eliot d
Pam, I don't own a Sharp Skate; I just did my best to follow Harrelson's freehand side sharpening method. From a purely geometrical/ physics standpoint, the side method seems better for plane irons than the usual way because one has the entire width of the iron for leverage against rocking. I suspect that no matter how careful I would try to be in the usual way, there's bound to be some front-to-back rocking with only a narrow bevel for leverage; and it would seem this problem especially so for a thin blade. I know experienced workers manage in the usual way to get a feel for the bevel flat on the stone with practice, but it seems to me that the side method more or less guarantees some success right away. Thank you for your encouragement.