I am reading Jim Kingshott's book - Sharpening: The Complete Guide - and 
have encountered a history of sharpening lesson.

In the chapter on Grinding, Jim describes the grindstone - 27" diameter, 
4 to 5" thick fine sandstone wheel ... turned with a cranked handle ... 
the turning undertaken by some menial, such as the apprentice ... It was 
the Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century which led to the 
development of a man-made abrasive material for the engineering 
industry. Until the end of the second world war woodworkers mainly used 
the old fashioned sandstone wheel, more often than not turned by hand. 
Some cabinetmaking firms in the east of London had grinding arrangements 
with tool shops who offered this service. The craftsmen had 6d (2 1/2p) 
per week grinding money deducted from their wages to pay for this service.

If a lot of these older tools were used by craftsmen who did not even 
have an electric grinder, let alone the other things we take for 
granted, it is little wonder they ended up with strange looking edges.

In contrast to the grinderless shop described by Kingshott, Thomas 
Lie-Nielsen's book on Sharpening shows a complete sharpening system with 
sheet abrasives on glass, 3 water stones, a diamond plate, 3 syringes of 
diamond paste, 3 diamond files, 3 diamond hones, a green bar of 
stropping compound, a 1" belt sander, and a slow speed grinder with two 
white wheels and a very elaborate grinding tool rest system. Later 
sections add more bits to the complete system.

I assumed that the olden woodworker, while not having the complete 
Lie-Nielsen system, did have at least some grinding machine. It is 
possible to grind on a benchstone, but it takes more work than a full 
time woodworker is likely to spend on sharpening (which is non-billable 
time). Benchstones suitable for hand grinding seem not to be generally 
available - I had a lot of trouble finding a 3" x 8" coarse Norton 
crystolon stone, which works fairly well.

Perhaps the state of the tools tells us more about the sharpening 
equipment in the shop than about the sharpening skills of the former owners.

Brent
-- 
Victoria, B.C., Canada
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On Sun, May 18, 2008 at 8:50 PM, Brent Beach  wrote:

>
> In the chapter on Grinding, Jim describes the grindstone - 27" diameter, 4
> to 5" thick fine sandstone wheel ... turned with a cranked handle ... the
> turning undertaken by some menial, such as the apprentice ... It was the
> Industrial Revolution in the nineteenth century which led to the development
> of a man-made abrasive material for the engineering industry. Until the end
> of the second world war woodworkers mainly used the old fashioned sandstone
> wheel, more often than not turned by hand.

GG's-

I have at least a dozen or so sharpening machines of various vintages
and makes. Everything from diamonds to paper. I must have *at least*
35 different wheels. By far my favorite is an antique sandstone wheel.
Small by the above standards, its only 16" diameter, and 2" wide. But
the sandstone surface is the most pleasant surface I've used. The
wheel is a wet wheel with cast iron trough and spray shield. Its a joy
to use, really is. Like butter and super smooth. Only problem is you
can't really use it on modern steels unless I wanted a 10" wheel
within weeks. The sandstone is just too soft to use economically. So I
only use it on my older carbon steel kitchen knives, which I also
love.
So- I think a properly dressed sandstone wheel would do a really good
job on chisels, etc. I think the problem is end users. (well, not
really a problem) Many people probably didn't have the money or time
to send out their tools often enough, especially if they only had one
set. So, if they hit a nail with the chisel and really dinged the
blade while working onsite, they had to do it themselves. I know in
the same situation myself I rushed the job and put a REALLY ugly bevel
in a few chisels, just to get it done really fast and get the job
done. I still have several of these in my shop, just to taunt me...
(besides a saw, scissors, hammer, and grinding wheel problem, my
children think daddy also has a chisel problem) Just my 2 cents....

BTW- Hows the book?

Marc Bileau
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