I’ve been given many tools over the years by friends, family and other craftsmen. It makes sense when you aren’t using a tool, or you buy a new one, to pass the old one on to someone who may have a use for it. I recently purchased a new Makita 9820-2 Horizontal Wheel Wet Blade Sharpener and did just that. My old Makita still worked pretty well, it just needed a new 1600 grit stone and some more epoxy repair. My friend Adan makes knives, and I knew he could really use one of these machines for blade shaping. So I decided after twenty-one years of use I could splurge and buy myself a new one and pass the old one on to a friend. I’m interested in knife making too, so I’m really looking forward to Adan showing me some of his techniques after using this machine.
Makita makes some quality items and the Makita 9820-2 Horizontal Wheel Wet Blade Sharpener is definitely one of them. I know I’ve sharpened my chisels, plane irons and joiner blades hundreds, if not thousands of times. In my early woodworking years, I would procrastinate on sharpening my blades because I didn’t have my technique down. Now that I have mastered this machine, I sharpen my knives the second I feel they are not cutting at peak performance. It’s so easy once you spend the time to learn how to use this machine. You’ll never tolerate dull knives again.
My father-in-law gave me an old hatchet made from excellent Swedish steel. The handle was very spongy so I made a new wenge handle for it. My friend Adan saw the hatchet and appreciated how special it was so he insisted on making a custom case for it. He knows I like nature and canoeing, so he hand tooled some artwork into the leather. It really means a lot. I didn’t realize what a artisan he was and then found out he had no wet sharpening machine to shape his knives, I wanted him to have my old Makita machine. Now we are going to help each other make some cool hunting knives.
So if you have an old electric drill you’re not using, or an extra clamp, or something that you think would be appreciated by a friend or neighbor, I say pass it on. I enjoy giving when I am able. I don’t give tools with the thought that I’m going to receive something from someone else, but it often happens. Share your old or unused tools. Giving is good.
Visit AskWoodMan’s Flickr stream to see more photos of this hatchet and case, as well as other tools that have been refurbished, gifted, or passed down to Allan over the years.
