The second thing I really like about this honing guide is that it does everything you want it to do. Some other honing guides (especially the cheap ones) don’t provide a way to set specific angles, meaning you have to make jigs yourself. They also don’t guarantee squareness, meaning you have to test for square yourself every time. Credit subject to status and affordability. Terms and conditions apply. Axminster Tool Centre Ltd trading as Axminster Tools is a credit broker and is Authorised and Regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Credit is provided by Novuna Personal Finance, a trading style of Mitsubishi HC Capital UK PLC, authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority. Financial Services Register no. 704348.

Tip: If you enjoyed this review, be sure to also read my review of the Veritas Router Plane and Veritas Cabinet Scraper! One improvement that has been added to this honing guide over the years is a plastic, flip-down gauge (see photo below) that helps you to position the edge of your tool for one of three commonly used bevel angles. A lot of woodworkers (myself included) find it easier to achieve consistent results with less hassle by using a guide of some sort. Since a honing guide holds the tool at a fixed angle to the sharpening stone, it’s a lot easier to get a flat, consistent bevel. Most honing guides are also adjustable, making it easy to dial in an exact bevel angle. The jig's machined aluminium base provides skew angle markings that are laser etched for accuracy and legibility. The skew angle graduations cover the range of 10° to 45° in 5° increments, and there are additional marks (18°, 22°, 28°) to cover the angles of popular skew plane blades.

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Sharpening is one of the most fundamental skills in woodworking. Unfortunately, it’s one that also seems to give a lot of woodworkers trouble. Which probably explains the popularity of honing guides. You can hardly open a woodworking catalog without finding a new device that promises to make sharpening your hand tools foolproof. It’s certainly possible to learn how to sharpen accurately without the use of a honing guide. But when honing freehand, there’s a tendency to slightly shift the angle of the tool at the beginning or end of each stroke. This can result in a rounded bevel that won’t cut as effectively (seen in drawings). The guide features a range of adjustments that enables you to hone the primary bevel at 5° increments, and then position the guide for a 2° secondary (micro) bevel. Not only for use with Veritas miniature tools, the system is also a sharpening option for other small blades, such as those used with the Veritas flat detail palm plane and other small planes. Comes in a French-fitted leatherette presentation box. Made in Canada.

The second downside is that if your chisels or plane blades are either very short, or are tapered, like is the case with Japanese chisels, they won’t stay put in the clamp head. Due to tapered top of Japanese chisels, the clamp head can only put pressure on one very thin line, allowing the chisel to move when you sharpen it. Synopsis: Some folks prefer to sharpen their plane blades and chisels freehand, but Chris Gochnour is a proponent of using a honing guide. These guides hold blades at a consistent angle while you sharpen and are essential to getting keen, repeatable results. He tested a variety of guides with different blades, focusing on ease of setup, accuracy of setup, versatility, and consistency. This review focuses on guides that sharpen on the stone. Models reviewed include the Lie-Nielsen, Veritas Mk.II Deluxe Honing Guide Set, generic side-clamping guides, the Kell No. 2, Nano Hone’s Sharp Skate 4, Trend, and the Veritas Sharpening System.

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In use, I found clamping up a tool in the guide to be a bit difficult. You have to tighten down two thumbscrews to hold the tool in place, and they’re uncomfortable to grasp and difficult to access. Once you have everything set up though, the jig performs adequately. A 1:3-scale version of the Veritas sharpening system, it consists of a honing guide and an angle jig. The honing guide has a die-cast aluminum body that rides on a brass roller and accepts blades up to 19 mm wide; the stainless-steel clamping knob holds the blade against a pad in the guide. The angle-setting jig has a 63.5 mm long base and a 5-sided wheel that you can turn to a selected facet. You can use it to set your blade angle to one of the five most common bevel angles (15°, 20°, 25°, 30° and 35°). With the blade loosely held in the honing guide, simply roll the guide up to the wheel and clamp the blade. You can return to exactly the same angle each time you want to hone a blade, ensuring accuracy and reducing sharpening time.

The key to consistent and fast honing is repeatability - and this guide delivers it in spades. Whether you're a sharpening veteran or just starting out, this versatile guide lets you concentrate on sharpening without worrying about controlling blade angle at the same time. This makes your honing reliable, accurate and consistent. Three options let you choose the honing guide that best suits your work style and needs. honing guide has been around for quite awhile, and hasn’t changed much. It’s available in a kit that includes an 8" oilstone and lubricating oil.Not all the aids are all things to all blades. Japanese and European tools, being differently designed, present different challenges to the honing guide. Always take care to fix the tool in the guide at as near to 90° as you can. This is especially important for planes with a narrow throat and no adjustment for the blade. honing guide is one of the less expensive models on the market. But I think there are better options available. The Veritas does both things, making it extremely convenient to set up. That’s also how I see this jig, not as absolutely essential, but as a tool that makes it way more convenient to do woodworking. It gives you peace of mind that the tool you are sharpening will be the right angle and nice and square.