I finally stopped sharpening my chisels to a mirror polish

Everyone online swears by a 6000 grit finish but I was in the middle of framing a rough staircase in a 1920s house last Tuesday and the edge chipped on a single nail. I dropped back to 1000 grit and my chisels actually hold up now through the whole job. Anybody else find that finer isn't always better for daily use?

2 comments

2 Comments

the_river13d ago

Respectfully, a chipped edge on a nail sounds like an issue with technique or the steel itself, not the grit. A properly sharpened edge at 6000 should still handle that nail fine as long as you aren't twisting or prying with it. Running a microbevel at a slightly steeper angle with that fine finish gives you both the durability and the clean cut.

chen.jade13d ago

Yeah, the microbevel thing is spot on. I used to get chips on my 6000 finish until I bumped the angle up a few degrees and now it cuts nails all day without a fuss.