Japanese chisels

I have continued to find old chisels and import them from japan through the magic of Ebay shopping.  It is an odd thing that I can buy and chisel and have it shipped from Japan in this economy and get it cheaper than I can ship across state lines.  Anyhow I had been told that i would find chisels I like more than others and stones to sharpen more than others.  This is very true.  I have learned that I have bought many chisels that had not been taken care of for a long time and were in need of serious rough stone sharpening.  This has made me much better at sharpening though and patient too.  This is a typical sharpening session.  I watch a movie as I do this.

I tape my finger tips with athletic tape ( the white stuff) and I then can be a little less liable to lose some skin as I may rub skin on the stone.

I have been using 2000 grit and a 8000 grit stone.  Keeping the stones flat on a 180 grit we dry paper placed on a large chunk of granite I have.  A safety glass piece will do just as good, is cheap and mobile as well.