How to Sharpen a Chisel

This YouTube video is from luthier Daisy Tempest, who works in a treehouse woodshop. Daisy covers a very basic skill: sharpening a chisel: it's all in the wrist, so to speak.

TRANSCRIPT

If there's one thing I can be sure about with this YouTube channel, it's that after I post a video doing something fine woodworking-based, I will inevitably receive comments asking about my sharpening routine. Sharpening embodies all the best virtues of being a great craftsperson: patience, discipline, and faith in ritual.

What should not be underestimated is the hardest part of sharpening, because really, the easiest part is the actual practice. The hardest part is stopping an exciting project in the middle to go back to the grindstone, wet stone, or diamond stone. Over the years, my routine has gotten simpler and simpler. I've found that following a few fundamental rules can be better than all the fancy wet stones in the world.

Understanding bevels and the sharpening process

I'm sharpening all the chisels in my new treehouse at the moment in preparation for a new guitar, so I thought I'd bring you along for the ride.

Let’s go back to basics to understand exactly what is happening when a chisel is being sharpened. I like to think of a chisel blade as a tiny, precise wedge—because that's exactly what it is. The cutting edge is formed by two angled surfaces meeting at a point, and to keep it slicing cleanly, we need to sharpen those two key bevels. A bevel is another word for an edge, by the way.

The primary and secondary bevels

First, there's the primary bevel, usually set at around 25°. This is the foundation edge—the bulk of the metal that gives your chisel its overall shape and strength. It's usually established with a grinding wheel, and you’ll often buy the chisel from the shop with this already set by the manufacturer.

Luckily, you don’t have to touch this one very often. Regrinding this bevel takes a long time and is pretty laborious. Unless you're constantly hacking through hardwoods or accidentally chiseling into nails (we've all been there), you may only need to regrind once every few months.

Honing the secondary bevel

What we're doing today is focusing on the secondary bevel. When we work on this, it's called honing. So you might say grinding and honing together is the process of sharpening—but technically, the final sharpening is done during honing. Think of it like replacing the tread on your tires instead of rebuilding the whole wheel.

The secondary bevel is the actual cutting edge, and it's what you hone regularly. It’s only a fraction of a millimeter wide, so honing it is quick and easy compared to reshaping the whole primary bevel. Once the micro bevel gets too large to hone quickly, that’s when you know it’s time to regrind.

The role of the burr

When you hone, you're pushing metal forward, thinning it until it curls over the edge into something called a burr. The burr is a microscopic wire of fatigued metal that clings to the tip of your chisel—a telltale sign that you’ve sharpened to the edge.

We always want to see a burr at some point during our sharpening, but seeing a burr does not mean it’s time to stop. A burr is not sharpness; in fact, it's very fragile and jagged. If you don’t remove it properly, your chisel won’t cut cleanly.

Removing the burr correctly

The way we deal with the burr is everything when it comes to a sharp blade. The key is to be as gentle and careful as possible with the tip of your blade, alternating your honing strokes and finishing with a soft material like a leather strop charged with high-grip metal compound.

When the burr appears, the blade is extra fragile—treat it like a little baby. If you sharpen one side, you push the burr to the other. Flip it, hone again, and after a few passes, the burr snaps off, leaving a crisp, clean edge. If you see a shiny bit at the tip, it's usually leftover burr.

Avoiding beginner mistakes

The biggest mistake beginners make—including myself back in the day—is rushing this last burr-removal step. If you don’t fully remove the burr, it can fold over the edge the first time you use the chisel, instantly dulling it. A rugged wire of metal won’t cut wood—it will tear it.

So take your time. Feel for the burr. Look for it. Remove it properly. When you do, your chisel will glide through wood like a hot knife through butter.

That’s all there is to it. Practice is better than theory, so now that you know what’s happening, let’s go over to the stone.

Sharpening demo: technique over gear

I’m using a single 1200 grit diamond stone and a leather strop today to keep things realistic. I left my real strop and buffing compound in London, so this is cowboy sharpening—but it proves that technique is everything.

I use a diamond stone because I learned on one, and it doesn’t need flattening. I’ve had this one 7–8 years, and it’s still going strong. All I do to prep is spritz it with water.

Flattening the back

We'll start by flattening the back of the chisel—this acts as one side of the wedge. Rest the edge on the stone and guide it with two fingers. I use a figure-eight motion to maximize surface contact. It’s all about form, not speed.

Use a Sharpie to mark the back and see what’s being removed. When the Sharpie is gone and the surface is flat, you're ready. A square is a great tool to check this. For context, I’m using Japanese chisels, which have a hollow back to aid flattening. Western chisels don’t, but the process is the same.

Honing with a guide

Once the back is flat, grab your honing guide or position yourself freehand. We’re aiming to hone the secondary bevel to 30°. I use the Veritas guide. One reason I love it is I can go fast without worrying about uneven bevels.

I check progress often under a good light. When I see a burr, I flip back to the flat side for a couple of strokes. When the burr fades, I move to the strop.

Stropping and final test

Today I’m stropping without compound, flipping the blade back and forth gently. Woodworking is a feminine craft—it requires a gentle touch. If your tools are sharp, you shouldn’t need force at all.

To test, I use the arm hair method. If it shaves cleanly, it’s sharp. Just be careful—blades and skin don’t mix. 

That’s how I sharpen my tools. It’s not complicated—just consistent technique and a gentle touch with the burr.