My short chisels don’t work with the SharpMate. What do I do?Updated 9 days ago

Some chisels with shorter blades may not sit correctly in the SharpMate when set to a 25° angle. This happens because the grind on the back of the chisel contacts the blade holder before the edge reaches the sharpening stone.

Solutions you can use right away:

• Use a 30° angle instead of 25°
  Some customers have found that certain short chisels don’t seat properly in the SharpMate at a 25° angle. Most chisels are factory‑ground at 25°, but many woodworkers choose to hone at a 30° “micro‑bevel.” Many woodworkers do this anyway, because it creates a stronger edge and requires less metal removal during sharpening.
  
  In many cases, switching the angle to 30° allows short chisels to make proper contact with the stone.
  

• Raise the stone with the rubber pad included in your kit
  Place your sharpening stone in the rubber holder (supplied with the SharpMate) on the bottom side only. This lifts the stone just enough so your chisel edge will meet the stone properly, whether you are honing at 25° or 30°.

• Use the Short Chisel Adapter Kit
  If your chisel's usable blade length is under 3½", the Short Chisel Adapter Kit is built specifically for this — it includes a flat clamping bar for narrow-tang chisels and an angled clamping bar for tapered-tang chisels, so short chisels seat properly without needing angle or stone workarounds. This works directly with SharpMate Plus. If you have the original SharpMate, you'll need the Upgrade Kit first.
  
  
  

Adapters

SharpMate now has a small ecosystem of adapters for tools the standard clamp doesn't support out of the box:

• Short Chisel Adapter Kit — for chisels with a usable blade length under 3½" that won't reach the stone in the standard clamp. Requires the upgraded clamp (built into SharpMate Plus; the original SharpMate needs the Upgrade Kit).
• Small Blade Adapter — for small plane blades and spokeshave blades that need a more supportive hold than the standard clamp gives thin blades. Requires the upgraded clamp (built into SharpMate Plus; the original SharpMate needs the Upgrade Kit).

• Diamond Plate Adapter — a two-piece aluminum platform that raises a diamond plate to a practical working height on the stage, since diamond plates are thinner than water stones and won't sit right without it. Fits plates roughly 160–220mm long, up to 75mm wide. Works with SharpMate and SharpMate Plus as-is.

📩 If You’re Still Unable to Sharpen Your Chisel

If the above solutions don’t work for your chisels, please contact our support team at [email protected]. If you’re not interested in an adapter, we’ll be happy to arrange a return instead.