One of the first things you run into with both woodworking and cooking is figuring out how to keep your tools sharp. Chisels, saws, planes and knives all get dull after using them for a bit and need to be sharpened to perform well. Lots of people, myself included, start off pretty confused about sharpening, but if you’re willing to spend some time learning and practicing, sharpening tools is actually quite easy.
Now, I’m not about to launch into a diatribe on how to sharpen things. Many others have already done that, so I’m just pointing out what helped me get over the hump.
First, Christopher Schwarz’s video The Last Word on Sharpening is a great place to start for general sharpening. He explains the various sharpening tools you’ll need and how to use them to get back to work.
Second, if you’re using hand saws, Ron Herman’s video Sharpen Your Handsaws is the place to start. I use Ron’s technique to sharpen my handsaws and have had great results.
Last, neither of these guys talks about sharpening kitchen knives, but once you know how to sharpen a plane blade or a chisel, a knife is child’s play.
(and no, I’m not being compensated for either of these recommendations)