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1255 Review
29 Karma

Review on πŸ”ͺ Honing Guide by Robert Larson 800 1800: The Ultimate Tool for Sharpening Perfection by Tutcht Cobb

Revainrating 3 out of 5

Great for planes, lousy for chisels - so mod it.

I bought this sharpening head a few years ago and finally had a chance to practice it. I mainly used it to create 30 degree micro bevels on chisels and planes. It works great for irons. I also like the little center wheel on the rail so I can rock it back and forth when sharpening curved flat bars. (I sharpened the curve in an iron to set the plane for quick material removal). However, I was not satisfied with the chisels. When I set the bit at 30 degrees, the guide positioned the blade at an angle that was less than desired. My micro bevel ended up with a macro bevel. The sides of my chisels don't fit into the slot in the jig, so I could never tell if they were properly adjusted. It could have been me, it could have been my cheap chisels, it could have been a grinder. Not sure which one, but I won't be using it with my good chisels. But I will continue to use it for planes without restrictions. UPDATE: The ink was still wet in my original review when I discovered a YouTube video posted by none other than Lie-Nielsen Toolworks. It shows how this commercially available honing guide can be modified to prevent warping of the plane and hold the chisel more securely. All you need is a file and some sandpaper. To get there, google "Honing Guide Modification". Lee-Nielsen seems to be implying that you won't be able to beat him once the mods are done. Alternatively, you can spend about sixty bucks on a Veritas or Megabucks on a Bridge City Honing Guide. I haven't modified mine yet, but you can bet I will.

Pros
  • Industrial & Scientific
Cons
  • Not sure