The Complete Guide to Sharpening

Leonard Lee

Reviewed by:

Ken Greenberg

Leonard Lee has not only been sharpening things for a really long time, he’s been thinking about how it works and the best ways to sharpen edges about as long. In this book, he covers the meaning of sharpness, the physics of wood fibers and cutting them, metallurgy, abrasives, and equipment. He then addresses the specific of how to sharpen chisels, planes, knives, and just about everything else. If you are just starting out in hand tool woodworking, you have a lot to learn about this subject, and this is a good place to start. Eventually, you may choose another path (Lee likes waterstones, for example, while you might end up using sandpaper or something else) but you will definitely learn something useful from studying this book.