Best Hook Sharpening Kit | You will never regret it!

Greetings woodcarving enthusiasts! Are you on the way to carve another spoon or bowl design, but your hooks are in need of some sharpening? Then today I have something that might interest you.

Actually, I was in the same situation not so long ago. Once I went back to some of my hook knives after some time, I realized their blades called for refreshment. To make them functional again, I needed a new strop, as the old one was completely worn out. I ordered one, and the postman brought the new BeaverCraft hook sharpening set at my door a couple of days ago. As I had some time to try it out, I thought it might be a good idea to share my experience so far. Of course, what I wrote about this product is by no means a verdict. Different workshops, skill levels, and craftsmen need different stuff. So, what you are about to read is only one of many possible points of view. Read, think, explore and feel free to decide on the best hook sharpening kit for yourself.

Making Knives Sharp

Although this is something most of the experienced woodcarvers know, I tend to think of those people who are only getting to know woodcarving. And as I always like to welcome new people to the world of woodcarving, I try to make my articles understandable for everyone. So, for those of you who still don’t know much about blades, hook knives, and straps here is a short intro into how knives are sharpened and how we do it in woodcarving.

What is a sharp knife? It is a knife with the following two properties:

• the blade is thin enough and 
• the blade is properly aligned.  

In order to achieve both properties, you hone the blade against either sandpaper or leather, or sometimes even both. Some people will rub compound on the leather, which is a chalk-like material that enhances the abrasive properties of the strop.

But then, if you take a look at the basic woodcarving tool set, you will see chisels, gauges and hooks – these are knives with round and bent blades. You might wonder, how on earth do you sharpen that? For those kinds of tools, there are special sharpeners. So special that some people have to make these sharpeners themselves. However, you can also buy them. These come in many different shapes, totally depending on the producer and the brand. One of them is reviewed in the second part of this article.

BeaverCraft Wood Carving Strop: a Review

Now, let’s get to the point. This is a well-known company in the woodcarving community that doesn’t really need any special introduction. Along with the wooden handle which already has a leather strap attached, you will also get a polishing bar compound and two pieces of sandpaper. 

Before you start working, you will have to set it up. To help you through the setting-up process, you will get a tutorial video upon the purchase, or you can easily find it yourself online. All in all, it is not that difficult. First of all, you will need to adhere the sandpaper to the tool. This model requires a rather peculiar way of doing this: two thin sticks are embedded in the small crevices, each holding the ends of the sandpaper under. Once done with that, you will rub the compound on the leather part and you are ready to go!

What’s really good about this tool is that you can use it for both hook knives and chisels. Also, it is suitable both for polishing (cowhide leather side) and light sharpening (the sandpaper side). Additionally, it works for any other type of curved and odd-shaped blades, which makes it a good workshop item to have around. Regarding the sharpening, this tool does a really good job. With only several slow strops, my tools cut as if brand new. The quality of the leather and the compound bar is indisputable, as usually is with many items made by the BeaverCraft brand. 

BeaverCraft LS5P1 Wood Carving Strop Wood Carving Gouge Hook Knife

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Pros and Cons

Needless to say, the curvature will fit most of the tools, but don’t expect it to fit them all. Generally, it is impossible to make a universal tool, and especially a universal sharpener for a specific tool such as curved knives. So just have in mind that you might need another strop along with this one.

On the other hand, what I must point out as a major inconvenience is the system for attaching the grain paper. It happens that the sticks pop out of the curvature in the middle of honing, which can be quite frustrating.

Summary

Every woodcarving workshop needs good tools, and tools need good maintenance. With time, blades that cut the wood and create your design will become dull, and this is also true for odd-shaped knives frequently used for wood carving. 

If you prefer a premade sharpener, and especially if you are a beginner still trying out new tools, then BeaverCraft’s strop is definitely a good choice, just beware that the setting up of the sandpaper can be demanding. However, if you are a woodcarving veteran, perhaps this isn’t the best hook sharpening kit for you, mostly because it might be easier to make a customized one yourself than to risk it doesn’t work for some of your tools. Still, if you already have strops around the workshop and would like to try out a new one, this BeaverCraft model is certainly worth a try.