If you have ever been frustrated when using a knife — and attempts at resharpening result in negligible improvements — then this three day knife making, sharpening and tool maintenance workshop at San Francisco Center for the Book is for you!
With detailed guidance, students will make several knives by hand, using stock reduction, and discuss, sharpen, alter, clean and restore a wide variety of edge tools that participants bring. After making a knife, resharpening usually becomes much easier. Specific attention will be paid to the tools that bookbinders and conservators frequently use: paring knives, lifting knives, spatulas, scissors, hole punches, spokeshaves and board shear blades. Please bring any tools that need attention for discussion, maintenance and rehabilitation. And please bring any unusual or treasured tools you have for the class to gawk at.
Basic principals of steel and blade geometry will be discussed. This class will focus on the techniques of efficient free-hand sharpening, which is applicable to any sharpening system. Participants will use 3M Microfinishing film to make a large A2 paring knife or 01 lifting knife, two small M2 knives of their choosing, a micro-knife, and refurbish and sharpen existing knives. There will also be a ppts, a show and tell of historic tools, and plenty of geeky tool discussions. The goal is to free participants from the plethora of misinformation and mystique that surrounds sharpening and the shaping material using hand tools, and learn fundamental freehand techniques.
Knife Making, Sharpening, and Tool Maintenance for Bookbinders and Conservators. October 14-16, 2026. San Francisco Center for the Book. https://www.sfcb.org/workshops/detail?coursestormCourseId=08a7a3e4814b11f185ff0affe5650d13
If you can’t take the workshop, or if you want some advance reading, here is a blog post with sharpening info: https://jeffpeachey.com/2021/04/20/knife-sharpening-tips-links-advice-and-commandments/
Peachey Conservation 