Sharpening Stones & Files

An edge is a consumable, and these are what put it back. Bench stones are the traditional answer for chisels, knives, plane irons and scrapers: India stones in aluminum oxide cut quickly and are the workhorse for reshaping a dulled edge, with a coarse side for repair and a fine side for finishing. Work them with oil, keep the whole face in use so the stone wears flat rather than hollow, and let the stone do the cutting rather than leaning on it. Files cover what a stone cannot reach. A flat file dresses a chainsaw depth gauge, trues a mower blade or takes a burr off steel, and round files match the chain pitch they are sold for - using the wrong diameter changes the cutting angle and the chain stops pulling itself into the wood. Saw chain in particular wants sharpening little and often; a chain touched up every tank cuts better and lasts longer than one run until it is smoking. Manufacturer tool kits gather the right file sizes and the wrenches for a specific machine, which is worth more than assembling them separately.