Spokeshave Sharpening Holder | Paul Sellers

Paul shows how to make a handy holder which helps to hold spokeshave blades securely when sharpening and can also be used in a honing guide if needed. This will help you get a very sharp edge on your spokeshave blade.
For more information and videos on these topics, see paulsellers.com or woodworkingmasterclasses.com

[@PeteLewisWoodwork]

I would never have thought that it would take slightly under half an hour to show how to sharpen a spokeshave blade but having watched this from start to finish, it is entirely packed with hints, tips and information from start to finish. This must be the KZbin go-to reference video for sharpening a spokeshave blade - I can't imagine any other video imparting more knowledge than this video.

[@rogertubbs8831]

This works remarkably well, and has alleviated a lot of frustration for me. Thank you Paul!

[@sgntbilco]

I'm not new to woodworking, but new to the fine art of woodworking. These tips are awesome in getting the very best out of traditional hand tools. My father's hand tools have been passed down to me and it has opened a whole new world of woodworking that power tools could never do in terms of the actual craft of woodworking. I now have my own workshop/shed that I have dreamed about for years and my father's tools now make it complete.

[@dfu1685]

That sounds utopian! I agree with you 100%. It seems we are led into thinking power tools are the way to do woodwork, period. But then we experience the feel and the feeling of working the wood with hand tools like this and it connects us to the thousands of years prior where craftsmen have slowly developed these ideal tools for the task at hand. There is something to it. It feels innate to having thumbs…. Or is that just me?

[@sgntbilco]

@dfu1685 yup, I'm with you there. The other enjoyable thing is restoring and maintaining the old hand tools, it's the best way to understand exactly how they work. I have my Dads #78 Stanley hand router chisel. It's almost therapeutic sitting at the work bench just hogging out a piece of timber, just because you can . 🙂

[@teeeff5179]

7 years on and this is still a superb bit of schooling on maintaining spokeshave blades. many thanks Master Paul! 👍👍

[@edu_carceller]

A well thought jig all around but the chamfers to make it work with the Eclipse guide is just genius. Thank you Paul.

[@boozoochavis7506]

I love those bits with the drill driver. Was waiting for an egg beater but when he chucked that bolt I laughed so hard. That bit was brilliant, and never would have dawned on me in 1000 years - yeah! So much for Mr. Sellers not being versed in ALL tools, I am starting to wonder if there is nothing this man cannot do or teach the rest of us either?! Thank you, Mr. Sellers ... well done, THAT man.

[@flamesfromblazer]

So much - *literally priceless* - information and careful tuition contained in this one single video, that just cannot be found *anywhere* else. . . . No doubt about it , you - Mr Sellers- are the absolute *Woodworking Maestro* I am sure that I speak for many when I say - *Thankyou so much for freely spreading your talent and knowledge for so many others to share and use. . .*

[@jonapunk1982]

flamesfromblazer I agree with you, I can't believe how much information I have gotten from his videos! And I've only watched a fraction of them

[@hansborgdesing]

flamesfromblazer Hear hear !!!

[@ronhau1542]

He has another on spike shaves that may be even better!

[@CyrilViXP]

It's amazing how fast you are making these instruments

[@NeTon07]

Just won a sweetheart 151 in eBay and will be putting this method to work when CAREFULLY working it into shape. Your guidance inspired me to add this tool to my collection. My Stanley no. 4 hums with precision thanks to your videos.

[@MohammadWassef]

i can't imagine how does it feel like to take your class face to face , great teacher ,thanks a lot Mr.Sellers

[@Dresdentrumpet]

Thank you for being the eternal pedagogue! I am so new to woodworking and I love that you give beginning tips in every video. You make sawing an art. I have that problem that when I get down to the end of the cut the piece just blasts off with a spike running along the grain torn off from the bigger piece. Amazing how I came to make a holder for a spokeshave blade and I am learning about sawing.

[@thomasarussellsr]

you have saved my fingers (arthritis) and spoke shave irons with this video. Thank you so much! I'll never have to hold that little iron with vise-grips again.

