We’ve spoken before on this blog about the joys of using a Cabinet Scraper: whisper-thin shavings, glass-smooth surfaces, and no clouds of sanding dust. But the real magic of a scraper doesn’t come from the scraper itself—it comes from the burr. And the burr comes from your burnisher.
In this article, we’ll look at why a good burnisher matters, how to use one correctly, and what sets the Melbourne Tool Company Scraper Burnisher apart in day-to-day hand-tool woodworking.
Why a Burnisher Matters 
If you read old guides to turning a burr on a scraper, they will invariably advise you to use the shaft of a screwdriver or some other smooth steel object you might have to hand. While these work in a pinch, modern high-carbon steel scrapers are harder than they used to be, requiring a harder burnisher.
The MTC Scraper Burnisher is seriously hard at 62 Rockwell C and polished smooth, ensuring that a clean, accurate burr can be turned without damaging your collection of screwdrivers.
The handle is shaped to provide comfortable control, and has a thoughtful flat milled on one side to stop it rolling off your bench. The shaft is long enough to reach the scraper blade held in a vice, with your other hand controlling the tip.
And that’s really all there is to it – true to the MTC philosophy, the Scraper Burnisher is simply a well thought-out reliable tool without any gimmicks.
Using the MTC Scraper Burnisher
Turning the burr on a scraper blade is a three-step process:
Filing:
To remove the worn-out burr, hold a mill file on the bevel at 45 degrees for a Cabinet Scraper blade (or 90 degrees for a card scraper) and pull it along the bevel (this is known as draw filing). A few strokes are all that should be required for the burr to be removed. You could also use a coarse sharpening stone instead.
Honing:
For the best possible finish, the blade will benefit from honing as you would a plane blade. Remove the file marks on the bevel using a coarse stone, and then hone both the bevel and back of the blade using progressively finer stones until you are satisfied that the bevel is sharp enough for the task at hand.
Burnishing:
The final step is to burnish the edge using the MTC Scraper Burnisher. The burnisher will work best with a small amount of lubrication, a drop of light oil is perfect.
Start with a few firm strokes on the flat face of the blade to draw the edge. Be sure to work the full length of the blade.
Next, turn the edge over to form a burr. With the blade held in a vice, take a few firm strokes with the burnisher held at just a little more than 45 degrees (for a cabinet scraper blade). Increase the angle with progressive strokes until the burnisher is about 75 degrees from vertical. Best to periodically test your burr as you’re getting a feel for it rather than overdo it.
And that’s it – you’ll be smoothing the most difficult timber surfaces in no time.
Conclusion
The scraper is one of the most underrated tools in the shop. But the burnisher—the thing that gives it its cutting life—is even more underrated. The Melbourne Tool Company Scraper Burnisher makes the sharpening process smoother, more predictable, and genuinely enjoyable.
If you’re building a reliable hand-tool kit, this is one of those