The Complete Guide to Sharpening (Fine Woodworking)

Tool sharpening is one of those things that it is extremely worthwhile to take the time to learn to do correctly. You can master the basics of knife sharpening in an afternoon and never have to suffer from dull kitchen knives again. This book goes into the finer points of sharpening any tool you might have in your home, not just basic technique but theory. It's one of those books that describes the art as well as the science. Highly recommended. Got it for me, then got another copy for my dad for Christmas.

Excellent, useful, detailed book. My husband even got me interested in some of the diagrams of the effect on wood grains of different types of blade and so forth. It would be of special interest to any dedicated woodworker, but it is also very good for anyone who wants to keep various kinds of tools working as well as possible. It explains very clearly why you want to do things in certain ways without bogging you down in too much information.

So, like many, I'm obsessed with obtaining a quality edge on my chisel and plane irons and have tried many systems. This book has helped me understand the reasoning behind why some of my sharpening outcomes have been less than satisfactory at times. The knowledge from this book will help me to better determine an appropriate method or system for obtaining a good edge. My only reservation of five stars comes from the obvious age of this material. The content and theory (why steel reacts, what is good steel, definition of quality edge, and metalurgy) are still quite valid. But, the pictures and references to modern day products and systems is dated. The book was produced in mid-nineties. I would love a revision and re-print of the material which considered modern day products. Still - I am quite satisfied and more than feel the added knowledge gained is worth the investment in time and dollars. Cheers.

One of a small handful of works on this subject that is worth having on your bookshelf instead of at the local library. Leonard Lee knew a great deal about maintaining tools & believed as such in passing on that knowledge.

I have not read this entire book, as 10 to 15 minutes of reading anything puts me to sleep. Now then, that being said, I learned to sharpen knives and tools an early age, and in that order. I am now 74 years old and have a lot of experience in learning to sharpen and in sharpening. The parts of this book that I have seen and 60 or more years of sharpening makes me believe that this book is a good one, I especially like the line drawings, they make things really clear. I like all things that cut, I like sharpening all things that cut and I like this book. Hopefully I can read the entire book even it is 10 to 15 minutes at the time.

Covers all the basics of sharpening tools in depth and detail. Starts with the basic concepts of sharpening steel - then goes into a very detailed coverage of the different types of abrasives ( diamond hones / wet stones / oil stones / natural stones / etc ) with their advantages & disadvantages.Finishes with thorough techniques for sharpening the various types of tools 1 by 1 - including jigs.As far as one book that covers everything - this one has about everything you can ask for. There are probably soem specialty sharpening books that could expand on one topic but this one covers most that's out there.The only thing lacking was scary sharp sandpaper method which wasn't covered much in the book. I use sandpaper primarily b/c it's inexpensive - but having read this book - I no longer question what to use for sharpening handtools - what grits to use - or - why?

really enjoyed this. Keep in mind i'm not your average joe, and reading about sharpening is something i find quite fascinating. Mr. Lee knowledge and detail on the subject is immense. writing style is easy and you can tell the author really enjoys the subject. i learned a lot and have tremendously improved my sharpening skills

Leonard Lee is obsessed with the minutae of sharpening, so this is an amazing primer for anyone that wants to know how sharpening works. Great first book for someone sharpening their own wood tools, but maybe too much if you just want to sharpen a couple knives.

With so many books on sharpening, which one do you go for? I do woodturning, carving and general woodwork and found this book superb. It has some theory - metals, hardness, the principles of cutting which were easy to undertsand and very useful - new stuff I have not seen before - and I have a production engineering background! A thorough practical guide of what abrasives, what types of grinding wheel, diamond stones, water stones and how to use them is particulary good. Lasty good advice on the "jargon" ie when you go to the shop to buy something specific - ie instead of "I would like a fine grinding wheel", you can now ask for a 38A80-H8VBE wheel and get exactly what is wanted - sounds a bit over the top, but the book desribes why you should not just go and order a "fine grinding wheel" as it may be totally unsuited to the type of tools and the use you are putting it to. A really good book

This may be a bit out of date with all the current products on the market but an excellent coverage of sharpening and some good advice for anyone starting using hand tools.

What this guy doesn't know about sharpening isn't worth knowing. For a general hobbyist it's a bit in depth, but if you take the time to read it, it covers everything you'd want to know

Whatever your woodworking skills get this book as you will need no other to put you on the right path to sharpening.

