How To Sharpen a Chisel (The Correct Method)
Want to be able to sharpen a chisel in 45 seconds or less? This masterclass teaches you everything you need to know from geometry and preparation to grinding and polishing.
📝 See The Supporting Blog Here! (Extra Info)
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PRODUCTS RECOMMENDED IN THIS VIDEO:
🔸 Japanese Waterstone
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🔸 Waterstone/Oilstone Flattening Plate
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🔸 Affordable Diamond Stone
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🔸 DMT Coarse Diamand Stone
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🔸 Tormek T8
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🔸 Tormek T4
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🔸 Belt Linisher
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🔸 Lie-Nielsen Honing Guide
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🔸 Veritas Honing Guide
mattestlea.com/Veritas-Side-C...
🔸 Eclipse Honing Guide
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🔸 Plane Screwdriver
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🔸 Leather Strop
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🔸 Protective Oil
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CHAPTERS:
😤 Getting Impatient? Skip to the good stuff below: ⬇️
00:00 Intro
01:39 Geometry
06:42 Grinding
09:58 Lapping
15:20 Hollow vs. Flat Grind
16:05 Honing
21:46 Deburring
22:15 Stropping
24:14 Testing
24:49 Real-Time Demo
26:00 Outro
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🕵️♂️ WHO AM I?:
My name is Matt Estlea, I'm a 26 year old Woodworker from Basingstoke in England and my aim is to make your woodworking less s***.
I come from 5 years tuition at Rycotewood Furniture Centre with a further 1 year working as an Artist in Residence at the Sylva Foundation, which is where I began growing my business. I then returned to Rycotewood to teach Evening Classes for 2 Years, while also teaching City and Guilds Furniture Making for 3 years. They were some long 12 hour days!
In September, 2021. I resigned from teaching at the school to focus on my own business.
In addition to all that studying and teaching during the week, I occupied my weekends working at Axminster Tools and Machinery in Basingstoke. For 5 years, I helped customers with purchasing tools, demonstrated in stores and events, and gained extensive knowledge about a variety of tools and brands. I discontinued this job role in 2019 to focus on teaching at Rycotewood and my own business.
I like to have a laugh and my videos are quite fast paced BUT you will learn a lot, I assure you.
Lets go make a mess.
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PS: Some of the links in this description are affiliate links that I get a lil’ commission from recommending at no extra cost to you. If you’d like to know more about how this works, and what businesses I work with, please read my affiliate disclaimer here:
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📝 See The Supporting Blog Here! (Extra Info) freeonlinewoodworkingschool.com/how-to-sharpen-a-chisel/ More of this style of content coming next year! Hopefully with more regularity too!
This is such a great product to be putting out for free. You Matt make it so easy to get into woodworking and i love you so much for it! Thank you from the buttom of my heart
Thank you for all your work
Matt! Me and my wife got into woodworking mostly because we enjoyed your videos so much. A million thanks for these sharpening guides. I guess we did it correctly, as we ran out of bandages after going mental on mahogany end grain with freshly sharpened chisels. Maybe do a safety-oriented video on chiselling techniques next? Just kidding, keep doing what you do! BR from Finland.
The music in the background ruins your video/point. You are a very knowledgeable chap and I respect your advice.
Looks like you are explaining every single detail ... and especially it sound like you are doing this in front of idiots. So, thank you very much for the entertaining and with great educational value video, Matt:) Subscribed!
That beginning/ending had me rolling 😂😂
By far, one of the most excellent instructional videos I have seen in quite some time. Clear, concise, and well organized. Thank you for your efforts on this! I very much appreciate it.
The word you were looking for is 'palpable'. Great video.
Deadly sharp... I have watched you for years and I am still so impressed by your unswerving ability as a teacher. Thank you for the video! Merry Christmas Matt!!
Superb exposition of the basic science behind the practise of this outstanding woodworker.
That was the best sharpening tutorial I've seen so far. All the necessary theory, all the practical advice, all done up in an entertaining package. Nice one. ♥
Paul Sellers does it better no need of any fancy electric tools.
This is the most comprehensive instruction I've seen on sharpening. As we say in the States, you covered all the bases.
