workshop · 11 · waterstone · 1200/8000 · slurry
a slab of compressed grit kept under a finger of water. the chisel is laid flat on it, then lifted by a few degrees, then walked from one end to the other. the water turns to slurry, the slurry turns the edge to a thing that surprises wood.
every craftsman is judged by how often they bother. the dull tool blames itself; the sharp tool blames nothing. the stone wears hollow in the centre over years and must be flattened — a thing that remembers only by forgetting its surface.
field-note · listen for the change. dull steel chuffs, sharp steel whispers, true sharp steel sings.
chisel · plane · spokeshave · stone