Customer Reviews

Work Sharp WSSA0002001 Leather Hone Kit (WS3000 ONLY)

5 star:		(2)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I'm used to doing the sharpening by hand and this is wonderful. This was the perfect addition to the Work Sharp system because it adds that final sharpness to planes that lead to outstanding results.

Because you're free-handing this from the tool rest, beware that you don't gouge the leather. Carefully face the tool's sharp edge AWAY FROM the direction of spin. First time I used it, I slowly lowered the cutting edge perpendicular to the spinning platter (parallel to the rest) and in the blink of an eye I cut a gouge about an inch in from the center. Chalk it up to inexperience and not thinking this through.

Just lucky it didn't rip the plane iron from my hands and fling it across the workshop, nor did it damage the glass plate under the leather.

I think I'll buy the micromesh disks and retire the leather hone.

This leather wheel is good for putting the final edge and polish on your tool. It includes a little packet of petroleum jelly that you smear on the wheel the first time you use it, as well as the green compound that you charge the leather disc with.

Note that you can only use this wheel *facing up*---it's not meant to face down, so you can't use the sharpening port. If you have the wide tool accessory that fits on the top, then you will be able to hold your tools that way. Otherwise, if you don't have it (like me), you will have to free-hand it, using the tool rest. This is no problem for back of blades, but for the blade bevel, you have to carefully hold the blade by hand at the correct angle. So far it's worked ok for me, but it would be nice if you could use it with the sharpening port.

As a luthier, my chisels have to be sharp. I use to use water stones and they did put an edge on a blade that was sharp beyond belief but even sharpening with a micro bevel, they were painfully slow. I finally decided I really wanted to spend my time building instruments, not sharpening my tools, relaxing zen like process that it could be. I chose the Work Sharp system because it looked sturdy enough, the design of the tool made sense and it looked like actual woodworkers had some input on the design. Oh, and it was reasonably priced. Like any new system, it took a bit to figure out how best to use it but, once I'd gotten past the short learning curve, it totally met all my needs. Before I took my good chisels to it, I tried out a rusty old plane blade that was in an old wood bodied plane that I'd been given as a decorative item. In less than twenty minutes, I took that nanky old blade and turned it into one of the best working plane blades in my shop. I was flat amazed at how well this machine works. When I had a question about the machine and I contacted the company, their advice was quick, dead on accurate, and pleasant from the very start. I couldn't be more pleased. Do your hands a favor and get this machine.

This product works as it was intended and definitely helps to take the onerousness out of sharpening tools.