Sharpening Handbook

Wood Chisels

Guidelines shown below are for Primary Bevel Angles & Secondary bevel angles (also known as micro bevel angles).

Notes are also available on a different web page for Micro / Secondary Bevels.

Skewed edge angle

If this chisel is to have a skewed end (as shown to the left), it is recommended that β not be greater than 20°. A more acute angle (i.e., higher β) will cause the chisel to drift to the side when using it.

15° is a good target for the maximum value for β.

Primary & Secondary Bevels both ground on a wheel

Primary Bevel ground on a wheel
Secondary Bevels ground on a flat stone

There are two men inside the artist, the poet and the craftsman. One is born a poet. One becomes a craftsman.

Emile Zola

General Guidelines
Type	α		β	Notes
Type	Primary Bevel	Secon-dary Bevel	Skew	Notes
Bench Chisels	20°	2° - 5°	0° - 15°
Corner Chisels	35°	n/a	n/a	A mill file (or some other form of safe edge file) is used to sharpen the inside corner of the chisel.
Firmer Chisels				The secondary bevel needs to be wider : ¹/₁₆” (0.0625” / 1.5 mm) to ¹/₈” (0.1250” / 3 mm)
Soft Woods	25°	2° - 5°	n/a
Hard Woods	30°	2° - 5°	n/a
Mortise Chisels				*Corner to round off* The secondary bevel needs to be wider : ¹/₁₆” (0.0625” / 1.5 mm) to ¹/₈” (0.1250” / 3 mm) In The Complete Guide to Sharpening, Leonard Lee recommends rounding off the corner where the sharpened edge meets the top of the chisel. This allows for easier levering of the waste out of the hole.
Soft Woods	30°	2° - 5°	2° - 5°
Hard Woods	35°	2° - 5°	2° - 5°

Paring Chisels				These are typically used without a mallet (i.e., using only hand pressure).
General Use	20°	2°	0° - 15°
Fine work	15°	2°	0° - 15°
Scraping Chisels	70° - 75°	n/a	n/a	Could be as high as 90°.
Slick Chisels (large paring chisels)	20°	2°	n/a	When used for dovetail work, they are sharpened flat across. Otherwise, they are sharpened with a slight crown. Do not flatten the slight belly in the back of the tool. This aids in its use.
Utility Chisels				*Projection Jig* The projection jig for using the TTS-100 with the SE-77 is shown to the right. It is a great, quick-and-dirty tool that can help to quickly re-sharpen utility chisels (click on the image to get to the details for this jig).
Narrow < ³/₈” wide	30°	2° - 5°	0° - 15°
Standard ³/₈” - 1” wide	25°	2° - 5°	0° - 15°
Wide > 1” wide	20°	2° - 5°	0° - 15°

Notes & Comments

Information regarding Grindstones

Flattening the Back

Flattening the back is really critical for the overall sharpness. There is a good video about that below.

Hollowing the Chisel's Back

Hollow grinding on the back of the chisels (traditional, not Japanese chisels) is recommended by some, including by Garret Hack. Two videos below show that process.

SE-77 Square Edge Jig

SE-77 square edge jig

Some have mentioned that it is a bit tricky to get the alignment correct for chisels using this jig. That said, this jig is very useful for cambering plane blades, so it is useful to have if you sharpen those also.

Shorter chisels won't always work in this jig. The MB-102 Multi Base can alleviate this issue.

If you have some of your grandfather's old chisels around which you want to use (other to open paint cans), consider using

SVS-38,
SVH-60, or
SE-77 with the MB-100

SE-76 Square Edge Jig

SE-76 square edge jig

This is a great jig to use for sharpening chisels, including skewed edges. However shorter chisels won't always work in this jig. If you have some of your grandfather's old chisels around which you want to use (other to open paint cans), consider using the SVH-60.

As with the SE-76, shorter chisels won't always work in this jig (unless using the MB-102 Multi Base). Consider using

SVS-38,
SVH-60, or
SE-77 with the MB-100

The SE-77 has replaced this jig and the SE-76 is hard to find.

