Veritas Narrow-Blade Head for Veritas Mk.II Honing Guide System

[Derek Cohen]

Simon, agreed.

I have stated over the years that a guide should be considered an extension of one’s fingers: while the blade is held by a guide, the guide is held with fingers and the aim is to imagine that the fingers are instead directly connected to the blade. Finger pressure on the blade is how one manipulates the hone and its position on the bevel. If one ignores this, imagining that the guide does the work and not the fingers, then all sorts of problems can occur. It is the fingers, not the guide, which steer the bevel.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[kwadams]

Hi Derek,

I currently own the LN guide. I like it a lot as a precise side clamping guide. It’s especially great with short blades like spokeshaves with the long jaws. I’ve been thinking of getting the current Veritas as an additional, all-rounder, including for skews. Without giving away State secrets, is the current guide a good choice or should I wait for their side clamping? I would think the eclipse-style would be very similar to what I have already with the LN. 

Thanks for any advice here. 

Kevin

[Derek Cohen]

Kevin (and all)

I am sure that Rob would not mind my mentioning that there is a second guide coming out (in addition to the Eclipse type), and this is to cater to short blades, such as spokeshaves. I have used it very successfully to hone the blade on a Stanley #84 spokeshave. This is the narrowest spokeshave blade you can imagine (about 1/2" deep).

I suggest waiting for this.

Skew bevels are great on the Mkll.

By the way, in case these posts appear all about Veritas guides, I do have the LN guide and use it a lot. I very much like its simplicity and rapid set up when used with stop blocks. The Mk ll is the better guide for all round use.

Regards from Perth

Derek

[kwadams]

Thanks, Derek, appreciate the advice. It would be nice to have another option in addition to my excellent LN guide. 

Best wishes,
Kevin

[Rob Lee]

(Snip) Finger pressure on the blade is how one manipulates the hone and its position on the bevel. If one ignores this, imagining that the guide does the work and not the fingers, then all sorts of problems can occur. It is the fingers, not the guide, which steer the bevel.

(snip)

Hi - 

Truer word were never spoken..... and this is something something often overlooked.

Honing guides should be looked as as training wheels - they guide what your hands do - but they will not "ride the bike for you".

There is no single guide that will do everything, and just about every guide will do something better than others.... but all depend on the user's knowledge of sharpening principles, and deliberate use.

I still use our original guide - as I can rely on it maintain an angle, and can set it up repeatably. I square it by eye, and control what happens at the edge by how I apply pressure at the tip of the blade. It fit's my workflow, and sharpening regimen. 

Cheers - 

Rob