Gransfor Carving Axe

[sean]

So I have just treated myself to a Gransfor Carving Axe....woop woop. What in people's opinion would be the best sharpening device for it?

 

Cheers in advance.

 

Oh I've also treated myself to a Froe, a Turbo Plane, an Adze and a Ben Orford Hybrid crook knife. Happy Days

[richardwale]

Bench grinder, one wheel to grind, the other to strop

[sean]

Bench grinder, one wheel to grind, the other to strop

 

 

Thanks for that. I was thinking more manual though. Stones, diamond etc.

[sean]

I was wondering about something like this perhaps?

 

DMT DiaFold Diamond Sharpener | Woodsmith Experience | Woodsmith Experience. For specialist, handmade, woodworking tools.

[richardwale]

Too small, they are good, but get a bigger one, look at DMT sharpening stones. Very very good for axes etc

[H-A]

this is quite good

 

 

H A

[agg221]

I use the Gransfors file and diamond stone on my axes. They should be touched up little and often (like a chainsaw) so you don't need to remove lots of material.

 

Alec

[TheHungrySquirrel]

Cheapest is the gransfors or wetterlings ceramic sharpeners.

 

325/600 combo grit used wet gives a good edge.

 

If you spend a little more get some dmt folding diamond files in red and green 600/1209 grit. These will get you hair shaving sharp and to top it off a leather strop for final polish.

 

The best way to make that axe better is to file the bevels flat and work up to around 600grit then strop and use.

[Agent-Arb]

This is good, takes a while tho.

Best to tickle little & often as already said. If you end up abusing it then a flat file brings it back quickly

[Aicchalmers]

I was wondering about something like this perhaps?

 

DMT DiaFold Diamond Sharpener | Woodsmith Experience | Woodsmith Experience. For specialist, handmade, woodworking tools.

 

I've got the DMT stones and they're good for very hard steels although they're more for honing as they really don't cut very much, although hardwearing and aggressive. I'd recommend the slip set from woodsmiths; Strop + Slip Set | Sharpening | Woodsmith Experience | Woodsmith Experience. For specialist, handmade, woodworking tools.

Which you can make yourself from some grades of wet and dry and flat strips of wood, a piece of leather and some paste but it's a good set. Also found a lot of variance between different honing pastes and find that one works well, being aggressive but leaving an almost mirror finish. Find myself unless hitting grit etc while carving just touching up a little with 300/600 grit then straight onto the strop. For establishing flat bevels glue a big sheet of wet and dry to a piece of glass and use it wet, continually washing off the swarf, keeping the glass clamped to a solid surface and holding the bevel flat with both hands.

Whatever you do, don't bother with oilstones, although I would love a big wide ceramic/diamond wetstone for getting perfectly flat bevels.

Edited April 8, 2016 by Aicchalmers