SVS-38 Short Tool Jig

SVS-38 short tool jig

This jig is also useful for sharpening chisels where there is not enough length to use either of the two jigs listed above.

The older version of this jig, the SVS-32, may also be used if the chisel can be held by the jig.

SVH-60 Straight Edge Jig

SVH-60 straight edge jig

This is the original jig for sharpening chisels and plane blades. It is no longer being made which is unfortunate as it is really great for holding shorter chisels. If you have shorter chisels, consider getting one from the used tools market.

The SE-77 has replaced this jig and the SVH-60 is hard to find.

Replacing Wooden Handles

A good source for the shape of a handle is The Wood Turner's Handy Book (1887), by Paul N Hasluck (see pg. 67, fig. 39).

Another source is the series of articles written by Aaron Keim, Making a New Chisel Handle for Tired Hands, (see details below).

More Information

Books & Papers

The Complete Guide to Sharpening, by Leonard Lee (2003). This is an excellent reference, and is recommended for every sharpener's library.
“Cut Your Honing Time in Half: Freehand Technique is much faster than jigs and guides”, by Hendrik Varju in “Fine Woodworking”. July/August 2008. Hendrik noted a number of techniques, and also how hollow grinding is a “secret of success”.
The Handyman's Book, a book by Paul N. Hasluck. My copy is the 1903 edition and is quite useful.
“New Breed of Grinding Wheels”, by Chris Gochnour in “Fine Woodworking”. May/June 2025. Chris tested the sharpening of plane blades and chisels, comparing the use of traditional grindstones (on a high speed grinder) vs. CBN wheels.
U.S. War Department's TM 9-867 Maintenance and Care of Hand Tools. Setup of the plane for various uses is nicely done.
Sharpen This, by Christopher Schwarz (2022). This is unique as it was written by a woodworker from the reference of his own sharpening.

Videos & Presentations

Vincent Chicone Videos
- Chisel Sharpening (YouTube video). Vincent Chicone owns a cabinet making shop and uses an old Tormek 2000 to sharpen his tools. This video is really good at showing how he flattens the back on the side of the SG grindstone.
Jeff Farris Videos
- Tormek SVH-60 Straight Edge Jig (YouTube video). This jig is no longer sold, but is quite useful for short tools.
Garret Hack Videos
- Sharpening with Garrett Hack - Hollow Grinding on Chisels and Plane Blades (YouTube video)
Chris Gochnour Videos
- Chris Gochnour’s sharpening process (video on Fine Woodworking’s web site)
Highland Woodworking Videos
- Using the SE-77 Jig to Camber a Plane Blade on the Tormek Sharpener (YouTube video)
StewMac Videos
- Hollow-grinding a chisel with a Dremel tool (YouTube video)

Tormek Videos
- Tormek Live Sharpening Class - Part 3 - Chisels, plane irons & Tormek grinding wheels (YouTube video). Sèbastian and Wolfgang offer some great tips on the sharpening of chisels & plane irons using the various Tormek grinding wheels, including the use of the diamond wheels.
  - At 00:46, there is a great explanation of sharpening a tool with a radiused end using the SE-77 Square Edge Jig.
  - At 00:52, there is a great explanation of how to use the MB-100 Multi Base.
- Tormek Live Sharpening Class - Part 9 - Sharpen a flat bevel with Tormek MB-100 on a diamond wheel (YouTube video). Sèbastian and Wolfgang show how to achieve a flat bevel with your Tormek wet sharpening system, They also touch upon the differences between the different types of bevels.
- Tormek SE-76 Square Edge Jig (YouTube video)
- Tormek Turning Tool Setter TTS-100 (YouTube video)
- Tormek AngleMaster WM-200 (YouTube video)

Published Articles

Making a New Chisel Handle for Tired Hands: Part 1, by Aaron Keim and published on the Fine Woodworking website.
Aaron noted, “Some of the most important tools in my shop are my chisels. Whether I am chopping, carving, or paring, they are in my hands all day. As I have gotten older and my arthritis/tendonitis has gotten worse, my needs have changed. In this blog, I will talk about my preferred chisel handle and show how I make a replacement handle to suit my needs.”