Good afternoon from a rather sunny day on in Essex: I’ve been trying to get in to woodworking for a while , with KZhead as my only guide. Up to now it’s largely been American creators with aircraft hangers full of commercial power tools. I’m glad I’ve found you as I was shocked when a chisel purchased to have a go wasn’t sharp straight from screwfix. Thanks for such a great video I’ll be binge watching for a while
I find myself constantly coming back to this video as a refresher for the various stages in sharpening. Really comprehensive guide, thanks Matt
I'm into my 60's and I was aware that everything needs to be kept sharp to work properly but wasn't aware it was such a rabbit hole! You have obviously been taught by craftsmen/women and have now become a craftsman yourself. Your passion and knowledge is precious. Thanks for sharing. I'm not sure if anyone has mentioned this yet but I've seen old conveyor belting used on the floor in areas where you are likely to drop tools.
New conveyor rubber is even better
Love your videos. Always informative and done in a way that keeps me captivated. Thank you.
Wonderful videos, thanks for another easy to follow lesson. We appreciate them.
I appreciate you Matt, and the community. Love you all and hope your holidays have and will treat you well
Excellent guide. Knowledge is power! Thank you
You're a good teacher Matt i could watch your videos all day thanks.
Through my experience with burning, rounding and using cutting blades I really appreciate and can confirm the advice given by Matt. Thanks.
A no bullshit concise tutorial about sharpening chisels - this is how I have always done it (since 1974) - well done
Love your sense of humor and witty hysterical quips
Love your videos and the humour that goes into them 🙂
wow! Great presentation, dude! by far the most comprehensive & logically presented guide on the matter that I've seen, thank you
Brilliant presentation. Best yet
Yes dude, yes! I loved this tutorial. So very useful. THANK YOU!! Great pace, great visuals, great, great tone. Well done mate.
Much more concise and entertaining than the first version. I can see why you've been going through and remaking these.
I’ve seen many sharpening videos over the years but this not only made perfect sense but also when I tried it I got a chisel that I could shave with in under a minute
The clarity, conciseness and depth of your tutorial videos are excellent. Thank you
One of the best sharpening tutorials I've seen. Keep it simple. Works every time. Been a woodworker for nearly 40yrs and I still follow the method used by a 60yr old from when I 1st started, grind, hone, strop. He stopped working 4.30 every Friday, opened his chisel roll of about 30 various chisels and sharpened the lot to razor sharp in in the last 30mins. Quick and easy.
Welcome back mate. You really do find a way to explain things in a way anyone can understand. Plus you present it in a way that is interesting for all audiences. From a younger than the average woodworker, I greatly appreciate the effort and coming back to make videos. Plus personally been going through some very rough times as well so I can understand the effort it mist have taken you to get out of your rut. Welcome back, mate.
Thank you for explaining the purpose of the secondary bevel!
Great video. Very informative and entertaining. Thank you.
Wow. Been a cabinetmaker for almost 50 years and never used a honing guide or a whetstone or a tormek. Dry grinder, oilstone and my palm as a strop, I guess when you work in a fast paced cabinet shop you get good at doing the basics quickly 🙂👍🇦🇺🇺🇲
Just seen your response, which is similar to mine. I guess the product of apprenticeships of old. I wouldn't decry the use of guides etc, plus to be honest being away from the trade for a long time now, probably these water stones and diamond stones have come to be popular after I would have been interested in buying them.
Don’t do any wood working and don’t even own a good chisel, but I found this fascinating. A very professional presentation and throughly enjoyable to watch.
"When was the last time you fell a tree?" Lol. Absolutely brilliant point... I'm saving that one!
Loving the knife display behind you
Magnificent! Thank you Matt.
TY very much for this tutorial on chisel and the care of it.
thanks for nice info..i work with this tools 123 years and never knows some of your info....greetings from croatia
Best tutorials in KZhead! Thank you!
Merci pour cette démonstration parfaite claire et complète.
Excellent video. Right to the point on all whys and hows!
