REgrinding Ashley iles mk2

[Boothie14]

I am getting some AI bevel edged chisels for xmas,however i would like to regrind the angle to around 30? degrees to optimise for more chopping cuts-2 degrees is more for paring i thinks.My question is is the steel soft enough to do this on a course oilstone,or should I use a grinder with a white wheel?Also Is 30 degrees the right angle,bearing in mind its with a mico bevel of about 2 degrees?
Thanks

 

[Boothie14]

oops i meant 23 degrees for paring

 

[matthewwh]

Hi Boothie,

No need to regrind the entire bevel for chopping, a secondary bevel with a 1.5 to 2mm face will be sufficient to strengthen the cutting edge and the shallow primary will allow the chisel to penetrate the timber more easily.

A popular approach is to hone the 1/4", 1/2", 3/4", 1" for chopping and set up the others for paring. It doesn't always work out, but chopping cuts are usually to a full width whilst for paring you want the blade just a fraction narrower than the timber.