[@missyknoll3714]

OMG! Thank you so, so much, Mr. Sellers! I had almost ruined my spoke shave blade by trying to sharpen by hand, this put the 25 degrees back on my iron and using it is a dream!!!( my husband had bought me one of those honing guides and I was distressed to find I could not use it with the spoke shave iron. All is well!

[@TheSMEAC]

Thank you Paul! I think this is the only video of its kind on the web; as so many of yours are!

[@joewilshire9095]

lol 10:13 I was equally impressed about how perfectly straight those lines were drawn freehand.

[@thomasarussellsr]

if you'll notice, his fingers are riding along the edge of the board, so between his fingers and the pencil he is a human marking gauge.

[@raysmith1992]

Hi Paul, I made one of these as the Veritas small blade holder did not really work and then the magnets fell out so took it back, made mine out of some mahogany I had from an old window frame. So simple to make and fits my cheap jig, blades are sharpened very easily. Thank you for creating this video you are an inspiration and you remind me of my old woodwork teacher at school. Keep up the good work.

[@Santokuryu]

now thats good timing.. ive been meaning to get my spoke shave back into use. great video!

[@garyknight8616]

Thank you again for another brilliant video

[@stevenlarsen1691]

Fantastic. Your timing is excellent. I'll give it a try.

[@TheRedhawke]

Love this jig, works like a charm. Thanks Paul, you are a life saver.

[@mirinae4313]

Just brilliant. As always. Thank you!

[@warp9988]

Brilliant. I needed this trick so much.

[@strange-universe]

educational and enjoyable, can't wait for tomorrow to get into the shop and check this out, thanks!

[@ScrapwoodCity]

Super informative video, thanks fir sharing!

[@deezynar]

Clever idea, Mr. Sellers. Thanks.

[@charleyandsarah]

As always, love your videos! They are so wonderful to reference as I'm learning hand woodworking. Thank you :-)

[@DundoMarinko]

Thank you all the best from Chicago and Dubrovnik looking forward to make one .

[@judge9amr]

such an awesome simple idea! love it

[@hutch53tech]

What an absolutely brilliant idea.

[@garymccraw1466]

Paul that was a Awesome Video, Thank you for the Tips

[@rogeranderson8763]

I found this a fun little thing to make....and it works 'as advertised". Sure a nice little trick about the brass pins. My spokeshave is going to get sharpened a good bit more often, with better results. Thanks yet again, Paul!

[@mjallenuk]

Well I think it's fair to say that that's about as good as it gets if you want to sharpen your spokeshave at home. Thank you Paul and crew for bringing that one to us. Now... I should really find the time to go over all the videos I've not found time for but paid a monthly fee for! Silly really but there you go! All the best folks :)

[@alsmith1025]

This was Great. Thanks for making this video.

[@proinnsiashamilton5204]

Thank you so much for the very enjoyable presentations you make. All are invaluable. It has completely changed and rejuvenated my enjoyment in the use of hand tools for woodwork. I am beginning to realise that one has for more control and versatility over the outcome of the woodwork projects in hand than by using machinery.For example making and using a frame saw could in many cases eliminate the need for investing in a band saw. Your videos also opens up my mind to becoming more inventive in making new tools and gadgets. Best Regards Frank

[@ranjdall]

Thank you Mr. Sellers

[@thomastieffenbacherdocsava1549]

Paul, Just saw this as I usuually watch at night on my smarter than me tv. I also follow your blog. You make a difference, but I think you know that. I was laughing a little because I have watched you use a power tool or two. I'm more of a hybrid woodworker. I went from hand tools too power tools and now often opt to use hand tools. I really enjoy the elegant solutions , and simplicity that you present when demonstrating something. Krenov called himself an Amateur . I like his definition and what you share in your recent blog. I have some old spoke shaves I got from my dad. This helped me to get insight on how to sharpen this tool. Thanks!

[@gregmarquis1886]

Thank you so much for making this video.

