Q: I saw these new sharpening appliances on a website. Do I need something like this to sharpen my carving tools?
A: No. Sharpening appliances like this are designed for single-edge chisels and plane irons. You could sharpen knives and gouges on it, but they don’t require the absolute flatness the aluminum plate offers. Honestly, this is overkill as far as price and precision for carving. In most cases, a piece of MDF is flat enough to sharpen knives and gouges.
For more carving info, subscribe to our e-mail newsletter, subscribe to Woodcarving Illustrated magazine, and check out these books.