That's just about the best tutorial on how to sharpen (and set) an iron I've ever seen. Takes me back to my Cabinet Making college days. But you also show that if you're using a waterstone, the stone itself needs to be kept flat, by lapping on a flat abrasive surface. Otherwise it will hollow out and become useless. Most people miss that part out. I've never seen anyone (including when I was at college) paying attention to flatting off the cap iron edge as well. But this of course is crucial to stop the shavings shoving themselves between the iron and the cap iron, and clogging up the throat. Also, I've never even seen anyone set a plane like that before. I've always pit the iron/cap iron in til it rests on the cam lever hook, then put the lever iron on, turned it over and looked down the sole to see where the blade has come. But resting the body of the plane on the wood and letting the iron and cap iron drop down to the surface of the timber, then tightening down the locking bolt (lever cap in my case) is a much less time consuming and fiddle process. I hope it will work on Stanley no 5 cos I'm going to try that.

I agree with alexander. GREAT lesson on sharpening and set up. Thank you

I just notice an unpromoted little gem in this video. The oil bottle rather than can. I and so many others use the "oil in a can" or "oil rag in a can". It keeps the rust in my very humid environment at bay. The rag in a can gets filthy. It gets knocked over and hangs onto saw dust. It gets knocked from the bench onto the floor and gets even worse. I use 3 in one oil so it does evaporate over time. But a plastic bottle with the screw cut short, a rolled-up rag wick and screw on cap - luxury. Thank you

Thank you this should help with my sharpening.

Hands down. Best plane iron sharpening video online. Everyone else can retire!

Hey, Graham! Glad to see a new channel dedicated to traditional hand-tool techniques for working wood. I'm excited to see what information you present and to have a new channel to follow.

Thank you Sir.🎉🎉

Great tips! Thanks for sharing with us!

Listen and learn! Great stuff.

Thank you Graham for keeping it very simple.

That was great, there were so many pieces of information that when I began I had to find from different videos, except its all in 1! Fantastic video

Thanks for putting this out, Graham. Really interesting, shed some light on things I didn't know having watched a number of other videos on sharpening planes. Good luck with the new channel - I wish you every success.

Wonderfully simplistic techniques Graham , the criss-cross scratch idea is one I'll definitely take from you . I'll be tuned in for more . Regards sir and thank you for these fundamentals .

Great video thanks for sharing such valuable information!!!!

Great video. Very informative; thank you!

Thank you Graham

Priceless knowledge

Hi! Tks for sharing your experience. I love plaine, becose I remember my father. Plaine was favorite tools. Im from Brazil.

superb lesson! i’m self-taught with planes and sharpening and have done okay but those 10 minutes taught me several important things. many thanks.

Just found out about your channel from Rex Kruger. Watched the first two videos and love it. I subscribed and looking forward to watching all your videos. Thanks

Sir, I really enjoyed your video. Thank you.

Outstanding

Hello, from indiana! Great video! I learned at least two or three things I had never heard anybody else say before. I especially like the advice about getting the corners of the blade so they don't catch. That is a problem that I have had since I started teaching myself to do woodworking a couple years ago and I just tried that method and it made a huge difference already. I'm even planing leopard wood and if anybody has ever used leopard wood you know that stuff is finicky as hell. But this seems to have greatly assisted in smoothing it beautifully. I randomly came across your channel but I am your newest subscriber, for sure. I look forward to your next video and checking out what other videos you've already uploaded. Thanks again! Woodworking is sadly a dying art, especially using traditional tools which is exactly why I used traditional tools. I want to honor those who came before me while also taking advantage of the great technology available today. So I really appreciate any advice I can get from someone who's been there and done that. You certainly seem to fit that bill. See you next time!

Brilliant

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Magistral lliço gràcies

Well done, Graham! Freehand is the only way! I don't think you mentioned the sensitivity of your hands have and listening to the sounds of the stone as you're grinding or polishing the blade important factor sharpening a blade. It's amazing how sensitive our senses are doing it by hand gives you a ton of control over the shirt being processed difficult that all master. Columbus Michigan

No need to say it but that’s good teaching, thank you!

Just found your channel. Already watched only first 2 videos, but have learned so much. I have a question about using a leather strop to finish the edge. I have always finished my irons this way. Is this similar to you using your palm? Thank you for the great videos!

Great informative video. I have a question though: Here in South Africa where I live, everything is very expensive due to exchange rates, especially tools. Can the same sharpness be reached by using "water sandpaper" too?

Hi Graham, thank you for your videos, especially for the beginners. May I know the brand name if the waterstones you are using.

Thanks so much for this tutorial. This is a skill anyone working with wood needs to know. Now I know how to sharpen these! Is the process the same for chisels? Thanks again!

I’m a woodworker that uses Shapton pro stones. Two seconds rubbing on that piece of oxide paper isn’t doing any flattening. Shaptons are pretty hard I use a diamond reference plate. To refresh the cutting of the stone and keep them flat. Using sandpaper like he doing will transfer grit. And that’s not good for polishing the iron edge.

what it your opinion about micro bevels, final pass by raising the iron 2-3 degrees?

Hi Graham, I appreciate your work teaching this craft. I need all the help I can get! May I please ask for the name of the oil used after sharpening was finished? I want to incorporate the oil into my sharpening routine. Thank you, Bill

So I work in my garage. Pretty cold where I live. With sharpening stones, are there considerations for temperatures?

I used water stones for some years. Always flattening the stones was kind of annoying. My oil stones are much harder, so I don´t need to flatten them that often. The oil stays on the surface so I don´t have to wet them every time. They´re much more convenient but I believe the future belonges to diamond plates. They´ve come down in price, they stay flat and they last a long time.

Would you please say a few words about establishing the initial bevel? Have you done that on a grinding wheel and do you return to the wheel every so often? Or, once the bevel is stablished, do you then stay on the stones forever? I am partly trying to understand if your blade is hollow ground (so that the sharpened bit is a thin strip along the edge). Thank you.

What grit is the abrasive you use to flatten your stones? Looks fairly coarse.

New subscriber here. The Almighty Algorithm made one of your videos pop up on my feed. . . In any case, I wanted to make a comment about what you do in the very beginning of this video. . . You use a piece of 1000 grit on a piece of plate glass. . . At this point, I don't even remember where I learned about using reflected light as a test for flatness, but this is the point of my comment. . . The most perfectly flat surface will reflect perfectly, and be easily seen with the eye. . . I started off with a glazed ceramic tile from a home improvement store. . . Use the overhead lights to check the reflection. You'll be able to see any surface fluctuations as an optical distortion. A thicker piece resists flexing more. . . I graduated to a leftover piece of granite from a countertop installation. . . It definitely doesn't flex and the weight of it keeps it set wherever it is set.

Anyone else noticed the editorial cut just before he is demonstrating the shawing after sharpening? It happends in about 9:50.

Is using oil stones a bad idea? Is it better to have water stones? All I have is oil stones and water stones seem very expensive.

Great video, what grit paper do you recommend for flattering your waterstones, do waterstones need to be soaked before use, thanks

Graham! Cap iron, Thank-you! Why do people call it a chip breaker? If you need the cap iron to break chips, I think you may be doing something wrong! Great video.

Hi Graham, are you English?