Investigation of the Relationsip between Waterstones and Plane Blade Sharpness

Abstract

Waterstones are used in Jap an to sharpen the edges of plane and chisel blades，　as well as all cutting edges. Maintaining the sharpest edge on his blade tools is a constant part of a carpenter's work and one that demands a great deal of his time. The quality of his blade directly determines the quality of his work as well as the efficiency with which he works. Knowledge itself is not sufficient to produce a finely shaprened blade， however. Experience and skill are also necessaη人The purpose of this study was to obtain information about the effectiveness of waterstones for sharpening steel blades from a scientific point of view The properties of two steel blades and seven types of waterstones were measured and the results presented in this paper. It was found that there was a direct correspondence between the roughness of the waterstone and the fineness of the cutting edge of the steel blade. Although this conclusion may seem obvious to any carpenter， the precise physical properties involved were indicated by the experiments for the first time. However. it will be necessary to carry out further experiments to determine the mechanical and chemical properties of waterstones and steel blades to reach definitive conclusions.