How to Sharpen a v-chisel or parting chisel

: Page 1 of how to sharpen a v-chisel

: Page 2 of how to sharpen a v-chisel

I think the most difficult chisel to sharpen is the v-chisel. There are so many ways it can go wrong, since it really is like sharpening 3 chisels – 2 flat ones, and a small gouge at the corner. They all need to work together to create a smooth, clean edge.

I generally leave the edge flat across, but there are several professional carvers who grind all their v-chisels back – sometimes to a 45 degree angle where the v corner is set back farther than the edges. I have one v-chisel that is slightly set back like this, and it does glide through the wood nicely. I get more concerned with beginning woodcarvers re-grinding their chisels on a grinding wheel if they are not familiar with the technique. Things can go bad quickly. My advice if you are first starting out, is to leave the chisel as the factory grind, and just get it razor sharp. It WILL go through wood as long as you can get the edge sharp.

3 comments on “Sharpening a V-chisel or Parting Tool”

Bob Easton says:

October 5, 2011 at 7:46 am

Perfect!
Thank you.

Now, once we have been brave and learned how to keep the v-tool sharp, we might want to change its angle of attack from the typical 25-30 degrees used by most makers. What angles do you prefer? And… do they vary by type of wood?

admin says:

October 5, 2011 at 3:09 pm

Well, it’s difficult to give an exact angle, but in general, the lower you can bring the v-chisel to the wood (without it being so low that you can’t get your hands comfortably around it), the easier it will be to guide it and push it through the wood.

It just so happens that I used a v-chisel today that I hadn’t taken out of my stock for many years. It was actually the first v-chisel I ever bought. And when I tried to use it, it is no wonder why I chose not to use it very often. It had about a 45 degree angle on the v (in other words if I put it against the wood I needed to lift it at more than 45 degrees in order for it to cut wood. Very awkward. I am tempted to re-grind this angle and maybe even re-grind the edge to lean backward slightly – since I don’t use it much, I feel quite comfortable to experiment with it. If my camera allows close-ups, I will try to take progressive photos of the process. It will also explain the angles we are discussing.

Bob Easton says:

October 5, 2011 at 9:42 pm

Thanks for all of your replies Mary! Very much appreciated!

… LOVING those acanthus leaves!!! …