Esteemed Galoots,

I received a Swiss Made scorp for my Birthday a few days ago - one of
the one handed ones - and am trying to figure out how to sharpen it.  It
doesn't seem to have a bevel at all that I could use as a reference for
honing.  Does anyone know how these are supposed to be sharpened?  Bevel
on the outside?  Inside?  Both?  Also - is this supposed to cut like a
gouge, a knife or a scraper?  I apologize if this is off-topic, but a
scorp is a very old tool, even if it is new.  (IMHO).  Thanks in advance
for any replies.

- Mike

Mike inquires about sharpening a scorp...

>
>I received a Swiss Made scorp for my Birthday a few days ago - one of
>the one handed ones - and am trying to figure out how to sharpen it.  It
>doesn't seem to have a bevel at all that I could use as a reference for
>honing.  Does anyone know how these are supposed to be sharpened?

If the bevel exists, it should be on the outside.  An axe sharpening stone
works well on scorps and adzes.  Disc shaped stones, usually one side fine
grit, the other rough.  You can pick one up at any reputable hardware
store.

When you get it worked down to where there's a burr on the inside edge, a
sharpening steel works well in rolling off the burr.

Try to work across the grain when using a scrop, especially if you're being
very aggressive, and it's best to work from the outside in.


H...hoping to light the forge


Larry Holland
estuary@w...

> 
> Mike inquires about sharpening a scorp...
> 
> >
> >I received a Swiss Made scorp for my Birthday a few days ago - one of
> >the one handed ones - and am trying to figure out how to sharpen it.  It
> >doesn't seem to have a bevel at all that I could use as a reference for
> >honing.  Does anyone know how these are supposed to be sharpened?
> 
> If the bevel exists, it should be on the outside.  An axe sharpening stone
> works well on scorps and adzes.  Disc shaped stones, usually one side fine
> grit, the other rough.  You can pick one up at any reputable hardware
> store.
> 
> When you get it worked down to where there's a burr on the inside edge, a
> sharpening steel works well in rolling off the burr.

Any reason to recommend a steel for this, as opposed to the
slip stone used on gouges etc?

	BugBear (ever happy to learn)

>> sharpening steel works well in rolling off the burr.

and Paul sez...

>Any reason to recommend a steel for this, as opposed to the
>slip stone used on gouges etc?

Not at all.  Slip stones are great.  I forged some sharpening steels, and
have a few lying around...so it's mostly a matter of longevity.  Steels
tend to have a fairly long lifetime, which qualifies me as a tightwad...I
guess.

H...thankful for family and galoots

Larry Holland
estuary@w...

>Mike inquires about sharpening a scorp...
>
>I received a Swiss Made scorp for my Birthday a few days ago - one of
>the one handed ones - and am trying to figure out how to sharpen it.  It
>doesn't seem to have a bevel at all that I could use as a reference for
>honing.  Does anyone know how these are supposed to be sharpened?

To which Larry replied

>If the bevel exists, it should be on the outside.  An axe sharpening
stone
>works well on scorps and adzes.  Disc shaped stones, usually one side
fine
>grit, the other rough.  You can pick one up at any reputable hardware
>store.

Disclaimer - I in no way consider myself an expert on this and am not out
to slam anyone. Having said that watch as I do a 1 1/2 back flip from the
pan into the fire......

I have to question the wisdom of sharpening one of these with the bezel
on the outside (out cannel) instead of on the inside (in cannel). While
all of the modern (i.e. factory) scorps I've seen have been done that way
(out cannel), I don't belive that is the best way. In fact I think this
is a case of the factory bean counters (and just lack of tool knowledge
at the factory) saying it's cheaper to grind the outside. The older
scorps I have (2) and the one my windsor chair teacher uses all are in
cannel. If you sharpen it with the bezel on the outside you have to hold
the scorp at a steep angle of attack to get it to cut and I find that the
handles and my hands are bumping into the work surface. If the bezel is
on the inside of the scorp you can hold it parallel to your work surface
and it's easier to rotate the blade which I find gives a better cut. 
I've tried using an out cannel scorp to shape a chair seat, for me it is
very uncomfortable. This is the same idea as with bent / cranked pattern
makers gouges. I was told they are in cannel so that you can get a good
even depth of cut. 

