[@funkyjohnhuie]

I take it that the same principles apply to sharpening a chef's knife?

[@augustwest8559]

Strange world we live in.

[@superwavess]

My marker always comes off because my diamond stone is wet. The wetness erases the marker

[@clayvansickle1]

Don’t use a water based marker. I use sharpie and it works very well.

[@superwavess]

@@clayvansickle1 maybe i need to let it dry a little longer? i was using sharpie too

[@clayvansickle1]

It should just take 30 seconds or so.

[@superwavess]

@@clayvansickle1 Sharpie'd up and made sure it was dry - success this time. Very helpful. Thanks for tips

[@J.A.Smith2397]

KZbin ain't lemme see ya in a while

[@davewatchedthat]

Lapping your chisel? Just the tip!!

[@Element9846]

I have to disagree with you about not doing your eyeliner in it, as I must say wood chisels are far better than traditional mirrors. I actually found a community, 5,000 strong whom all believe mirrors are against their religion. Thanks for the beauty product review. ..... 😂

[@steenfraosterbro3268]

if only that veritas guide could hold the blade/chisel better. The grip is a joke. Bought a cheap Chinese knock off that it way better.

[@12345NoNamesLeft]

I'd cut out the first forty seconds.

[@tyrdog1]

"I rarely go more than an inch deep." JKM 11-2023

[@try44]

A very important piece of this equation I don't believe you mentioned is the quality of chisel you have. A harbor freight chisel set for $5 is not going to hold and edge the way a $100 single chisel will. Buy once cry once. You don't work for free so why would quality tool makers give their products away for free

[@miki09876]

Eh. I've got the cheap Aldi chisels and done dozens of projects with them. Most of it isn't in the tools.

[@try44]

@@miki09876 eh. Right on buddy? I don't know what that has to do with the point I made but I thank you for sharing. Edit I was really hoping you would explain to me why you having a cheap set of chisels means that cheap chisels can hold an edge just as good as high quality chisels. I also was really hoping that you would respond to explain to me why you having cheap chisels disproves thousands of years of tool making and science. But unfortunately I will forever wonder why having cheap chisels is a strong argument against something I never claimed. I'll just add it to the list of earths greatest mysteries. Maybe you could write your responses in your autobiography.

[@WhyAliasIdontNeedOne]

A real "no bs" video would not mention that it is not a bs video. A real "no bs" video would not have an introduction. It would not mention "Come on in here and let me show you...". This is redundant. We already are watching the video. Other than that, great video. But still a lot of bs in the no bs video

[@katzmosestools]

captain pedantic we missed you 🤨👩‍✈️

[@WhyAliasIdontNeedOne]

@@katzmosestools hahaha

[@RidgidRon]

Bald arm....funny

[@katzmosestools]

Right?!? You’d look like a lunatic

[@jensstolt1656]

could have been done in 2 minutes, so there is 10 mins of BS

[@katzmosestools]

I bet you’re fun at parties.

[@jensstolt1656]

Im not fun at parties. BTW, all you say in this video is correct, and I agree. It is just comfusing by too many diversions. @@katzmosestools

[@jacekglagla8797]

Człowieku kto was uczył ostrzenia z 6000 zejść na 3000 chodzi o skórę. To tak jak byś ubrał się w zimowe ciuchy i poszedł pod prysznic. Zastanów się co pokazujesz czysty bezsens