The quality of this video is exceptionally sharp 😉 Really well made. I can be considered to be a bit of a perfectionist and I am in admiration!. Well done 👏
Glad your back missed these video's
Excellent video. When you are in teaching mode, you really shine. I’ve been a (serious) amateur woodworker for 45 plus years and there have been dramatic changes in materials and techniques. Second to adhesives, sharpening has seen the most I believe. For me, the key to keeping a sharp edge (as opposed to setting it when bought new or after damage) is to make the process easy and quick. If it’s easy and quick, then I do it; if it’s complicated, then the temptation is to leave the process until the next time. And the next time. I also use a Tormek for the primary bevel. I then switch to a Veritas honing jig for the secondary bevel. There are 2 problems to that combination. Firstly, it is too easy for the chisel to move from square on the Veritas jig; if that happens, then your edge won’t be perpendicular to the whole blade. I don’t know why but I’ve tried 3 of these guides and once worn, they let the chisel move. Second issue is that the 25 degree setting on the Tormek is not the same as the 25 degree setting on the Veritas jig. At one point, I thought it was me but the ever-helpful people at Axminster confirmed that it was a known issue. You can compensate for it once you know the issue but with equipment costing an arm and a leg, it should be right first time. I also have and use the scary sharp system for when I’m out and about - that usually means some or daughters. All scary sharp is very refined abrasives stuck to a flat surface (eg marble or glass) and you work through the grits/microns. In that way, you have one piece of glass (in my case) about 12” x 6” which takes me from around 1000 grit upto 15000 grit. Very convenient but the abrasives are not that cheap to buy and it’s easy (for me) to tear them when in use. I’ve collected enough oil and Waterstones to re-pave my patio. As Matt says, keep it simple; for a quick re-sharpen, I might only use 4000 and 8000 grit. The Lie Nielsen jig is great but over £100. I have made a series of wedges out of stacked MRMDF and cut on my table saw to 27 and 32 degrees. With a strip of MRMDF down the side of each wedge, I can just reach for the 27 wedge (for a chisel) and put that secondary bevel back to perfection in 30 seconds. As Matt says, it matters not a jot if your primary or secondary bevel angles are not 25 or 27 or 30. Just keep the same angle and nobody will ever tell the difference. It’s not a dark art; it’s not difficult but I would suggest that you will never get satisfaction unless all your edge tools are as sharp as Matt shows.
I really love the free hand approach, two stones (and a really coarse one for grinding), finish on a strop. On plane irons and wide chisels I can feel the angle. Narrow chisels I fall back to a guide, otherwise I create a nice skew chisel for my pole lathe. No power outlets in my basement, so no Tormek for me. I follow Richard Maguire's method ("get sharp series"). But I agree, nice video, great summary, great presentation. I like the no rubbish approach (as always)!
A serious amateur wood worker ! No such thing . Go back to your office job
@@pufango4059 in my experience, there are only 2 people who can afford to be so certain about anything. The first is Jesus and the second is a sociopath. You really do need professional help with your mental health. Without this, you never will grow up and be mentally stable
@@pufango4059 I bet you're really fun to spend time around
U
You are an exceptional teacher; I understood that completely and I’ve not yet even picked up a chisel for an upcoming woodworking course. Thank you! New sub.
Smooth pickup lines there Matt :D Snakewood marking knife looks pretty nice. I may be admiring mine while watching haha.
@Chris Tuso Would it be something like this? (inspired from Full Metal Jacket) This is my knife! There are many like it, but this one is mine! My knife is my best friend! It is my life, i must master it as i must master my life! Without me my knife is useless, without my knife _I_ am useless! I must whittle my knife true, i must whittle straighter then my competition who is trying to outwhittle me. I must outwhittle him before he outwhittles me! I will! Before God I swear this creed! My knife and myself are defenders of my whittling trophies! We are the masters of our competition! We are the saviours of my whittling trophies, so be it, until there is no competition, but peace! Amen (And another take on a line inspired by Full Metal Jacket) This knife's name is Charlene!
This was a great video! It really helped me to better understand what I feel is a bit of a daunting task as someone who is new to sharpening. Thanks for sharing!
Someone who actually wants to impart information, in other words teach, rather than show off..brilliant. So much experience and expertise. Thank you.
Nice to see you back thanks for sharing your advice on sharping you kept it very simple and less stressful.Love your channel it’s always great content
Yet another great video. Love your humour, makes life interesting. Not dull.
You convinced me, I subscribed. If I may add that the honing guide is extremely useful for those who do not have years of experience in honing by hand, also if the central wheel is replaced by two narrower wheels a bit further apart, with one wheel being very easy to tilt. Thank you so much.
This really is all encompassing. This would have been my 1 stop shop when I began. Fantastic work
Very good. Thank you very much! Many greetings from Munich
Lovely to see you back in business Matt! Good work!
