: O
> :>You either tap it out with a hammer, or else you have to hone the back
> :>every time you sharpen (essentially making the chisel thinner, and thus
> :>the hollow shallower). Advocates of Japanese chisels say it's worth the
> :>hassle. Others, like me, like to use a very good quality Western chisel,
> :>hone and polish the back once, and be done with it!
>
> : you have to hone the back of anything you sharpen. atleast the final grit. >
> Only to remove the bent-over wire edge produced by sharpening/honing
> the primary face of the bevel. What makes the Japanese chisel
> different, and disadventageous in my opinion, is the need to
> remove metal from the entire back every time you sharpen. No Western
> chisel, including laminated ones with very hard steel on the
> cutting surface, have this drawback.
>
> The Japanese-style chisels sure look cool, but I think the
> hollowing is a quirk, not a needed feature.
>
>
> -- Andy Barss