Hey all, newb here. I’m building my first workshop in my basement with hand tools only (might add power tools later) and looking for some advice.
I’m still undecided on a sharpening setup, so wondering what other people like. How fussy are water stones, and how do you manage keeping them true? Do you have any cool tricks or things you want to show off?
For a real “first time” user the only suggestion I’d add to this A+ advice is to pick up a cheap set of chisels (&/or carving set). Cheap as in lowest price, quality isn’t really critical at this moment. (Harbor Freight, Amazon, etc). This way you can practice sharpening, grind a new base bevel angle, then try wet sanding on glass. You can explore processes & develop your own preferred methods all while having zero worries about messing up your expensive $ quality metal. This is prolly even more appropriate if your aspirations include carving & whittling blades because there are so many different types - unlike the general similarity found from one chisel to the next with only the blade width being different. TLDR: the advantage of having a sacrificial set of chisels/knives stems from being able to continually practice as often as desired & gaining muscle memory etc. thru repetition vs the inexperience resulting from infrequent opportunities coupled with the stress of not wanting to mess up new expensive metal.