So how about it? Do most people on the list who use these have them
shaped with the bezel on the inside or the outside?

Esther or anyone who has taken Dunbar's class, how does he shape his
scorp?


Now grinding an inside bezel on a scorp is a pain and for this sort of
work I usually resort to using a hand held small tailed dremel err demon.
You can also use a wood form or dowel wrapped in the corse blue AZ paper.
In fact to sharpen these I use a wood dowel with wet dry paper and slip
stones.

With apologies to the list for mentioning tailed items.


Regards,
Brian Wilson
Chevy Chase, Md.
Having found some energy at last after eating too much turkey.......

Hi Brian & Larry & All,

I was surprised when Larry said scorps should have the bezel on the
outside. But since I'm not a user and can't speak from personal
experience, I didn't say anything. Now that Brian has said he thinks the
bezel on the inside is better, I'll second his motion. I have several
old one and two handled draw scorps and have had others; all but one of
those had the bezel on the inside and I could never quite figure out how
the one that didn't could have been used very easily for the reasons
Brian cited. 

Best Wishes,
Bob

> Esther or anyone who has taken Dunbar's class, how does he shape his
> scorp?
>
We were taught to shape it as a knife edge, or as close as you can get it to
one; that is, not a chisel-edge.  Fairly flat on both sides, with only the
slightest outside polished bezel to be able to sever the chip at the end of
the cut.  Hold the scorp in a vise and sharpen the inside with sand (glass,
Jeff) paper on a big dowel.  Cut with the grain as much as possible,
skewing/slewing as needed when the grain gets tricky.

BTW, drawknives, likewise, are sharpened with knife edges, as opposed to
chisel edges.  You'll be amazed at how well it cuts.

I realize this is a point on which reasonable craftspersons differ, like
shave horses and tails-first (g).  I've used scorps and drawknives sharpened
both ways, and I'm sold on the knife edge.  I'll defer to Dave Wachnicki, my
personal expert and sharpening hero, to correct my mistakes and fill in any
gaps in what I've said.

Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving,
Croxton
full of Chesapeake Bay oysters

On Fri, 24 Nov 2000 12:44:40 -0500 "Croxton Gordon" lawyer@e...
writes:
> >
> I realize this is a point on which reasonable craftspersons differ, 
> like
> shave horses and tails-first (g).  I've used scorps and drawknives 
> sharpened
> both ways, and I'm sold on the knife edge.  I'll defer to Dave 
> Wachnicki, my
> personal expert and sharpening hero, to correct my mistakes and fill 
> in any
> gaps in what I've said.
> 
> Cheers and Happy Thanksgiving,
> Croxton
> full of Chesapeake Bay oysters
> 
Oh lordy I've steped into one of those religious things...  I was just
hoping to stay warm ;-).

Regards,
Brian Wilson
Chevy Chase, Md.

Brian says...

>So how about it? Do most people on the list who use these have them
>shaped with the bezel on the inside or the outside?

I guess it kinda depends on the particular tool.  I forge my own adzes and
drawknives, and work them down to a pretty sharp edge.  Some of those I've
seen in catalogs are pretty thick at the cutting edge, so the bevel in
ground on the inside.  Probably what I'd do in that case, too.  I just
happen to like the thin edge.

So, guess I'd say to just do whatever works for you...and best of luck.

H...sorta wishing I'd kept my mouth shut

Larry Holland
estuary@w...

Larry Holland wrote:

>
>
> So, guess I'd say to just do whatever works for you...and best of luck.
>
> H...sorta wishing I'd kept my mouth shut
>

Well, after I got Larry's first message, I went down to the shop and put a
bevel on the outside of the scorp.  I've never used one before, so I don't
know what it's supposed to feel like, but I will say it feels enormously
better than it did when I first got it.  I think it was trying to approximate
a knife edge, but didn't actually get there.  In any case, I'm happy with it
out-cannel.

I'm grateful to all who responded, and very glad nobody kept his mouth shut.

- Mike