How To Sharpen a Plane Blade (The Correct Method)

How To Sharpen a Plane Blade (The Correct Method)

Want to be able to sharpen a plane blade in 60 seconds or less? This masterclass teaches you everything you need to know from geometry and preparation to grinding and polishing.

📝 See The Supporting Blog Here! (Extra Info)

How To Sharpen a Plane Blade


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RECOMMENDED VIDEO:
👉How To Setup a Handplane | Matt Estlea (2022)

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PRODUCTS RECOMMENDED IN THIS VIDEO:
🔸 Japanese Waterstone
https://mattestlea.com/bester-1000/6000-stone
🔸 Waterstone/Oilstone Flattening Plate
https://mattestlea.com/dmt-flattening-plate
🔸 Affordable Diamond Stone
https://mattestlea.com/double-sided-diamond-stone
🔸 DMT Coarse Diamand Stone
https://mattestlea.com/DMT-Coarse-Diamond-Stone

🔸 Tormek T8
https://mattestlea.com/Tormek-T8
🔸 Tormek T4
https://mattestlea.com/Tormek-T4
🔸 Belt Linisher
https://mattestlea.com/Belt-Linishers

🔸 Lie-Nielsen Honing Guide
https://mattestlea.com/lie-nielsen-honing-guide
🔸 Veritas Honing Guide
https://mattestlea.com/Veritas-Side-Clamping-Honing-Guide
🔸 Eclipse Honing Guide
https://mattestlea.com/honing-guide

🔸 Plane Screwdriver
https://mattestlea.com/plane-screwdriver
🔸 Leather Strop
https://mattestlea.com/green-elephant-strop
🔸 Protective Oil
https://mattestlea.com/camelia-oil
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CHAPTERS:
😤 Getting Impatient? Skip to the good stuff below: ⬇️
00:00 Intro
00:28 What You’ll Learn
02:13 Geometry
04:42 Grinding
06:56 Lapping
09:29 The Ruler Trick
13:48 Hollow Grinding
14:28 Honing
16:00 Producing a Camber
17:33 Polishing Explained
18:48 Matts Story
19:10 Polishing
20:15 Camber Demonstration
21:10 When To Use a Camber
21:42 Maintaining a Camber
22:30 Full Demonstration
23:30 Outro
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MY FREE ONLINE COURSES:
🚀 Purchasing and Using Tools Correctly

Hand Tools


🎁 How To Make a Dovetailed Box:

The Dovetail Box


🛠 How To Make a Cabinet:

The Cabinet


🧰 How To Make a Toolbox:

The Toolbox


✏️ How To Design Furniture

The SketchUp Series


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💪 Become a Patron – Donate a Regular Amount of Your Choice
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WOODWORKING BOOKS I RECOMMEND:
📘 Collins Complete Woodworkers Manual
https://mattestlea.com/the-woodworkers-manual
📖 Workbenches: Design & Theory to Construction & Use
https://mattestlea.com/workbenches-book
📚 The Overstory – My Favourite Fiction Books about Trees
https://mattestlea.com/the-overstory
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MY FAVOURITE TOOLS:
🛠️ Knew Concepts Fret Saw
https://mattestlea.com/knew-concepts-saw
⬜️ Faithfull Engineers Squares
https://mattestlea.com/faithfull-engineers-squares
⚙️ Veritas Wheel Marking Gauge
https://mattestlea.com/veritas-wheel-marking-gauge
🗡 Precision Marking Knife
https://mattestlea.com/markingknife
🎥 Lumix S1H Mirrorless Camera
https://mattestlea.com/panasonic-s1h

🔍 See EVERYTHING I Recommend HERE:
https://mattestlea.com/equipment

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KEEP UP TO DATE WITH ME:
🟪 Instagram: https://instagram.com/mattestlea
🟦 Facebook: https://facebook.com/mattestleafurniture
⬜️ Twitter: https://twitter.com/mattestlea
🟧 Patreon: https://patreon.com/mattestlea
🟥 Pinterest: https://pinterest.com/mattestlea

🌍 My Website / Blog: https://mattestlea.com
💌 Monthly Newsletter: https://mattestlea.com/newsletter/
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🕵️‍♂️ WHO AM I?:
My name is Matt Estlea and I’m a Woodworker from Basingstoke, England. My aim is to make your woodworking less s***.

I come from 5 years of TRAINING at Rycotewood Furniture Centre in Oxford, 5 years of experience WORKING at Axminster Tools and Machinery in Basingstoke, and 3 years TEACHING both day classes and evening classes at Rycotewood Furniture Centre. All while trying to get this YouTube thing off the ground.

By September 2021, I packed it all in to focus on YouTube and my business full-time.