[@johnhammond5314]

Thank you Paul for yet another valuable idea and the wherewithal to make it.All the best.John from Australia

[@PODEReTUDO]

As always great video!!

[@knipper52]

As always so good explain to us thank u so much Mr Sellers

[@danceswithaardvarks3284]

Thanks for that. I have just made one and it works perfectly.

[@paulp4452]

Really good idea. I've been putting off sharpening my spokeshaves as I find it tricky but this will definitely help. Thank you.

[@ronaldsclafini7876]

Brilliant as usual

[@dandiy4958]

Excellent ! Thank You.

[@Bogie3855]

I will make one of these shortly. Yeah I had some difficulty sharpening this blade. Problem solved. Thanks Paul

[@Wildwill4eva]

Your videos are very informative and prove a great accompaniment to any book available. Something I am struggling to find is something along the lines of a "Beginners set of tools". What are the essential tools to get started and slowly build up over time. Appreciate any information you may have

[@paulgartner4619]

excellent information. many thanks

[@severinosilva9056]

Excenllent Idea. Useful tools.

[@PaulSmith-rd8yc]

What a great thing Guide can’t see it but definitely will get me and my dad to make one, I’ve got vision impairment and use spokeshave in Green Woodworking so be able to get my own bevels right thank you Paul another thing to help me achieve stuff on my own

[@jeffreydonaldson576]

about to buy my first spoke shave in my latter years i want to try to learn at least basic skills with some older type hand tools. my father learned the carpenter trade with hand tools only. he was considered a master carpenter by his peers. wish i had listened more to him while he was here. i was all about power tools to get work done quicker. not always equal quality. thakn you for this video i am less afraid to venture into the old world now.

[@johnzzhu]

Neat idea!

[@shakdidagalimal]

Man he is fast at this stuff.

[@nguyennguyenkn]

Maximum respect, sir!

[@JohnColgan.]

Brilliant invention, I've always had problems sharpening small blades, end up grinding off finger tips. This will save lots of pain.

[@michaelbaykara2322]

Good tool, will try it- thank you.

[@xjr1300extra]

brilliant tutorial

[@fergusrb]

Really enjoyed this. I have a Tormek T7 wet slow grinder and I can see this jig fitting in the Tormek chisel adapter. Thanks so much.

[@fergusrb]

I am not sure if 1/2 inch thick would fit the chisel holder. Just saw a video where some one put the holder in a guide like Paul did but used it as a guide stop on the front bar of the Tormek. similar to the way the skew chisel and the gouge guides work.

[@paulmcguire3789]

thanks for the great idea

[@mrgroovestring]

Ingenious!

[@howardtoob]

Excellent! Thanks

[@Cadwaladr]

When you put a Record iron in the Stanley spokeshave it reminded me of mine, I have two, one Record and one Stanley, and the iron that came with the Stanley was crap so I put the Record iron in it and got a Hock to put in the Record.

[@arcanix51]

this is FANTASTIC! i'll be makng one for my regular planing blades and for my spokeshave blades for my honing guide. .. this will make thins so much easier to keep the right angle. i wonder if i can adapt this for my chisels as well? i have noted i have a tendancy to skew my chisels to one sode or another wich results in my cutting edge being off to one side or the other.

[@tenpennyguy]

Lessons learned from just making one: The hole location for pins can very across manufacturers - check a few blades (old Hock didn't match Record). Beech works great. Brass escutcheon pins work well instead of screws. Self-tapping machine screw makes threading easy. Overall it's great to have such a firm grip on the blade; makes freehand sharpening easier.

[@walterrider1612]

thank you paul

[@Brandywine6969]

I cannot be the only person whose teeth itch when they hear that metal on metal squeal that happens sometimes. Great video, though, as always. Your years of experience makes this all look so easy. I'm still having trouble getting my plane blade level. The slightest adjustment to try to keep it from gouging one side makes it gouge the other side. I am glad I started practicing trying to use a plane on cheap pine. Funny thing is, I can hand carve stuff with an Xacto knife, do all kinds of stuff with a Dremel, build most anything I want to build, but planing has always been my Achilles' heel.

