FYI Razor Sharp System

[austinious]

Razor Sharp System

I'm sure you can find it a little cheaper, but this is great for renewing a shaped edge and giving it a mirror hone. Took me 5 min to take a custom punch from raw shape to mirror bright and razor sharp.

[LanceR]

And more info along those lines......

https://sharpeningmadeeasy.com/paper.htm

 

Lance

[Spyros]

These wheels are popular with woodworkers.  In my experience as a woodworker and leatherworker there is a difference in sharpening.  Working with wood will really blunt a tool quickly, you have to grind down often to get an edge again (before you even start sharpening that edge).  We're talking things like chisels you pound on with a mallet and plane irons you push against hardwoods with both hands.  These tools need a lot of sharpening very frequently, practically every day or even multiple times a day depending how much they are used.  And I am talking about sharpening, ie the whole process with multiple grits, not just stropping.

Leather is very soft compared to wood, it takes a lot to blunt a tool.  If you strop for a few seconds before every use you might not have to actually sharpen for weeks or months, or even never if you get good with your stropping.   Eventually you'll have to really sharpen something but that's pretty infrequent.  In my experience a stone is perfectly adequate for that.  Sharpening wheels and systems are really for ease of use for people who need to sharpen every day, they just get the job done faster.  But for leatherworking (in my opinion) it's probably not worth investing the time, money, and bench space.  And that's from someone who owns multiple sharpening systems, when I only do leatherworking I don't even use them.  I just strop frequently and then every couple of weeks I finetune my most used knives on the stone.

Edited August 2, 2021 by Spyros

[mrwatch]

I have the wheel system although I own a digital speed controlled motor and belt driven arbor. Sharpen is a leaning process and rarely use full speed. For wood carving with palm and mallet tools I do not grind on the tool edge only hone and do not leave a wire edge.  That is for wood lathe tools.  

[austinious]

I have an old shopsmith, so changing wheels is easy.  I shared because everytime I get a new punch, especially from CS Osbourne, it's dull. The last end punch I got took a couple hours with various stones to get into shape. With this and some 3M micro paper on dowels, maybe 30 min.

Maybe you don't buy punches all the time, but when you do, time is money...and this system, or a felt wheel or micro papers are way cheaper and faster than stones, especially on odd shapes.  I'd rather save my stones for chisels.

[mike02130]

I glue two pieces of 3/4" MDF together and turned them on a lathe to 8".  I then wrapped and glued a strip of leather around it and put them on a low speed contraption I built.  I use it mainly for woodworking tools but it works great on my round knives and particularly on strap end and oblong punches.

[TomE]

I bought a buffer for touching up hoof knives between sharpenings, and now use it for all kinds of leathercraft tools. Mine has a deburring wheel and a sewn cotton (stiff) buffing wheel.  The extended shafts on this bench grinder make it easier to work on curved blades without interference. Farrier suppliers sell high quality machines and wheels.  http://www.farrierproducts.com/shop/tools/buffers-and-grinders/baldor-1-4hp-buffer-red/p/1375

Edited December 23, 2021 by TomE

[chuck123wapati]

i use a 4 x 36 belt sander. with it i can make leather tools and knives, woodworking tools etc, sharpen anything under the sun i use a 1000 grit belt oiled to hone my stuff,  and i can also make very awesomely flat and smooth edges on my leather projects all with just a change of a belt in seconds. Probably the most versatile tool in my shop. i have belts from 60 to 1000 grit and for wood, leather and iron.

Plus ima thinking i can make a cotton canvas belt for burnishing, got some planning and a holiday to get through first.

and it cost less,  than one of those wheels that do only one thing.

Edited December 23, 2021 by chuck123wapati

[Daffy]

Make yourself a leather strop for your sander and use white or green polishing compound, i've got one for my 1x30 and my 2x72, with a sharpen at 1000 grit the strop will polish to a mirror.

[chuck123wapati]

16 minutes ago, Daffy said:

Make yourself a leather strop for your sander and use white or green polishing compound, i've got one for my 1x30 and my 2x72, with a sharpen at 1000 grit the strop will polish to a mirror.

A 1000 grit sharpen is mighty polished  but that's a good idea I'll be making two belts then lol. after the holidays

[chuck123wapati]

Check this out looks pretty cool. Just found it while looking at chisels.

https://www.chippingaway.com/cat/ultimate-sharpening-honer-machines/chipping-away-ultimate-power-honer/

[dikman]

That's a nice little rig. Wouldn't be hard to make if you've got a lathe.

[chuck123wapati]

12 hours ago, dikman said:

That's a nice little rig. Wouldn't be hard to make if you've got a lathe.

yea that's what I'm thinking and i do lol,  I'm thinking a longer main shaft  and a third pillow block though with multiple contrivances, maybe a burnishing wheel on one end and a buffing wheel, on the other the sharpening stuff. Going to be making some new wood chisels and knives this winter, the store bought are sure pricey, and i will  need this

[Daffy]

Nice setup, when using something like this you have to be ever so cautious to not round out your cutting surfaces, why I prefer the strop backed by a platen. For the inside I do a pass or two by hand with a strop on a board.