Workshop: Living on the Edge: Tool Sharpening

This class runs Saturday and Sunday, October 29 and 30, 10 am–5 pm both days.

Keen to hone your sharpening skills? Dull tools are inefficient, unsafe and not fun to use, so let’s get those tools sharpened! This two-day, hands-on class will cover the practical and technical aspects on how to achieve a better edge on a wide range of tools through proper technique and materials. Students will learn to create, keep, and hold an edge on tools as diverse as kitchen knives, pruners and carving knives. Discussions will cover sources for sharpening materials and the physics and geometry of various tool edges, with plenty of hands-on practice and demonstration using both hand and power sharpening methods. Students will work with Fred Livesay, who has sharpened new and old hand tools for all types of crafts, from chair making to basketry to spoon carving. Sharpening is no mystery – it just requires practice at feeling and seeing the edge!

Students are invited but not required to bring no more than 8 tools (e.g. axes, carving knives, hand saws, pruners, kitchen knives, scissors, etc.) to practice on throughout the weekend as well as their own sharpening tools to practice on and will leave with the skills to sharpen more tools at home. Note, this is not a tool restoration class so please do not bring tools that have severe rust or cracks. A $25 materials fee covers all other tools and materials. Suitable for all levels of ability, ages 16+.