I struggled for years, trying to work with planes and chisels that were only "factory sharp," which isn't sharp at all. Sharpening them wasn’t a lesson my dad passed on to me and it turned out that I didn’t have anyone else to do so either. First, I started "freehand" sharpening them by hand, with nearly disastrous results. Since that didn't work, I eventually bought one of those sharpening jigs with a wheel on the bottom. While better, the end result was that the angled portion of my blades, where you sharpen them, ended up with a whole bunch of different “facets,” from a lack of consistent angle setup. It worked... sort of. Then I found our sharpening jig, and that changed everything for me. Now I've got planes and chisels sharp enough to take shavings off of Ebony with. That may just sound like braggadocio, but the reason we're carrying this sharpening jig, is that it's the best thing I've found. I'm so sure you'll be as impressed with it as I am, that I'm offering our Skool community a $20 coupon for the jig. Just use the coupon SKOOL20 on checkout. Plus we give you a lifetime warranty and free shipping. Attached a video showing exactly how to use the sharpening jig + some reviews from existing customers below. Check out the sharpening jig here: https://www.sawinery.net/products/plane-chisel-sharpening-system Happy Woodworking!

After having surgery on my right ankle bone in 2015, I had 8 weeks of not being able to stand or walk. So, I was either in my recliner or laying on the bed. I took that time to to research pen making as I had always been fascinated by them. I set about compiling a list of the absolute necessary equipment and once I had what I needed, I made my first pen. It was a mitigated disaster but an incredible lesson. Over time, my skills improved and I am now able to make some beautiful pens from wood, acrylic, and hybrid materials. As much as I love making the pens, I have started to broaden my horizon's and am making other projects. I am most proud of the wooden crosses such as the Unity Cross that I have been making during the last few weeks. Not only do they symbolize my faith as a Christian but they are also a beautiful piece of art to display on the wall. Merry Christmas everyone!