My Hock cap iron is surprisingly sharp!

[Bob Jones]

How do I know that, you ask?
I just sharpened my blade on my number 8 Stanley with a hock blade and chipbreaker. I put it all back together and went to work setting the iron. Well, I use a 15 in piece of soft wood on edge and try to get even shavings all across the blade width - standard protocol.
Well, i was getting shavings but they were not pretty. The plane sounded terrible. I messed with it until the shavings were just about uniform when I got so aggravated with it that I took it apart again.
Stupid me extended the cap iron beyond the blade when I put them together! Thankfully when I put it back together right, it worked just fine.

Note to self- trust your gut. If something does not feel right, it probably is not.

Also, hock cap irons are about as sharp as a dull iron. Not bad. :)

[Andy Margeson]

Since you have broken the ice. . . The other day I was sharpening all of my planes, as I do between projects, using my LV Mark II. I sharpened my Hock blade and put it back in the plane for a test but the plane didn't work any better than it had at the end of flattening my bench. It was then that I realized that I had sharpened the cap iron. This will seem slightly more believable if you have seen a Hock cap iron, but then you don't know me. Slightly embarrassed in Oregon. . .

[Bob Jones]

Nice. I am not sure which of us wins the distinction of bigger blunder! :) I have done much worse, but I will keep those to myself.

[george wilson]

Just make sure you do not sharpen the front edge of the plane,you guys!!:)

[Chris Vandiver]

Just make sure you do not sharpen the front edge of the plane,you guys!!:)

By George, you may be on to something. Chisel plane, anyone?