JAPANESE SHARPENING STONES

 

I recently treated myself to the purchase of three natural sharpening stones.

In the photo above you can see, from the left, coarse grit 300, medium grit 1,200 and fine grit 6000. The stones need to be soaked in water for half an hour before use. They can be stored permanently in water, but I prefer to store them dry.

The original purchase was a sort of retail therapy, but the stones quickly became necessary luxuries.

Now, I think of them in abbreviation as: necessary.

Incidentally, the smaller object to the right is a strop, and the yellow stick in front is rubbed onto the strop to provide a polish. In my humble view, the strop is superfluous: I was persuaded of its importance by an excellent salesman.

MYALL

I have been trying my hand at carving a simple spoon from a piece of Myall: Acacia pendula.

That upright section of Myall in the photos weighs half a ton, was extraordinarily difficult to cut with a handsaw -and should respond sweetly to the carving chisels (as long as they are sharp).

I have been asked a number of times why I carve spoons. My answer, in brief, is that I enjoy carving spoons.

It is a fine discipline; a useful way to sharpen skills.

And they remind me of boats….

MORE PLANES

Here are more planes (and one spoke shave) from Dad’s collection.

For those of you especially interested in plane Lore: Stanley Bailey 4 1/2 UK; Stanley Rebate 78 UK; Falcon UK; Footprint Australia….and various others.

An embarrassment of riches, so it seems – but their master kept all of themĀ  in working order, and happily employed.

WOODEN PLANES FROM LONG AGO

TheseĀ  planes are from Dad’s collection of woodworking tools. They have been in storage for some twenty years – but the time has come for their caretaker to polish them up, and apply as much TLC as they can absorb.

Dad restored all three to working order, and he was especially fond of the largest: ideal for straightening long edges, and smoothing wide, irregular surfaces.

After so many years of solitude, they will soon resume their familiar vocation in the company of old friends – and so will I.