July 7, 2024: Tool Sharpening Workshop

Description

Instructor: Shelby Howland

Pronouns: he/him/his

Date: Sunday, July 7, 2024

Duration: 2.5 hours

Time: 9:00AM to 11:30AM EST

Location: 80 Bassett Road, Shelburne MA 01370

Cost: sliding scale of $30 – $70

# of Participants: 12

Experience Level: All are welcome. Open to children ages 10+ with an adult.

Shelby Howland has worked in many fields throughout the years but one thing has been constant, a love for working with and on tools. Maintaining a tool’s effectiveness helps to make sure that all the work he is involved in is more enjoyable because a sharp tool makes for easier work. Shelby started in the woods and fields of Plainfield clearing land and farming using only hand tools, from axes and hand saws to hoes and shovels. He now works with heavy equipment but still manages to find time to split wood with an axe and cut his grass with a scythe. Even the kitchen is not safe from his tinkering, including sharpening and making kitchen knives, to sharpening the cheese grater.

Learn more about Shelby’s excavating business, Village Earthwright

Program Description

“I can teach you how to sharpen anything from a knife to a cheese grater to a shovel. Everything can be sharpened and everything should be sharp.” – Shelby Howland

Almost every tool can benefit from a properly maintained edge including shovels, hoes, loppers, knives and axes.

During this 2.5 hour workshop, Shelby will discuss the principles of maintaining edge tools from storage and use to sharpening. He will demonstrate many different methods of sharpening that can be replicated in your own home, shop, or garage with a variety of common and specialized tools such as files, stones, grinders and blocks of wood. Please bring tools you would like to sharpen, as well as any sharpening tools you have. In the second half of this workshop, Shelby will assist you as you sharpen your own tools. You will have a chance to try Shelby’s assortment of sharpening devices, as well as better learn to use the your own sharpening tools.

No experience necessary.

Please contact us with any questions at office@fabric-of-life.org.

Our sliding scale fee allows us to keep our programming accessible to a wide range of individuals through the generosity of our community. Please select the option that feels the most comfortable for you.