Tim ponders the counterintuitive sharpening of hollow auger blades:

I think the blade is sharpened wrong: Its sharpened on both sides (like a
knife) rather than just on one side (like a normal plane blade).

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Nope, that's correct, at least for the popular Stearns models. Quick quote
from G.N. Stearns's 3/5/78 patent (#201,064):

"...this cutter is bevelled on both sides, so that it can be reversed, and
wear either side up alternately to equalize it."

So it's an efficiency issue, but it doesn't adversely affect the actual
cutting action of the auger. My Stearns hollow auger does require a fair
amount of fiddling upon initial setup, but once I get everything in place,
it cuts tenons like a champ.

Greg Isola
Alameda, CA

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