Maintaining your tools keeps you close to your craft and knowing the ins and out can drastically save you time and money. A chisel is essential when it comes to woodworking and a sharp chisel makes for easier work. With over thousands of different sharpening tools in the market, we took the time to review some of the best chisel sharpeners. Let’s first take a look into the different types of tools and other products that are needed to sharpen your tools.
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4 Best chisel sharpeners
1. Finew: Knife Sharpening Stone Set
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Our first product is the knife sharpening stone set from the brand Finew. It is diverse as it comes with a 400/1000 grit waterstone meant for sharpening and a 3000/8000 grit waterstone for refining edges. They don’t need oil, but need to be soaked for 10 minutes in water. Waterstones are great for quick sharpening and they can last you a while. Just make sure to keep flattening them. This set also comes with a honing guide, an angle guide, and a polishing compound. You can use this for any type of blades or tools like chisels, knives or scissors. The last thing I want to mention is that this product comes with a 30 day “no reason” return policy. It’s a true value deal that promises quality and many necessary tools for a reasonable price.
Pros:
- Diverse
- 30 day return policy
- Comes with all the essentials
- Bamboo base provides non-slip feature
- Easy to use
- For professionals or beginners
- Can sharpen with use of water only
- High customer reviews
Cons:
- Does not come with instructions
2. Irwin Marples Chisel Sharpener Tool Set
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This next product is the Irwin Marples Chisel Sharpener Tool Set. This set is great for our beginners who want something affordable and comes with the essentials. This stone also comes with a kit making it a convenient option. The coarse stone is good for the initial sharpening process and it is such a big bonus that it comes with oil for the needed lubrication of the stone. The honing guide is also great because it can adjust to different sized chisels. Overall a good choice to buy that can sharpen several of your chisels fairly fast.
Pros:
- Affordable and good for beginners
- Comes with a guide, stone, and oil
- Adjustable
- High customer rating
Cons:
- The coarse grit stone is pretty porous, so it needs extra of oil
3. Sharp Pebble Premium Whetstone Knife Sharpening Stone
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The Sharp Pebble Premium Whetstone comes with a 1000/6000 double sided whetstone with a bamboo base to keep it in place. The 1000 grit side is used for sharpening while the 6000 grit is meant for honing the blade. The angle guide is also great for free hand honing. I still recommend a honing guide for precision, it’s a handy tool to have around for optimal performance. Besides that, whetstones are a go to and this truly makes the sharpening experience easy and enjoyable. With this stone, I got nice, sharp edges that can cut through any piece of wood.
Pros:
- High quality double sided stone
- Diverse, it works with different types of knives and razors
- You don’t need to buy expensive honing oils
- High customer reviews
- Price
Cons:
- Does not come with a honing guide
4. ATLIN Honing Guide
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Lastly, we have the ATLIN honing guide. This nifty tool makes it easy to get the optimal angle for the bevel and consistently achieve sharp edges for your tools. You can adjust the size, but this works for chisels 1/8” to 1-7/8” in width and plane irons from 1-3/8” to 3-1/8” in width. This honing tool also comes with a sturdy steel roller that does not develop flat spots nor wear out over time. This tool is perfect for anyone just looking for the tool and already has everything else in their kit. It is easy to use, provides optimal chisel edge sharpening, and has adjustable settings.
Pros:
- Comes with step by step instructions for the perfect edges and correct angles
- Hardened steel roller built to last
- Great for obtaining that perfect bevel edge
- High customer reviews
Cons:
- Does not come with a full kit
Types of Chisel Sharpener
Honing Guide
A honing guide, which is accompanied by an oil, water, or any type of stone, helps you with the final step of sharpening your chisel, the honing for a perfect bevel angle. You typically want to keep a 35 degree angle when sharpening the edge and this tool helps keep your chisel at the correct sharpening angle. If you are not confident doing it freehand or want to avoid a rounded bevel, then I highly recommend this simple solution. There are many honing guides in the market, but there are a few things to keep in mind when buying one.
One is their price. If you are a novice looking for decent tools, you may not want to dig a deep hole into your wallet. On the other end, you may be a dedicated woodworker who doesn’t mind spending a few bucks on a quality and long lasting honing guide. Just keep in mind that some are simple, and others come with better design that makes the whole process easier.
Another thing to consider is what type of material it is made from. They come in different forms from aluminum to stainless steel. Of course the sturdier the material, the more they charge in price, but keep in mind that the strong material are more of value and last longer.
The last thing to keep in mind is whether your chisel will fit in the guide. Though there are some more versatile that can fit different sizes, some have more specific requirements. Make sure you know what size chisel you have before you start searching.
Whetstones, Oil Stones, and Diamond Stones
Whetstones are easily broken down synthetic bricks of grit that provide efficient honing for your tools, or in this case, your chisel. They need some more maintenance like being soaked and flattened. It’s still a popular choice that I recommend. I do want to note that you do not want to cheap out on these types of stones.
Oil Stones are a convenient choice that does not require the same maintenance as the whetstones. They do not need water nor flattened often, but they are hardier than whetstones.
This hardiness basically means that they do not cut metal as easily. If you are to get an oil stone, soft Arkansas stones are a very durable type of oil stone. They give you a sharp finish.
Lastly we have diamond stones. They are probably the most expensive of the three mentioned , but their quality pays for themself. They last the longest, do not need to be flattened, and do not require water. With that said, it is important to keep in mind that they need to maintain as well. Make sure to keep the stone dry as it can rust.
One last detail we should skim over is the different types of honing oils. You typically want a light oil that won’t interfere with the stone’s sharpening. Mineral oils are a great way to go and are highly recommended for their lightness and their tendency to not harden up like vegetable oils.
Final Throughts
Hopefully this guide taught you a thing or two about the best chisel sharpeners on the market and how to go about buying the right tools. You can check out some of the links and for their current prices and for fast shipping from Amazon. Whether you just needed stones for sharpening, or a complete sharpening kit, there are many options out there for you to discover. As long as you have a good foundation and basic knowledge of what certain tools are used for, you can navigate your way around the woodworking world.