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| 18 July 2021 15:45
These are very friendly, efficient videos that get right to the point, waste no time, and use a conversational format that I like a lot. It's a little intimidating to think of the sharpening, shaping, polishing, and stropping equipment. I love the slipstones that Chris developed with Norton; how practical and powerful! A lot of videos show you what you shouldn't do, and spend more time on the negative aspects associated with the process. I'm going out now to start my collection of sharpening stones!
| 14 April 2020 20:22
Jon - You still want to add an inside bevel to the deeper gouges, but make it shorter so it acts like the breaker in a plane and lifts the shaving out of the groove (cannel) with less binding.
In general, the flatter the gouge (and thus the more you would use it upside down) the longer inside bevel and vice versa. In both case the more the cutting edge is thrown to the middle of the blade and sort of buttressed on either side.
| 12 April 2020 14:41
Greetings Chris. My question is, do you sharpen and commission the deep gouges just like the flatter ones, except no inside bevel? Thanks for all your greet teaching. Jon hamman
| 07 July 2019 15:32
Peter - These slipstones were my own design and I'm afraid they have gone out of production. I'm trying to find another manufacturer but it's not a big ticket item, so not too optimistic. In the meantime you'll have to go back to what we used before these slipstones appeared, which is whatever translucent or coarse carborundum slipstones you can get your hands on...
| 06 July 2019 15:37
Where can I get some of the slip stones from as used in this video.
| 16 May 2016 07:42
Shane - You don't have to sharpen the inner bevel right up to the corner on the inside; it depends on the thickness of the metal. If the corners are rounding over, which is what I think you mean by 'broken', then, yes, they are too thin and you need to take off less metal. So - you've got it - stop short of the corners.
| 15 May 2016 02:57
Hi Chris,
I am trying to commission a gouge for the first time. I have broken off two corners so far. Thank goodness it's not a fishtail. My question is, when you say to protect the corner, are you saying you don't file the corner for the inside bevel? When looking down on the gouge is the line of the inside bevel equal from left to right (equal distance from the tip) including the corners or does the line stop short of the corners?
| 12 September 2015 17:17
Hi Alice - I think you've answered your own question: the ones you have commissioned are very different from when they were bought and it was worth doing. Me? I always commission my tools. It takes a while - especially when you are new to it - but you only have to do it once, you will get a lot quicker with practice and they 'work' so much better. However, it's up to you. You could just start using the tools and spread out the commissioning one tool at a time... Let me add how much I respect you for tackling the sharpening - well done. Sometimes I feel it's almost a right of passage.and if you are serious about learning to carve - and I sense you are - then you will get that sharpening under your belt.
| 26 August 2015 13:00
Hi Chris
once more thanks for for your videos they are so clear !
I am learning letter carving and I have bought the set of Auriou letter carving tool that you helped to design.
I know you always says to commission new tools but I noticed that there is already a very small inside bevel in the gouges though the cutting edge it is not central. As I will be using the tools for the moment just for lettering do you think is necessary for me to create a proper inside bevel now, or would it be ok to use the gouges as they are?
Only asking because it took me ages to commission my first two chisel.... but now they are so sharp and the mark they leave in the wood it is much thinner!
thank you
| 24 June 2014 16:02
Matt - Thanks for contributing those thoughts, and well done. Sounds like you've cracked the sharpening; once you've done it a few times you'll think nothing of it!
| 21 June 2014 18:19
Some comments for beginners from someone who just finished commissioning his first tool. There are things in these sharpening videos that are crucial to success in my opinion and the places where I had issues were for the most part where I didn't heed Chris's advice to the letter. If you are lowering the cutting of the tool even by 5 degrees you are in for a heck of a lot of work if you don't use a grinder. I have a coarse diamond stone and it was a lot of work. I decided to use the grinder with a white wheel and used the coarse diamond stone to clean up since my skills were lacking. Squaring the end on the grinder was pretty easy but when working the back of the gouge it is very easy to burn a corner. To that end it was better for me to do all of the grinder work first since you are very likely going to have issues there the first time around. Like the man says stay away from the corners! As the edge thins it take almost nothing for them to burn. I had the square the edge 3 times before I got it right, which means I had to redo the inner bevel. The inner bevel with the coarse india stone was pretty straight forward to grind. Again as Chris states put your fingers on the corners to protect them and all will be well. I am just amazed at how much better the tool is to use at a lower cutting angle. The cost was of 1/4" of steel on one gouge and I feel like I can do the others with much more confidence. I feel so fortunate to have found this site and that Chris is willing to share this information.
| 19 July 2013 13:24
Roman - I put an inside sweep on all my gouges. The download with sharpening notes gives you a summary of the benefits of the inside bevel, one of which is it strengthens a blade with a low cutting angle on the 'outside', giving you less resistance. Another is that the flatter the gouge, and the more you use the tool upside down, the more the inside bevel throwing the cutting edge to the middle of the blade. For 'quick' or deep tools - tools you wouldn't use upside down - you need a shorter steeper bevel to lift the shaving up and out of the blade channel (the 'cannel'). At the end of the day, don't just take my word for it; experiment and make you own mind up about how much inner bevel you want, or not. Carvers do work differently. The way I work is the way I was taught and I haven't improved on it, which is the point. You have to make it your own practice, what you do.Then, it's on with the carving!
| 15 July 2013 16:18
Chris - at what sweep do you stop putting inside bevels on your gouges? 5? 6?
