Flattening a stone

[Irish]

I would go ahead and take time to flatten that stone. As it is small and can be used dry, water wet or with oil it is perfect to add to your kit for a quick touch up.

A small stone in my kit means that I will sharpen more often ... for me sharpening with my larger stones or with my Japanese means I have to go to my studio work bench, get set up with water or oil and just have a sharpening session. My space area is just none compatable to large stone sharpening for one slightly dull tool.

I have a large thick ceramic floor tile that I use. I can secure emery cloth to it and do a quick rub down for any stone to refreshen the flat surface. Once you have it back to flat you can do a quick dressing every so often to avoid the cupping that comes from too many uses.

Now I do keep all of my stones flattened and I have found that my Japanese wet stones are my most notorious for cupping or dishing out. That dishing may not effect small profile tools, under 3/8" but when you take your favorite 1 1/4" flat chisel to them ... Jeeez!

Susan

[Plain_Ol_Ed]

Here's the reason I don't worry too much about flattening out a stone for carving knives and gouges. The tools are so small that the surface area that is contacting the stone is so small in relation to the dished area of the stone that it appears to the knife/tool as being flat. If you are going to sharpen something that will present a larger surface area to the stone then you need to worry about the flatness of the stone. Of course there is nothing to be lost by dressing the stone down either. Whatever works, I guess. I'm just old and sought in my ways. and my ways are not always the right ways, but I'm used to them.