Leather Splitter Sharpening Help Video

[NewYorkerInSydney]

Hi all,

I found this video about how to sharpen a splitter blade on the internet a while ago. Well, I did what this person says to do when sharpening my splitter blade and I swear it is now duller then what it was in the first place. I've no idea what I've done wrong. Can any one please help me with the proper way to sharpen my splitter blade? Im about to throw this out the window.

Thank you,

Nyis

[JoeSnuffie]

I just got my splitter and have only had to sharpen it twice. I haven't had to hone it yet but if you do, just be careful to keep the same angle if you can. I just drag it over my strop a few times until it easily cuts hair again. Unless you hit it with a hammer the blade can be made sharp. I treat the blade like I do my straight razor.

[silverwingit]

I can't imagine doing a good job sharpening a splitter blade with a 3" wide stone. I used my 9"x12" granite surface plate with a series of increasingly fine grit wet-dry emery cloths/papers to sharpen and then a series of 3M polishing papers to hone the blade to a mirror finish. Cuts like butter!

Works for me.

Michelle

http://www.grizzly.com/products/9-x-12-x-2-Granite-Surface-Plate-No-Ledge/G9649

http://www.amazon.com/Polishing-Paper-Assortment-Pack-Micron/dp/B001BHGC7G/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1403543983&sr=8-6&keywords=3m+polishing+paper

Edited June 23, 2014 by silverwingit

[NewYorkerInSydney]

Hi Folks,

Thanks for your replies

I can't imagine doing a good job sharpening a splitter blade with a 3" wide stone. I used my 9"x12" granite surface plate with a series of increasingly fine grit wet-dry emery cloths/papers to sharpen and then a series of 3M polishing papers to hone the blade to a mirror finish. Cuts like butter!

Works for me.

Michelle

http://www.grizzly.com/products/9-x-12-x-2-Granite-Surface-Plate-No-Ledge/G9649

http://www.amazon.com/Polishing-Paper-Assortment-Pack-Micron/dp/B001BHGC7G/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&qid=1403543983&sr=8-6&keywords=3m+polishing+paper

Hi Folks,

Thanks for your replies. Michelle, so how do you actually go about sharpening the blade? Same as in this video?

Thank you,

Nyis

[silverwingit]

Nyis, as I said, I use sheets of progressively fine wet/dry emery paper, wet. This "clings" to the wet granite surface plate and lays flat. You just draw the blade's sides over it in one direction (towards the sharp edge of the blade, not away from it), similar to the manner in the video, except you now have a sharpening surface that is the width of the blade instead of just a fraction of it. This leaves no "burr." When the blade is as sharp as you like, you do the same operation, except this time using wetted 3M polishing papers, again of increasingly fine "grit" to achieve the mirror finish. Polish both sides of the blade so that the split leather glides smoothly over it. Once you have done this, the blade will cut for a long time. You can repeat the polishing phase to hone the blade to resharpen the edge when it starts to drag a bit.

The whole set up will cost about the same as a good quality Arkansas or diamond sharpening stone.

Thanks,

Michelle