Sharpening Japanese Chisels

[John. B]

For those who own, or thinking of getting Japanese chisels.
I can recommend this honing guide.

I've had one these Richard Kell honing guides for well over a year with no sign of wear.
I might add, for those who never used Japanese chisels. Their blades are far shorter than western blades,
and other than honing by hand only, finding a guide to fit is very difficult, if not impossible.
The one I have will take chisels or any blade from 0 to 2.5/8"(2" and five eighths)

he does other guides

I'll also add I've nothing to do with Mr Kell I just think this is probably the best guide I've ever owned, and I think you ought to know about him.

John. B

 

[woodbloke]

My MrC modified Eclipse guide will take Jap chisels. I tried out some of the Kell guides when I saw Steve Hamlin (Dunbarhamlin) a couple of months ago. It's true they are beautifully engineered things, but to my mind...they don't work very well as there's very little room to manipulate the blade under the fingers. Also if memory serves, they don't fit a standard size DMT stone. Jap chisels are good (if you can put up with raw and blistered hands when paring caused by the hoop)...the really fun part is trying to regrind them, especially if you have a Tormek as they won't fit the standard chisel guide, unless of course, you know a Bloke wot knows how :wink: - Rob

 

[John. B]

Must confess, I've never had raw fingers (or blistered) because as soon as I got them I removed the hoops. (They are put on because Japanese woodworkers use metal hammers) all I did was sand over the tops to make them fit in the palm. When I do hit them I use a wooden mallet.
Mostly though, because they are so sharp a hand push is generally enough. If I use my 'Temple chisels' (Firmer type) I usually bash them with a mallet but all the others including the extra long paring chisels I use by hand.
As for sharpening I use both a DMT diamond and Japanese waterstones.
I like-em!!!!

John. B

 

[Ironballs]

They should fit the Veritas guide as that will take (just) the blade from 112 scraper plane. The downside is that it's wider than my waterstone, but easily overcome

 

[Derek Cohen (Perth Oz)]

I have the smallest Kell, which is just for honing the secondary bevel on my OBM chisels. It is beautifully made, but very uncomfortable to use - there is no where to grip it. Perhaps someone can show me how?

I hollow grind all my chisels, including the Japanese, on my Tormek. Being a purist, I resisted doing so to the Japanese for years. However, if David Charlesworth can do it .. The bench chisels require some careful adjusting using a square as the blades are shorter than Western chisels. I think that I will make up a special holder for them. But the hollow grind makes freehanding them an absolute doddle, and this is easiest and quickest in my book.

Another guide that you could consider for Japanese chisels is one that was designed with Japanese blades in mind, the side sharpening Sharp Skate:

My review:
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/ToolReviews/Side Sharpening and The Sharp Skate.html

Pricy tho'.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Benchwayze]

Haven't I read somewhare that Japanese chisels are not used with a secondary bevel, being honed entirely on the primary bevel?

I never used them and in any case I am quite happy with a properly sharpened, older English style chisel.

 

[John. B]

Hello John,
Where that is generally true, it is quite in order to hone a micro bevel on the edge of Bench chisels (Chu-Gata Oire Nomi) and IMO best sharpened and honed on Japanese waterstones because,
Laminated Japanese chisels are made with a very hard cutting layer of steel along the underside of the chisel cushioned by a layer of softer steel along the top.
The business edge steel is traditionally made from multiple layers where the steel is hammered out, folded over, and forged repeatedly, then hardened to [61to 65 on the Rockwell scale].
The back faces of these chisels are scooped out in one or more scallops which aids the initial fettling process where the back has to be flattened and polished.
Given the hardness of the material, this would be very difficult to achieve if the whole back face was left to polish flat. In service the back face is honed and polished at each sharpening to keep the scallop from encroaching into the cutting edge.
Sharpening on a wheel is not a good idea because the resulting hollow grind can unduly reduce the support of the soft backing steel on the cutting edge especially if a small diameter wheel is used.

John. B

 

[yetloh]

I only ever grind my Japanese chisels if I get a substantial knick in the edge, it happens to us all occasionally) and haven't found any problems with lack of support for the edge although I agree it is a theoretical problem.

What's all this about saw palms? Japanese paring chisels are exquisite to use and have no ring, but make sure you get one where the handle is angled upwards enough to ensure that it can be used in the middle of a board. I always use my Japanese cabinet chisels with a Japanese hammer which is how they are intended to be used. If the ring is fitted properly (most chisel makers leave this for the purchaser to do) Japanese cabinet chisels are still quite comfortable to use for paring.

Jim

 

[ivan]

DC has been writing about grinding Japanese chisels on his Tormek for some years. The new Tormek plane/chisel jig is designed with Japanese blades in mind, (references from the flat face) and copes with tapered blades. Good upgrade for any wetstone grinder.

Any tapered blade is likely to slip in the otherwise excellent LV Mk2 guide (LN chisels included unless very careful). Side gripping is needed here, maybe one day, Rob?