Great video! Thanks a million Matt 👍🏻👍🏻
Loved this video you explained everything with one exception. You showed the protrusion stop jig. Most newbies won't know that they need to make that jig. A angle finder is needed. That is the only thing I would recommend adding to this video. Other then that, I enjoyed it alot. Great job. I plan on watching more of your videos. PS I literally dropped my chisle a few times will working yesterday. It's been a while since using and sharing so wanted to make sure I wasn't forgetting anything and found your video. Made me laugh watching it bounce off everything, because I seem to drop mine alot.
Simply the best!
Hello from Texas, Thanks for the sharpening tips!!
Glad you are back happy Christmas and thank you for the refresher
"Bang on!" Learning new British slang every video!
Was a joiner for 26 years, 50 now not done it for a few years but was taught old school apprentice, first learn to sharpen your tools, saws was my favourite. Sorry first thing was making 14 cups of tea at the same time! Liked watching this video good tips. Made me think about coming back
happy to see you again at the workbench! Nice instructional video!
Thank you for another extremely helpful, educational and entertaining video!
Excellent video. Very informative. Trying hand cut mortise for the first time. Need a very sharp chisel. Thanks for the video!!
How'd it go?
Really enjoyed the video. Thank you for sharing your knowledge.
Absolutely great vid! Thank you. Instant subscribe!
Nice to see you again! Have a safe and productive New Year.
It is always good practice to learn something new. Thanks
Sweet as, mate. Great demo👍👍👍
I’ve been sharpening knives and chisel’s quite a while. Very well instructed mate. 👍👍👍 from East Tennessee. Ok I threw the mate in there to be cool. Still a very well done instructional video that anyone should understand. Crazy thing is I’ve owned a Tormek for like 5 years and have yet to open the box. I think I will break it out now. I’ve had a welder in box longer. It can wait. 😉✌️
I thought I was the only wood worker to purchase a tool or WW machine and have it sit in a box on the basement floor for up to a few years. Now I feel better. thanks
Thank you for making that easy to follow and replicate.
Straight away, great....great video!
Best breakdown I’ve ever seen…. Thank you!
You are genuine nice guy. Wish you the best.
Great instructions and instructor. Thanks
So that's how you do it!! I've been trying for 70 years to get it right and now I see how. Ta Muchly!
Hi Matt, good to see you back doing what you do best (IMO) Stay safe. Happy New Year.
Yessss! All channels have their own path and naturally yours should be instruction based videos. You have a knack for teaching.
Good to see you back Matt. ☺
Glad you are back to a how to video. Learnt shitloads by watching your channel. Thanks!!
It's great to see you back creating teaching videos. You have quite a talent.
Excellent explanation and visualisation thanks Matt.
Hysterical Matt, Absolutely eff'n Hysterical! Thanks
Excellent Video👋
Couldn't agree more with one of your followers who says why can't we find a guide with two wheels?? Too easy to "rock" with only one wheel. Has anyone found one with two wheels? Anyway a great video. Thanks a million Matt!!
I want to start a business as sharpening, (chisel, grooming sissors etc) and this video was very helpful!! Thanks.
You're a bad man. I own just about every single sharpening system around and have been eying up a Tormak for years. I would have saved so much cash (and time) going straight to it.
Great video Matt
Great video! Thanks. The word for feelable would be tangible. Thanks for your work!
Subscribed and liked, because I watched all the way to the end and enjoyed it.
Awesome, Matt! Thanks a lot! 😃 Merry Christmas! And stay safe there with your family! 🖖😊
Great video. Very helpful thanks 👍
I really Really love this video. Thanks
Little comments like" wait until the shadow dissapears then you know you are on the correct angle" , even small comments like these which are not common knowledge make it worth while watching this video
great help matt, cheers,
Really hooked on wood working on KZhead and people who actually know what they are doing.. love this guide.. detail.. thingy.. Subbed - thank you Sir for your content..
Great video .Thank you
Great videos!👍🏻👍🏻
GREAT INSTRUCTIONS AND REALISTIC VIEW ON SHARPENING!!@!
Another CLASSIC Estlea video - well dome... Cheers
Matt, great to see you again, can't wait to see what you have in store for 2022! One thing missing from your recommended product list, is the paste used for stropping. I assume this is some kind of diamond paste, but it would be nice to know which grit and all you are using. Love calling the stop a questionable device, LOL.