mcfeelys sandsharp

[jab73180]

has anyone used this system>>>> http://www.mcfeelys.com/product/KSS-0301/Sandsharp-Peel-Stick-Sharpening-System-Complete

[Bob Rozaieski]

Basically it's a sandpaper sharpening system. Google "Scary Sharp" and you'll find a bunch of references to it. I wouldn't pay $100 for sandpaper and a piece of plastic. You can buy stearated sandpaper at any hardware store. Then get yourself a marble or granite floor tile for $5. Pick up a cheap honing guide and you can get started sharpening much more inexpensively than that system.

However, there are cons to the sandpaper sharpening system as well:

1. Too many grits to go through. I use 2 stones most of the time, not 8-10 different grits like most scary sharp setups recommend.
   
2. The inexpensive arguement is only good for the first year maybe. At $5 for 3 sheets of stearated sandpaper times 8 grits, that's $48. When I started out, I used scary sharp and was very happy with it. But you soon realize that the sandpaper wears out very quickly when you are sharpening metal as opposed to sanding wood. So you are constantly buying more sandpaper at $5 per grit. It starts to add up quickly. I use oil stones now. My India stone was $12 and my black Arkansas was $40. Oil is $5 a can and lasts several months. The stones will never wear out. So with my stones it was a one time expense (except for the oil, which costs me about $15 annually). Sandpaper is a continuous expense. I also needed a grinder, which is also a one time expense of about $40. So for the same $100 or so that the sandpaper system you linked to costs, you can have a system that will never need replacement. You can get the same benefit with water stones instead of oil stones, at a slightly higher initial cost.
   
3. As sandpaper wears, the grits fall off and can dub (round) your edges if you are not careful.
   

All stones (oil, water, diamond, whatever) have their downsides as well. They can be messy, though usually the mess isn't that bad. Some, like waterstones and softer oil stones, require occasional flattening, but again, this really isn't a big deal. And they are typically a more expensive outlay of cash up front, but they end up being less expensive over time. Good oil or water stones will last at least your lifetime and possibly longer depending on how well you maintain them and how often you use them. So there's nothing wrong with sandpaper sharpening, it will certainly get your tools sharp. I just think stones are a better long term solution. But that's just my opinion. Plenty of folks use sandpaper long term and don't mind the long term cost.

[baok]

There's an article in WoodSmith this time around that sings the praises of diamond plates. They're expensive though.

[Bhelart]

I agree with Bob on the ultimate cost of sandpaper systems.

Early in my 25 years of woodworking experience I invested in a set of waterstones, I've had the 800 and 1200 for over the entire time soaking in a water bath, They look like they have 20 more years of life left. I've also had 2 8000 grit stones and recently added a 3000+ natural stone to fill the gap. The stones can be expensive initially I've never regretted it, I use them exclusively for my chisels and plane blades. I use a DMT diamond plate and a granite plate to flatten them. All in all, in todays's dollars I probably have about $500 invested in waterstones. In that same 25 years I would probably have spent at least $100 per year in sandpaper to get the same results.

I use a granite plate and a diamond plate to keep them flat.

They are also fast, I can go to the stones and be done with a single plane or chisel in less than two or three minutes.

Good luck