Product Reviews
Precision Sharpening System 1 – a Sharp Idea
by John English · Woodcraft Magazine
A couple of years ago, a small British manufacturing company, M.Power Tools Ltd., decided to take advantage of the fact that diamond stones don’t change their shape during use. The founder, Toby Cardew, is a furniture builder and cabinetmaker, and he understood how intimidating the sharpening process could be, especially for new woodworkers. His idea was to make a very simple jig that held a blade in a fixed position while a diamond-coated sharpening stone was rubbed back and forth across it to create a bevel. Traditional stones would quickly wear away in such a setup, but diamond stones don’t. The resulting PSS1 (Precision Sharpening System 1) creates two bevels, a 25° primary and a 30° secondary.
A primary bevel is the large, main bevel on a tool that is usually formed on a grindstone. A secondary bevel is a small, thin bevel along the cutting edge that is normally formed by working it on a bench stone, using a jig to hold the tool at a specific angle. It's a lot easier to sharpen a tool when only the secondary bevel needs a touch-up.
There are limits to the PSSI. It can only grind and hone flat blades (essentially, bench chisels and plane irons). And it only sharpens at two preset angles, so it's difficult to use in advanced applications such as adding a back bevel or changing a bevel to handle mortise work (perhaps up to 35°) or cut figured grain (down to 20° or so). However, it’s extraordinarily easy to use, very quick, doesn't create a mess on the workbench, and meets most of the sharpening needs of the average woodworker. Plus, the whole system only costs about as much as a decent bench stone.
For more information on this tool, click here.
This review originally appeared in Issue 17 of Woodcraft Magazine and is reprinted with permission of Woodcraft.
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