69 - Bench Top Storage System, страница 12

^^ nee you use one, nothing else will seem sharp." That's what a woodworking friend told me about Japanese chisels a few years ago. It sounded like a pretty bold statement. And while I'd heard that Japanese chisels are supposed to be sharper than anything you've ever used, I've always considered my "western" chisels to be just fine.

But you know what? My friend was right. I used one of his chisels and was impressed. Since then, I bought a few and learned a lot about what makes them so sharp.

Reading about Japanese chisels in a too! catalog can be a little intimi-

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dadng. The descriptions use a lot of Japanese words and strange terms like "white steel" and "twisted shank construction," so it can be pretty confusing. But just like buying any other new tool, you'll need to wade dirough a little hype and some mystique to get at the real facts.

Hard Steel - What makes Japanese chisels so sharp and makes them stay sharp longer is the type of steel used in the cutting edge. Now there are a several ways to forge tool steel. And there are advantages and disadvantages to each. On one hand, you can make steel that is soft enough to sharpen quickly and is not

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easily chipped or cracked. The tradeoff is that it dulls quickly. This is the type of steel commonly used in western-style chisels.

Japanese toolmakers forge steel in a totally different way. This steel is much harder and holds an edge for a long time. But here's die tradeoff — this steel is more brittie and the extra hardness means it will take longer to sharpen.

But this doesn't mean that Japanese chisels will crack at the first mallet blow or take all day to sharpen. In fact there's a myth that says Japanese chisels can't be struck and are only good for soft woods.

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