Sharpening Bench

Just a post to show my sharpening bench. I put a dedicated sharpening bench almost on par with a solid work bench as necessary shop equipment.

Most of us tend to be lazy and if sharpening isn’t quick and easy we will put it off and digging out sharpening gear and setting it up is neither quick nor easy. It really makes little difference what system you use to sharpen they all work about the same but the best system in the world will not work if you do not use it. 

The bench should be dedicated to sharpening and within a step or two of your main work bench. It should hold whatever stones, strops, machines, and/or jigs you use to sharpen with an auxiliary area for storage of gear and supplies that are not used every day..

My sharpening bench meets most of those requirements and is about a meter off the working end of my main bench, it has all my “stones” laid out and my strops either in position or within easy reach if I want one that is not used often. On the right end is my saw vise and above the bench are stored stones, plates, saw files and other gear that are not used everyday.

When working all that is needed to refresh an edge is to step over to the bench, give the iron a couple of strokes on two stones, a fast strop and I’m back to work with a sharp edge. It is the same story at the end of the day, what irons I’ve used will get a fast touch up before putting them back on the rack.

When sharpening is easy and quick it ain’t no big deal.

My sharpening bench which BTW was my first woodworking bench, built back in the 80s of big box SYP:

Remember today is Juneteenth, celebrate responsibly.