A very detailed book on how to sharpen pretty much anything with a blade. Instructions are clear and well illustrated.

Dieses Buch habe ich vor einiger Zeit gekauft und bisher immer noch nicht vollkommen durchgelesen, denn es ist sehr intensiv.Ich nehme es aber immer wieder gerne in die Hand, lese etwas und probiere dann neue Techniken/Winkel aus.Man sollte dem Englischen schon mächtig sein, welches einen aber nicht davor bewahrt den einen oder anderen Fachbegriff nachzusehen.Als Chemielehrer lese ich zwar mit einem anderen Auge, aber wer sein Hobby ernst nimmt, der wird sich auch z.B. mit dem Metall beschäftigen wollen. Die vielen tollen Fotos/Vergrößerungen von Klingen oder Steinen geben einem eine Idee, was beim Schärfen passiert.Und auch wenn das Kapitel für Messer nicht sonderlich viel Platz einnimmt, so reicht es dennoch an Informationen.Das Buch geht vom Instrument aus, beschäftigt sich mit den Metallen und Steinen, damit jeder entsprechend dem Einsatz schärfen kann.So benutze ich mittlerweile häufiger ein recht billiges MAXAM-Kochmesser, welches ich freihand mit ca. 10 Grad oder weniger geschliffen habe. Der Stahl ist sehr hart und brüchig, dafür erreiche mit nur wenigen Streichen übern Wetzstahl eine herrliche Schärfe.Mein WMF GrandClass-Kochmesser dafür hat eine sehr dauerhafte und 'starre' Schärfe, insgesamt ist das gesamte Messer auch schwerer.Die Geschmäcker gehen auseinander, und ich werde mich noch länger mit Kochmessern, Wassersteinen und Rasiermessern beschäftigen;und genau dafür ist dieses Buch wunderbar, denn es gibt einem fundiertes Grundlagenwissen, auch ohne jeden Griff und Schwenk zu erklären, zu bebildern oder auf DVD beizulegen.

I am a knifemaker and for many years I have studied sharpness in theory and practice. The book provides practical instructions for optimal cutting for both the carpenter, the housewife and the hunter. And it touches the theoretical dynamics of the cutting in an easy-to-understand manner illustrated by drawings and electron microscopy. 238 pages are a lot, but there is no superfluous side for anyone who wants to know how to get a good cut.

Leonard Lee is the guy to read. This isn't just about technique. His insights into the craft are invaluable.

Libro fantastico, molto completo ed esaustivo, ber corredato di immagini e fotografie esplicative dell'argomento. Assolutamente un "must have"!!!

excellent guide to sharpening, with useful, short introductions into the physics of cutting and the differences between various steels, sharpening equipment. The only thing missing is a section on scissors

Livre écrit par un connaisseur : c'est ( l'ancien ?) directeur de Veritas et Lee Valley, une référence.Le livre est accessible et intéressant mais n'aborde que sommairement les nouvelles techniques.Pratiquement rien sur les pierres diamantées et rien sur le Tormek par exemple.Sinon, très bien pour les solutions économiques. Il manque un peu une synthèse qui pourrait être gardée à l'atelier pour référence. Une mise à jour serait utile

livre extrèmement complet sur l'affûtage des outils. de la fabrication des alliages, les différents types de "pierres" d'affûtage, les façons d'affûter. écrit par le fondateur de Lie Valley, donc en Anglais.

Wer sich ernsthaft mit Schleifen von Werkzeugen beschäfigen will, findet sehr viele nützliche Informationen in diesem Buch. Mit welchen Techniken schleife ich welche Werkzeuge, welche Hilfsmittel brauche ich dazu. Das Buch enthält viele Bilder, alles sehr gut beschrieben.Das Preis Leistungsverhältnis ist absolut top ! Wer Interesse und Spass hat am Messer- und Werkzeugschleifen wird Freude haben an diesem Buch.

I needed one of these booksNow I can sharpen my hand tools with some successTibor

Nicht schlecht, jedoch sehr umfangreich. Die Informationen sind sehr ausführlich und genau beschrieben. Mit Materialkunde und wissenschaftlichen Erkenntnissen wird nicht gespart.