Sharpening Handbook

Japanese Wood Chisel

Primary & Secondary Bevels both ground on a wheel

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

Japanese chisels are keenly defined by the laminated blade. The cutting edge (bottom) is a high carbon steel for maximum sharpening capabilities, and the upper edge is a low carbon steel which facilitates shock absorption and makes sharpening easier.

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.

Without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind.

Johannes Brahms

General Guidelines
End Profile / Type	Usage	α		Notes
End Profile / Type	Usage	Primary Bevel	Secondary (Micro) Bevel	Notes
Kaku Uchi	Soft Woods	35°	n/a	An old style with only slightly raked sides. This blade profile delivers maximum power for chopping but is less versatile when paring. Mortise chisels often have this profile.
Kaku Uchi	Hard Woods	40°	n/a
Kinari	Narrow < 8 mm	35°	2°	This has longer bevels than the mentori, and the more delicate profile is excellent for paring dovetails but still retains enough mass for effective chopping.
	Standard 8 - 25 mm	30°	2°
	Wide > 25 mm	25°	2°
Mentori	Narrow < 8 mm	35°	2°	This is the most common blade profile. It combines heft for chopping and striking with side bevels for paring access.
	Standard 8 - 25 mm	30°	2°
	Wide > 25 mm	25°	2°
Shinogi	Soft Woods	25°	2°	This has a low, wide-beveled blade profile which affords excellent access when paring in tight spaces. It is an un-hooped chisel, not meant for striking. Crank-neck chisels often have this profile.
Shinogi	Hard Woods	30°	2°

Notes & Comments

Information regarding Grindstones

Grind Profiles

The shape of the grind used is a call best made by the tool's use, based on their own experience. Additional notes are available on separate web pages for Grind Profiles, and Micro / Secondary Bevels.

Some also advocate only using flat stones, including Toshio Odate, author of Japanese Woodworking Tools : Their Tradition, Spirit, and Use (1998), and John Reed Fox.

If you want to grind a flat bevel on the edge and you are using a Tormek, watch the video below on using the Tormek MB-100 Muti Base and the one on using the Tormek MB-102 Multi Base.

Secondary or Micro Bevels

Some recommend there be no secondary bevel angle. If the user chooses to have a secondary bevel, 2° is recommend as this allows for repeated resharpening by touching up the secondary bevel only. Once this becomes too time consuming (i.e., the secondary bevel becomes too large), then you will have to regrind the primary bevel.

Hollow Grinding the Back

Hollow(s) in the back face should be > ¹/₈" (0.1250" / 3 mm) from the cutting edge. If less, tap it out as necessary. (There is a great video from Andrew Hunter on the Fine Woodworking site.)

Other Japanese Chisel Notes

giant Cypress has great information on Japanese chisel set up, and it is highly recommended.

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.

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.

More Information

Books & Papers

Some also advocate only using flat stones, including Japanese Woodworking Tools : Their Tradition, Spirit, and Use (1998), by Toshio Odate.
The article, "Choosing and Using Japanese Chisels" in Fine Woodworking magazine, May/June 2013, is highly recommended.

Videos & Presentations

Vincent Chicone
- 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.
Link Van Cleave
- Hollow-grinding a chisel with a Dremel tool (YouTube video)
Garret Hack
- Sharpening with Garrett Hack - Hollow Grinding on Chisels and Plane Blades (YouTube video)
Andrew Hunter
- Tapping Out a Japanese Plane Blade with Andrew Hunter (YouTube video)
Tormek's Videos
- Tormek Live Sharpening Class - Part 3 - Chisels, plane irons & Tormek grinding wheels (YouTube video). Sebastien 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). In this episode we learn how to use the Tormek MB-100 Multi Base to sharpen a completely flat bevel ▼, on the side of Tormek's diamond wheels DC-250, DF-250 and DE-250. For some tools, such as 🎻 luthier knives,🔪 Kiridashi knives, v-tools, chip carving knives and Japanese plane irons, a completely flat surface on the bevel is preferred over a slightly concave, which you get when you sharpen on the rounded part of the grinding wheel. For some people this is more of a personal preference.
  Regardless of what might be the reason to want a flat bevel, Sèbastian and Wolfgang show how to achieve it with your Tormek wet sharpening system, They will also touch upon the differences between the different types of bevels.

Tormek's Videos (continued)
- Tormek Live Sharpening Class - Part 20 - MB-102 Multi Base - Enhanced Knife Sharpening & Flat Bevels (YouTube video). This video covers the MB-102 jig which can be used two ways:
  - For sharpening on the side of the grinding wheel (particularly the diamond grindstones). The value for this approach is: 1)It allows for a flat grind on the cutting edge, and 2) It allows for sharpening short tools. This video demonstrates this well.
  - For sharpening vertically from the horizontal position. This is a replacement for the front vertical base. Sharpening knife edges using a edge trailing approach may be preferable if you sharpen on a softer Japanese water stone (so you don't accidentally dig into the grindstone). It is also quite useful for sharpening spoon knives.
- Tormek SE-76 Square Edge Jig (YouTube video)
- Using the SE-77 Jig to Camber a Plane Blade on the Tormek Sharpener (YouTube video)
- Tormek SVH-60 Straight Edge Jig (YouTube video). This jig is no longer sold, but is quite useful for short tools.
- Tormek Turning Tool Setter TTS-100 (YouTube video)
- Tormek AngleMaster WM-200 (YouTube video)