Verified course · human-reviewed March 2026All levels English
Sharpening, Honestly
Every edge in the shop — chisels, planes, knives — with two stones and no mysticism.
What you'll learn
- The burr: the only thing sharpening is actually about
- Two stones that replace the drawer of gadgets
- Freehand honing you can trust in two weeks
- Flattening backs once, properly, forever
- A 90-second touch-up habit that ends 'sharpening day'
The practice brief
Shave End Grain
Sharpen any chisel until it shaves pine end grain cleanly, and post the shaving on the blade. That's it. That's the whole test — it doesn't lie and it can't be faked.
328 student submissions — completion means posting yours.
Curriculum
9 lessons · 1h 35m- What an edge is (300× closer than you've looked)Preview9m
- The burr, the whole burr, nothing but the burr12m
The review, in the open
Every course is scored 0–5 against a published rubric by a working maker before it can be sold. This one was reviewed in March 2026, and re-audited since.
5/5
Accuracy
4/5
Completeness
4/5
Production
5/5
Structure
5/5
Honesty