Want to know more about how I crammed all this experience into such a short period of time? See my experience and qualifications here:
🎓 https://mattestlea.com/blog/my-qualifications-experience-and-achievements/

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GET IN TOUCH:
While I take time to read every single message I receive whether it’s emailed, DMed or asked publicly on social media, sadly I do not have time to reply to everything. If you have a short message you’d like to send, it’s best to send me a message on Twitter.
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50 Comments

  1. Viktor Cross on July 16, 2023 at 2:43 pm

    I sharpen my planer with a belt sander 😆



  2. Anthony JS on July 16, 2023 at 2:43 pm

    dank



  3. Philip Lloyd on July 16, 2023 at 2:45 pm

    Fantastically clear explanation of how to sharpen a chisel or plane blade. Thanks.



  4. ned cramdon on July 16, 2023 at 2:45 pm

    No offense (although might be difficult to not be) but every time I see your video suggestion I think… ‘ why the hell is Justin Trudeau doing a plane blade video’?



  5. chris marshall on July 16, 2023 at 2:47 pm

    Why don’t you lay your plane on its side when you put it on the bench?



  6. Lee Anderson on July 16, 2023 at 2:50 pm

    Awesome demonstration I learned a lot can’t wait to try it out



  7. RGRGJKK on July 16, 2023 at 2:51 pm

    Pura vida Matt great explanation thanks this videos help me a lot in order to improve my sharpening techniques.pura vida Matt and guys



  8. Codelicious on July 16, 2023 at 2:51 pm

    Great stuff! Youve already got an incredible leg up on the world having accrued such a solid knowledge base at such a fresh young age, no truly wise older person would ever hold something like that against you unless of course he was just incredibly jealous!



  9. Cushionbelly on July 16, 2023 at 2:52 pm

    I am old enough to be your father (Luke). However, I’ve always known I’m never too old to learn things. What an excellently explained video. Thank you.



  10. Steve on July 16, 2023 at 2:53 pm

    Is that why Japanese blades including chisels has a hollow



  11. Matthew Hoheisel on July 16, 2023 at 2:53 pm

    Hey friend! Thanks for the video. Super helpful! I only have a tormek, can I use that only to get back of plane blade flat? Obviously cannot use ruler trick with that, but, as you know I already spent a lot of money on sharpening. Hoping the tormek was all I needed. Thanks



  12. mmmmmm on July 16, 2023 at 2:55 pm

    Enjoyed this video and learned a thing or two (maybe sharpen your scalpel as well?! 😂)



  13. Michael Intile on July 16, 2023 at 2:55 pm

    This is the only correct method (and I’m one of the old people who can actually sharpen a plane-blade/chisel without a jig). When I want to flash, I finish at 14000 grit……it makes any Japanese cry😁



  14. That guy 2083 on July 16, 2023 at 2:57 pm

    Brilliant video mate wood working was my first profession i then went on to military service and now im a lori driver and am looking to get back into wood working and videos like this are exactly what i was looking for as a refresher…cheers



  15. April Degele on July 16, 2023 at 2:58 pm

    OMG! A hammer to a blade edge … I can’t watch. However, this is the reality of working in a hobby shop at a 50+ center. Hobby woodworkers don’t care if it’s not their equipment. Uhg.
    I was sharpening one of our very dull chisels. I turned it over on the water stone and, being sure to keep it entirely flat, I started honing the back to remove the burrs that I knew were there. I don’t know much about sharpening, but it seemed intuitive. I was corner chiseling oak and had to repeat the sharpening of the bevel several times (it was 3/4 thick and the shop chisels are cheap). The guy in the shop laughed at me. I now know I was correct, so thank you!



  16. Matt on July 16, 2023 at 2:58 pm

    You. Look like a sad panda



  17. Andy Jame on July 16, 2023 at 2:59 pm

    The first half of the https://www.youtube.com/post/Ugkx3ICSK6nSknaL_45CU2NmFSoXjarGMDiJ book is everything about wood: types, tools, finishes, setting up shop etc. The second half is all about doing projects for inside and outside of the home. The color pictures are helpful. After reading a dozen of these types of books, this is probably the best overall (layout, color photos, plans). Only detraction is that many of the projects use a table saw/router/planer, which are usually expensive and take up space, so the plans are less friendly to newcomers and the budget conscious. But I know I can use a drill, circular saw or a jigsaw to make the projects.



  18. Volkmar Sieh on July 16, 2023 at 3:00 pm

    Best woodworking tutorials on Youtube! Thank you Matt!



  19. Kenneth Thornhill on July 16, 2023 at 3:01 pm

    Just discovered your channel after the video on Robin Clevett’s channel. I have to say I like your style. I shall start consuming the content.



  20. Jeffrey Brazier on July 16, 2023 at 3:03 pm

    So thorough you are very good at explaining in detail I have not used a plane so far but I feel very confident to do so well done mate



  21. Aodh MacRaynall on July 16, 2023 at 3:06 pm

    0:10 oi, justin trudeau’s less successful brother!



  22. James on July 16, 2023 at 3:07 pm

    Is it just me that hears Hugh Fernley Whathisname on this video?



  23. TurbidFish on July 16, 2023 at 3:07 pm

    What brand is your water stone?



  24. C.M. Cunningham on July 16, 2023 at 3:07 pm

    D you have a video on how to make that blade degree guide for the sharpening tool?



