Dan's Sharpening Supplies Profile

Dan's Profile

A Bit About Me:

I never set out to be a sharpening expert. I set out to be an artist making paintings, but I drifted into sculpting wood which turned into woodworking and eventually led to guitar building and lately boatbuilding. Along the way, I realized that sharp tools work better than dull ones, so I spent many hours trying to get usable edges. Failure is a great teacher, and I've had plenty of failures. But I've learned from them and eventually became a pretty good sharpener.

Favorite Parts of My Job:

I love any opportunity to get hands-on time in the shop experimenting with the many sharpening stones and machines we have. It's relaxing to geek out on the technical stuff.

I also really enjoy it when a customer I am working with has a light bulb moment. When someone I've been helping experiences success in creating an edge sharper than they've experienced before.

Sharpening Advice:

Approach sharpening with optimistic patience and a willingness to experiment. Sharpening is a skill that must be learned, but it is within your reach. With a positive attitude and practice, anyone can get sharp edges.

Sharpening Philosophy:

There isn't one answer for every sharpener. Everyone's situation is unique. My approach is to take each customer's requirements into account, balancing their needs and wants, and then help them find the best sharpening tool kit for them.

Favorite Products:

Tough question. I'm really pleased with our Sharpening Supplies Water Stones. Being involved in their development was very satisfying and I'm really proud of these stones.

I'm also a big fan of Tormek, especially for complex sharpening jobs like turning or carving gouges. Tormek really has unbeatable quality and precision.

Hobbies:

Woodworking, fixing up my old house, sourdough bread baking, building guitars (which I do much better than playing them), building a sailing canoe (I've never sailed before, so that will be fun).

	Tormek US-430 Extended Universal Support for Long Blades April 28, 2020 Sometimes You Need To Sharpen a Long Blade With 18" of sharpened blade length, this machete is a long blade. The US-430 Extended Universal Support makes it possible to sharpen a long blade like this without reposit...
	What I'm Sharpening Today - Wood Chisel April 15, 2020 Rust Happens Today I discovered that one of my wood chisels had developed a bit of rust. I'm not proud of that, I like to take care of my tools, but it happens sometimes. Rust is not good for edges so it is best t...
	What I'm Sharpening Today - Wusthof Knife April 8, 2020 Time to Sharpen my Chef's Knife Today I'm taking advantage of working from home to give some attention to my own kitchen knives. I started with my well used Wusthof Chef's Knife. Using the Edge-On-Up PT50A Tester, I me...
	Tormek Tip - Turning Tool Setter December 19, 2019 Tormek's TTS-100 Turning Tool Setter is an invaluable aid when sharpening turning tools with the SVD-186 Gouge Jig or the SVS-50 Multi Jig. Here's a tip to ensure the most consistent results when using the Turning Tool ...
	Tormek Tip - AngleMaster December 11, 2019 Tormek is constantly improving their products, so new editions of their jigs and accessories are issued from time to time. That recently happened with the WM-200 AngleMaster and there is an important change to note. Here's a tip ...
	What I'm Sharpening Today -Tim's Chinese Chef's Knife Dan S. April 28, 2021 A Good Friend, A Favorite Knife My good friend, Tim, is a great cook. Visits to Tim's are always crowned with fantastic meals ranging from prime rib to homemade dumplings. Like many good cooks, Tim has a g...
	How Do I Sharpen to Match An Existing Angle? I would like to sharpen my edge to the same angle. What technique can I use to match the existing angle of my edge? The most common way to help you sharpen to the existing angle on an edge is to use a marker or Sharpie to help you identify your sh...
	Gift Recommendation - For the Beginning Hand Sharpener By Dan Splinter - Sharpening Specialist - December 1, 2021 Getting started in hand sharpening can be daunting. It is often difficult for a beginner to know what they will need to start sharpening because there are so ma...
	Gift Recommendation - For the Woodworker By Dan Splinter - Sharpening Specialist - December 3, 2021 The DMT 8" Dia-Sharp Kit is my recommended sharpening stone kit for woodworkers. I love this set for two main reasons: the size of the plates, and the flatness. Wo...
	Sharpening a Small Knife on a Guided Sharpener Small Knives and Guided Sharpeners A customer called me recently with a conundrum. He was trying to sharpen a small knife on a guided sharpening system and was having an issue. The jaws of the clamp that holds the blade were interfering with the s...
	Sailing Canoe Update Dan S. June 22, 2022 So some time ago, I answered the question of what exactly it is that I do when I'm not answering sharpening questions, and the answer was that I build a boat of course. It has been a while, so an update is in orde...