How do you Sharpen a SwissTool Chisel?

turnsouth · **on:** January 14, 2012, 07:03:03 PM

Just wondering what techniques everyone uses to sharpen the chisel in the SwissTool without slanting it or rounding it?

With metal work chisels I just set them against the guide on the bench grinder, and with wood chisels I just use a stone and rolling guide. I've never got the hang of freehand chisel sharpening, but knives I can do fine, must be the way they have to be held.

Any suggestions?

Dunc · **Reply #1 on:** January 14, 2012, 08:23:55 PM

I sharpen mine freehand on an oil stone , exactly the same way I do woodworking chisels . Its not easy and you need a steady hand .

turnsouth · **Reply #2 on:** January 14, 2012, 09:08:53 PM

Quote from: Dunc on January 14, 2012, 08:23:55 PM

I sharpen mine freehand on an oil stone , exactly the same way I do woodworking chisels . Its not easy and you need a steady hand .

I just can't get the hang of it, that's why I got one of those rolling jigs. But I was thinking perhaps I could make up something similar for the ST, maybe out of a few pieces of wood, just something to guide the tool.

Dunc · **Reply #3 on:** January 14, 2012, 09:34:01 PM

Thats a good idea , a wooden wedge cut at the same angle as the chisel grind

kmanct3 · **Reply #4 on:** January 15, 2012, 03:44:11 PM

+1 for freehand,my grandfather was a maaster cainet maker so thats the way i was taught at an early age. Buck used to make a clamp with a roller attached to the back for that reason,

ICanFixThat · **Reply #5 on:** January 15, 2012, 06:31:05 PM

Hmmm.. I never thought about this before. Being such a small edge I tough think free hand on this would be pretty easy, most stones would be flat for the area required, and it would be pretty easy to correct mistakes. That said, I do like to use guids when precision is required, and though maybe one could useand existing guilde for knives of chisels to create a very small jig for this chisel and then use the jig to actually sharpen the chisel.

turnsouth · **Reply #6 on:** January 15, 2012, 07:18:09 PM

I was thinking of just taking a short piece of dimensional lumber, cutting one end at the same angle as the chisel, temporally attaching the ST to it (perhaps with just rubber bands or something), and then gliding the wood across the stone.

ICanFixThat · **Reply #7 on:** January 15, 2012, 10:03:21 PM

Quote from: turnsouth on January 15, 2012, 07:18:09 PM

I was thinking of just taking a short piece of dimensional lumber, cutting one end at the same angle as the chisel, temporally attaching the ST to it (perhaps with just rubber bands or something), and then gliding the wood across the stone.

I think on this small tool that would work very well.

(ps... sorry for all the typos in my previous message)

Outback in Idaho · **Reply #8 on:** November 23, 2019, 10:24:03 AM

What about sharpening the curved cable cutter part?

Outback in Idaho · **Reply #9 on:** January 04, 2020, 01:48:34 PM

Spyderco TriAngle Sharpmaker claims it can sharpen anything and I have used it for many knives over the years, and I think a few scissors. However Victorinox does not give a clue as the angle of the cable cutter (curved cutter) that I use most at work.

At one point I altered a Smith's ceramic stone sharpened by extending it out past the casing to sharpen the cut hook on a Latherman Charge TTi's cut hook, and that works really well. If I knew the anglle. then perhaps I could created something what works similar to the sharpeners I've used.

Free handing a Smith's rat tail diamond stone gives a rough, semi-gnarly edge, but when trying to free hand with a TriAngler Sharpmaker's fine ceramic stone the sharp edge seems to go away.

Swear I need to find a round sharpening stone that can fit in there to keep it sharp, as I use this cable cutter portion of the chisel on cardboard boxes. Cut a few of those and the quick cutting edge ends up having the need to rock it back and forth while cutting. Makes me long for an S30V steeled Spirit X as that steel holds an edge much longer.

But first I need to find the correct angle...

Edit: See that Sypderco has a 1/4 inch round ceramic stone after all.
https://www.amazon.com/Spyderco-Square-Ceramic-Sharpening-Detailed/dp/B07Z44TKBV