  25. Dale Campbell on July 16, 2023 at 3:08 pm

    20:28 I’m like "For the love of God he still has the screw in that piece of timber!" 😀 Great videos, super helpful!



  26. Gwyn Buckley on July 16, 2023 at 3:09 pm

    What am I doing wrong? I don’t use a Tormek. Instead I use a linishing machine and grind the primary bevel by eye and check it afterwards. It’s been pretty accurate so far. I don’t use honing guides either. I used to use the Veritas honing guide, then I saw on youtube that the secondary bevel angle is not that critical, as long as you get a burr after sharpening, so now I don’t use that either. Instead, I rely on muscle memory. I use diamond plates – nothing else. I follow Paul Sellers who suggests you lift up each of the corners of the blade to back them off and thus avoid scratch marks. So that’s what I do. I do polish the back of the blade and I usually, though not always, use a strop and polishing compound. My plane blades seem sharp to me. What do you think?



  27. Peco Pecof on July 16, 2023 at 3:10 pm

    1:31 part of my soul died at this moment…..



  28. Peco Pecof on July 16, 2023 at 3:12 pm

    Hey Matt, what brand and model is your 6k stone?



  29. domain mojo on July 16, 2023 at 3:13 pm

    No need to buy an expensive machine for grinding your primary bevel – I use the very ghetto angle grinder. A tool every man should have.
    Clamp it on your bench or in your vise, making sure the blade is at 90 using your combi/frame/speed square, take a scrap piece of wood that’s cut to offer a 25 deg. slope, keep a cup with cool water nearby and grind your bevel against the angle grinder’s blade, remembering to dip your iron in the cup every 8-10 seconds.

    You can of course do the same with your chisel.
    After that, take it to your water,oil, diamond stone or scary sharp system and finish it off.



  30. Brian Bassett on July 16, 2023 at 3:15 pm

    Stop screwing around and wasting time and get a Sorby ProEdge Plus.



  31. معراج رینا on July 16, 2023 at 3:16 pm

    Beautiful



  32. Joseph Sones on July 16, 2023 at 3:17 pm

    Excellent and thorough video



  33. John Morris on July 16, 2023 at 3:17 pm

    This video has by far been the best at explaining the what, why, and how to getting a proper camber on a planing iron/blade. Many thanks for this very insightful video — and for the many others that keep us "sharp!"



  34. Paul Smith on July 16, 2023 at 3:22 pm

    brilliant video – I learned so much 🙂



  35. Chris Kantarjiev on July 16, 2023 at 3:22 pm

    Super content, I have been enjoying a lot of your videos since finding your channel. The one thing I wish you’d address is sharpening/adjusting the chip breaker… I didn’t see that in either the sharpening or setup video, but maybe I nodded off.



  36. Dan Hobbs on July 16, 2023 at 3:23 pm

    Loved the video, very informative, especially on the camber on plane blade. Thank you soo much.



  37. Slaughterhouse6 on July 16, 2023 at 3:24 pm

    A tip from an old cabinet making magazine I have – use sandpaper on a sheet of glass to flatten out your stone and a small amount of water/oil dependant on the stone type.



  38. Rick Hayhoe on July 16, 2023 at 3:26 pm

    Yeah, that WAS annoying, Matt. But the video was well worth the momentary annoyance. Well done.



  39. Benjamin Thomas on July 16, 2023 at 3:27 pm

    This is really informative, great tips that would take years to learn. Loved the intro, nice bit of humour😂.



  40. Daveychainsaw on July 16, 2023 at 3:29 pm

    This is a video i would have loved when i was starting out. You have a gift for teaching and you do so in a quick and concise way.



  41. colt1954 on July 16, 2023 at 3:29 pm

    Excellent



  42. Ro2_Mi on July 16, 2023 at 3:32 pm

    I bet i will be able to learn & understand even Quantum Physics, if Matt was on the teaching end 😜.



  43. Вася Васин on July 16, 2023 at 3:36 pm

    Стены паршивым осб отделаны, я бы не смог тут работать



  44. Francisco Costa on July 16, 2023 at 3:37 pm

    Sempre trago comigo um certo cuidado ao pegar em plaina, talvez seja quando era criança meu tio me proibia de chegar perto das plainas dele😊,. Enfim, hoje entendo o cuidado que ele tinha com suas plantas…..



  45. Genetic Disorder on July 16, 2023 at 3:37 pm

    Awwwwwwwwwwww. 4:16 😊😂



  46. Ramon Ching on July 16, 2023 at 3:38 pm

    A minute to sharpen but 23 minutes to explain. How about just doing it?



  47. Pete Kenyon Jr on July 16, 2023 at 3:39 pm

    Great video. Randomly popped up on my feed but found it really informative. Thanks!



  48. Dickran Marsupial Music on July 16, 2023 at 3:39 pm

    Brilliant. I have watched a few videos on this subject – and this is by far the best.



  49. Robin R on July 16, 2023 at 3:42 pm

    Excellent demo



  50. chivdidichiv on July 16, 2023 at 3:42 pm

    "skin is skin" is the kind of advice I need in this day and age