Practical Sharpening – David Wood – June 28th, 2025

With David Wood

June 28, 2025 – Saturday
11am – 1pm PT / 2 – 4pm ET

$80 non-members
$64 members (use the discount code in the latest newsletter at checkout)

Please note that we have been considering releasing these classes at a future date via streaming and/or download. By signing up for class, you are agreeing to be recorded and included in these future recordings.

Practical Sharpening

The foundation for pleasurable, efficient and accurate woodwork is effective sharpening. David will approach the subject of sharpening from a practical and professional perspective, one that woodworkers of varying skill levels can benefit from. This angle focuses on how to create truly sharp edges, reliably and in a reasonable amount of time, so you can get back to work.

David will lead participants through his personal sharpening process for Japanese-style plane blades and chisels, using waterstones and simple hand pressure. The principles involved in this approach are optimized for Japanese-style tools but can definitely apply to Western-style blades. He will discuss the benefits and downsides of different styles of stones and will address the many pitfalls in sharpening that can make the process frustratingly time-consuming. He will also provide a brief introduction to uradashi (for when the back hollow reaches the edge of your blade), as well as a primer in safe (for the blade’s temper) bench grinder usage. There will also be ample amount of time set aside for any questions related to individual sharpening challenges attendees want to bring up.