Honing Guide, BonyTek Stainless Steel Side Clamping Fixed Angle Honing Guide with Brass Roller for Wood Chisel, Planer, Blade, Graver, Flat Chisel Edge Sharpening, Clamping Width Range 0.32-3.22 Inch

Holds chisels and flat blades reliably at the angle the user sets for shaping and honing edges. I have used it for two plane blades and was able to get the straight angle that makes planes very effective. My previous method of sharpening and honing by hand, as one does with carving tools, results with a more or less curved bevel that is needed for wood carving, where the tool is used with a changing angle or slope relative to the wood. With a plane the angel does not change, just the depth of cut, and a straight or non-beveled blade is crucial. To correct the results of my earlier hand held sharpening technique, I needed to spend a good amount of time with four grades of stone on both plane blades. I also used the Guide to face a new 1/2 inch rabbit plane blade. Very easy process. I can see no wear or signs of use on the guide. The brass wheel and stainless steel body wash clean easily. If I ever lose this one I will want another one quickly, but I do not expect to ever wear it out.

This is a good product for the cost. I'm not looking for a guide that will last a lifetime, but this one will certainly last for a few years depending on your usage. I'm a hobby woodworker. It's all metal, the clamp screw holds the chisel or plane blade very securely and tightens firmly with a larger size flat head screwdriver. The wheel is made of brass and from a few weeks of use sharpening all my chisels and plane blades, it does not appear to wear at all. I did read the review that stated it might wear unevenly and I've not seen this, however if it does start to wear in this manner I will simply buy another one for the cost. I have sharpened 7 chisels from 1/4" - 1" and 2 plane blades for a block plane and a #4 Jack. No problems, you just have to take care to clamp them. It's not a set it and forget it, it takes a little trial and error. I have been really impressed with the tool and it has made my sharpening more efficient so that now I have the bladed consistently angled, I only need sharpen on the highest grit stones to polish and bring back the edge. I'm not grinding away free hand anymore.

Generally, I think this Honing Guide worked reasonably well for an inexpensive tool. I do have two reasons for giving it 4 stars. First, this honing guide, like many of the guides in this price range, uses a relatively narrow roller. There is some play in the roller which can cause the sharpened surface to become arched, uneven or out of square, especially when sharpening wider blades. When applying pressure to the blade during sharpening, it's not easy to maintain even pressure directly over the narrow roller. If you take a look at similarly designed, higher end honing guides, you'll find that they normally have wide roller wheels to compensate for the users inability to maintain even pressure directly over the roller, thus making the sharpened surface less arched and it helps to keep the sharpened edge square. So, in my opinion a wider roller would certain improve the operation of this honing guide and a wider roller will be something I'll look for if I purchase another similar honing guide. Second, the User Manual, does not provide any direction for setting up the angle of the blade and makes no attempt to help the user if any sharpening issues are encountered. Ok, this isn't an expensive tool so maybe that's a little much to expect. There was a comment in the User Manual, regarding their one year warranty service, that says, "If the product has any problems, please feel free to contact us by email." No email address or website is provided in the User Manual or on the box it came in and I couldn't find a website where you might find the email address. That basically tells me that they really don't support their product. So, if the tool doesn't seem to work for you or if you have a problem, you might just need to return it asap.

Does just what it's supposed to do. You must set the angle correctly; use a drafting triangle as a guide (30 degrees is adequate for most tasks). I used a machinist's protractor because I needed a 25° edge on plane irons and chisels. Tracks longitudinally just fine, but you can't use it diagonally. But then again, it's not designed to be used diagonally. Edit 1/25/18: As above, it worked fin on chisels, but a plane iron just wouldn't retain the bevel angle. In looking the guide over, I noticed that the bed is not flat. It is cast or sintered metal, and the bed humps up in the middle. I used a 1" belt sander to flatten the bed, and it holds better now. I deducted a couple of stars from my original five-star rating: One star for the crappy casting, and another for misleading advertising. The blurb says it is stainless steel. The adjusting screw might be, but the roller is brass and the bed is cast metal of some sort that is chrome plated. Caution is in order using this. I doubt you'll do any better unless you buy one from Veritas or Lie Nielsen, so you need to take care that the bevel you're grinding remains square and true. Check it frequently during sharpening.

I used this on my chisels and it works perfect on the larger ones. On the smaller ones however, I wish there was a way to adjust the angle. The only way you can adjust the angle, is where you place it on the item. And on smaller chisels you only have about 3 inches of placement, which limits your angle. You are still able to sharpen the tip just fine, but it doesn't get the entire bevel. Which isn't really necessary, just a preference.