A sharp card scraper will change how you finish wood. No dust. No swirl marks. Just clean shavings and a perfect surface. But sharpening them confuses everybody at first.
The Basic Idea
Card scrapers cut with a tiny hook of steel rolled over the edge. No hook, no cutting. The whole sharpening process is about creating that hook.
Step One: Square Edge
File or stone the edge perfectly square and flat. 90 degrees to both faces. I use a mill file clamped in a vise with the scraper held against it.
If your edge isn’t square to start, nothing else works. Spend time here.
Step Two: Stone the Faces
Lay the scraper flat on a fine stone and polish both faces near the edge. Removes any burr from filing. Just a few strokes each side.
Step Three: Burnish
Here’s where the magic happens. A burnisher is just a hard smooth rod – you can use the back of a chisel or a proper burnishing tool.
First pass: run the burnisher flat along the edge a few times. This draws the steel out.
Second pass: tilt the burnisher 5-10 degrees and roll a hook over. Light pressure. A few strokes.
Using It
Flex the scraper slightly with your thumbs. Push or pull – both work. You want fine shavings, not dust.
Scraper getting hot? Good sign actually. Means it’s cutting.
When it stops cutting, refresh the burr with the burnisher. Usually just a few strokes. Eventually you need to re-file and start over, but you get many touch-ups first.