[@Blobjonblob]

Love watching your videos. Also found it weird watching you use a battery drill :)

[@johnbesharian9965]

Like Frid and Krenov, he uses a team named "Amperage, Volt and Watt" to do the heavy grunt work and "Potato Power" to do the enjoyable handwork.

[@johnjohn-ed9qt]

I never thought of setting up to use the cap to hold the iron or the locating pins. I actually hold to the bottom of a board, flat hunk of scrap, through bolt, and wing nut on top to clamp. Benefit is no issues with short irons, and no need for clearance on the holder so it is full thickness to the end. Drawback is I need to thread the parts together. May add locating pins to help with alignment, or try this setup.

[@tonymengela]

brilliant!!!

[@bobcresswell4812]

The principal is sound and it clearly works well for that style of blade like the Stanley 151 type. However, when I came to make one it quickly became obvious that it won't work for blades that don't have the two slots for the thumbscrew adjusters: for example the Stanley 51 type blade

[@ForestWoodworks]

Was that why he mentioned the 51 iron at the end of the video that didn't have the two locating holes? I forget the spokeshave version, but he just drilled the locating holes in the iron. I might be missing something, tho, as I'm new to this. @27:36 😇

[@petefor25]

Nice jig for holding a spoke shave blades.

[@ThalesGamerBrasil]

Muito bom vídeo 👏

[@supersoldier64]

Like your sense of humor. Do you use the tuning forks on the spoke shave also?

[@Mark-vd4gg]

Thanks mate!

[@darethas]

Another advantage to not using your hands with these short irons is you avoid cutting up your skin on the abrasive accidentally, which I learned the hard way recently

[@joshuaparks8949]

Great video. Thank you! I do have a question.. Any tips on sharpening a convex spokeshave iron?

[@panther289]

Thank you for a simple solution to more then one problem. After finishing this spokeshave blade holder, I was going to cut it to plane iron length. Then it occurred to me to cut a 2 1/2 inch long by 1/16th deep by 7/8th wide dado in the other end. Then cut an angle similar to the other end. Adding a small piece of wood ( 1/4 thick by 3/4 wide by the length of the width of the holder) with two small screws, I now have a holder for sharpening my number 50 and 45 combination plane irons / blades. As you're tightening the screws just center then square the irons to the side of the holder. Then set your preferred sharpening angle with the guide. Thank you again Mr. Sellers for sharing your knowledge with those who wish to learn.

[@ronaldwprovo6111]

Thank you.

[@trolltaker]

(coming in 7 years late) Brilliant idea, but I want to add that it doesn't work too well with my Lie-Niesen honing guide. It will work, but the steepest angle possible is about 22-23 degrees because the guide will be bumping up against the blade at that point. That may prove to still be OK but if you wanted 25-30 degrees, it isn't going to be possible.

[@blitzinurzua]

Awesome vid, as always. Maybe some boiled linseed oil and beeswax to finish the wood area that will continue to make contact with water and or sharpening liquid/compound? so the jig can last longer? Thanks again Mr. Sellers!

[@wayneosmand7652]

Gee I always enjoy your posts, If only I had more teachers at my schools I more than likely wouldn't have so many bad habits to break! Oh well better late than never hey? Thanks Paul who needs television?

[@CRILLER3]

I actually just made two knife with mahogany wood :) really interesting wood i must say

[@radoslawjocz2976]

Hi Paul, good video, I just bought recently Stanley 151 spoke-shave flat, and I noticed it was not working very well. I sharpened and flatten the blade but still was the same problems and blade become dull quickly, edge rolled and chipped a little. Later I noticed that blade was put wrong way, once I re sharpen the blade and changed it orientation it is working much better. It would be good if you will show also how to install and adjust the blade properly.

