That moment when I realized my chisel sharpening was backwards for like 4 years

I was at a job site last month and this old framer watched me hone an edge for about 10 seconds before he said “you’re pulling the burr to the wrong side.” I had been stropping the back face first this whole time because some YouTube video told me to “clean up the back” and I took it wrong. Now my chisels actually hold an edge longer than one project. Anyone else have a basic skill they did wrong for way too long before someone called them out?

3 comments

3 Comments

drew96512d ago

You really think pulling the burr to the wrong side is that big of a deal though? I've been sharpening my chisels backwards for about 6 years now and my mortises come out fine. All that stuff about edge holding is just marketing hype from the tool companies. If your chisel is sharp enough to take a clean shaving off a board, who cares which side the burr is on? I bet half the old timers who call out "wrong technique" have never actually tested two identical chisels side by side to prove their way is better.

murphy.barbara10d ago

Oh yeah for sure! I've been doing the same thing with my plane irons for years now and honestly I don't see the big deal... people get way too hung up on tiny details. I mean, if your chisel cuts clean and your mortise fits tight, who really cares which way the burr flips? I've tested it both ways on my bench and I cannot tell a difference in how long the edge lasts. Feels like the whole internet just repeats what some old forum guy said in 2003 and now everyone thinks it's gospel. I'm with you, marketing loves to make us think we need special techniques and tools when half the time it's just common sense...

grant.nina9d ago

Holy COW, wait. SIX years? You've been running your chisels backwards for SIX whole years? I am genuinely floored right now. I mean, I'm all for doing what works and not getting hung up on internet lore, but that is a whole other level of stubborn. I feel like at some point you must have wondered why every sharpening video shows the burr on the other side, right?