I still haven’t mastered the art of sharpening but I do realise that different types of blade benefit from different tools and techniques. For gardening blades, I recently bought a Sharpal 129N which has a very aggressive action but seems good for thick, heavy blades. I don’t think it would be the tool for the refined edges needed on kitchen knives but, for something like a hoe, the tungsten carbide adds a quick edge.

It has done well in a couple of tests at home – I’ll take it to the allotment later this week when I’ve got some weeding to get on with and where the diamond rod I was using seems to have lost most of its effectiveness.