[@GregJorgo]

Apologies and maybe I’ve missed this, but the wood cut is at 25 degrees but unsure if the sharpened face is 25 or 30 degrees? Love your information Paul as someone who has come into woodworking later in the day.

[@jeradkoepp5956]

Any tips on sharpening a curved spokeshave iron like you find on a combination spokeshave?

[@jimholladay2383]

Paul how do you sharpen the newer spoke shaves like a Veritas or Lie-Nielsen? Thank you. I have struggled with sharpening all spoke shaves and you just solved the Stanley's.

[@friendsonearth]

thanks

[@pettere8429]

I usually eyeball the angle of the blade as one unit length up per two unit lengths from the edge. Usually I use the top joint of my thumb, two thumb joints back from the edge the topside of the iron should be one thumb joint up. This gives you an approximate 27deg (26.5651deg) angle. For perfect thirty degree it is two along the top of the iron should be one up. Part of me wonders why people always talk sharpening angles in degrees instead of incline rations, the latter are much easier to make with basic tools (splitting a circle into 360 even steps is a bit of a chore).

[@StarDustSid]

I wish I'd have seen this before I purchased the Veritas Small Blade Holder. (Which does work very well but isn't cheap)

[@buzzpatch2294]

thank you-

[@gildersleevee]

Hello Paul, I notice a lot of master woodworkers like yourself have a can on the work bench that once in a while they poke their chisels into when they want to make a final cut or while cutting with the chisel. Could you show us in one of your lessons what that is for and how to make one ? It seems to be a rag of some kind tightly wound or folded and maybe Oil or bees wax or some type of lubricant soaked into the rag ... The cans I see on the workbenches of you masters always looks like it is a 100 years old and very well used. What Is that and What is it for ? I have seen all your you tubes and I can not wait till the next time you have some knowledge about wood to share with us. Keep up the fine teaching shows. I learn a ton every time I watch them.

[@CM-hg8nl]

gildersleevee paulsellers.com/2011/10/recycling-4oz-bean-or-tomato-tins/

[@thomasarussellsr]

@gildersleevee click on his name above and go to his home page, "search" 'rag in a can', he has a video explaining it. it is basically a rag in a can soaked with 3-in-1 oil. it helps to lubricate his saws, planes, and chisels. it also is helpful for lubing up before storage or when working with "green" wet wood as a rust inhibitor.

[@danbreuer]

Would drilling the holes before you cut the bevel eliminate the potential breakout, depending on the wood you've chosen?

[@nialball9023]

I make model aircraft and sometimes I need a tapped hole in wood. My tip is to drill the tapping hole for the thread and then run a drop or two of superglue into the hole. It will soak in and harden the wood. When the superglue has dried and you then tap the thread (using a standard metalwork tap) you will get a much more hard wearing thread.

[@ronhau1542]

The wooden jig 👍👍

[@josephbonnici5661]

Lovely Paul. But how do you sharpen a convex spokeshave blade where the edge is half round rather than straight

[@josephking6515]

1:18 Yes but the simple things are usually just sheer genius. You know when you see something and think _Why didn't I do that_ but never did. *Thank You* Paul. Now I just need to source a Spokeshave that isn't a non working Chinese knockoff.

[@jimc4731]

Paul, your often used phrase, "but you can see" followed by a one second close view and then the camera going to a long view is not really seeing. Please try to pause a little longer on the close views. You are the Master of the ART. Thanks, JIM

[@nicholasdellavolpe3828]

Thanks Paul. I did my sharpening by hand, but the angle is not as precise as this approach allows. My question: what do you do with the base of the spoke shave? If anything? My current generation Stanley has a poorly machined base, with tool grinding type striations or grooves. I have decided to attempt fettling it but not sure what standard of leveling I should be content with. Any advice?

[@excession777]

I am curious how often would you be sharpening your 'go to' spoke shave in a 'daily use' situation?

[@tinydx95t2]

How did you make your sharpening stone holder?

[@pleappleappleap]

I keep my files oiled to prevent the chatter. It doesn't affect the cutting performance.