Just realized my old chisel sharpening method was way off

I'd been using a cheap oil stone for years and my chisels always felt dull after a few cuts. Last month I tried a diamond stone from a guy at a job site in Portland, and the difference is night and day. That $40 stone gives me a burr in half the time. Has anyone else noticed how much grit matters for edge retention?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_joseph23h ago

Did I spend years blaming my chisels for what was basically my own potato sharpening skills?

zarapalmer16h ago

Diamond stones really are a game changer for getting that burr up quick. The grit consistency matters a lot too because cheap stones tend to have a mix of particle sizes that leave uneven scratches on the edge. You want a stone that cuts clean and fast, and diamond does that without breaking down. Going from oil stone to diamond is like switching from sandpaper to a file in terms of how much control you get. Have you tried a strop after the diamond stone to clean up that burr before moving to the next grit? That extra step made a big difference for me.