Honing guide for Japanese chisels

[Johnbro]

Can't seem to find the answer via search, so I apologize if this has been already asked and answered.

My Veritas MkII honing guide works great on long chisels but not on my Japanese chisels. They are tapered behind the blade and the guide can't get enough material to bite and hold it 90 degrees to the jig. 

The consensus seems to be that the Kell guide is not quite the thing either--hard to use, no place to put your hands, etc.

Any suggestions for a honing guide for short Japanese chisels? I'm worried I'm rounding mine over by hand holding them.

[Boatman53]

How short are you trying to hold? The one I've got on the pass around might do it. If you want to try out mine send me a PM and I'll get you on the list to try it out. All it will cost you is the shipping for sending it on to the next person. Perhaps someone that has already tried it can answer for the short Japanese chisels.
 I talked to two manufacturers last week and now I'm waiting on some quotes (drumming my fingers, and pacing the floor).
Jim

[David Katz]

The LN honing guide. Sell your LV on eBay, you'll get almost what you paid for it. Buy the LN and never look back.

[Derek Cohen]

Of course, the simple solution is to do what the Japanese and other Japanese blade-users do .... freehand hone the blades. That is the recommended way to sharpen Japanese blades .. and no secondary bevel.

Otherwise, see if you can find a Sharp Skate honing guide (I am not sure if they are still in production). These were designed with Japanese blades in mind.



Regards from Perth

Derek

[David Charlesworth]

The cheap Stanley folded metal guide will hold many short Japanese chisels.

Best wishes,
David

[JimReed@Tallahassee]

Last week I worked on a Japanese chisel with a chipped edge.




I used AO sandpaper freehand.




It took 26 swipes. I looked at the edge after each one and adjusted accordingly.




I polished it with 400 paper.




I have discovered that freehand is not hard if you practice and then take your time. Good luck with your chisels.

[rwe2156]

The best thing I ever learned in ww'ing is to sharpen freehand on high quality stones.

[hbmcc]

Odd you would ask. This showed up just the other day.

http://giantcypress.net/post/15507303579...iggety-jig

Wilbur is a regular here, normally, and would have set you straight away. I am not a fan of doing Japanese chisels the way they say to do them freehand because it is a long arduous task to cut a flat, full bevel. It's like sliding your soapy finger tip on the edge of a razor blade and counting to 30 minutes before you bleed to death. And, I use diamond abrasive.

My suggestion is to cut a shallow (flattish) hollow grind on a wheel and do a secondary bevel of about a hair's width by hand. It still looks and acts like a Japanese chisel.

[C. in Indy]

I have 2 used Kanna planes.   The original owners did such lax jobs of freehand honing, that the cutting edges became relatively skewed to the body.  So I've been slowly working the blades back to a square edge on a jig.   It will probably be years before the whole things are so straight that I can work them freehand.   Mr. Miagi (Karate Kid) would surely have some comment here....