Which Veritas Honing Jig Should I Buy?

[Glen Blanchard]

I'm looking for a nice honing guide to aid in sharpening my chisels using Scary Sharp. Having heard good things about the Veritas honing guides, I have it narrowed down to the following two.

My question is, "Which one would you recommend I purchase"?


This one......

http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/woodworking/sharpening/05m0210-dsp.jpg
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=33001&cat=1,43072,43078&ap=1

or this one....

http://www.leevalley.com/images/item/Woodworking/Sharpening/05m0901_dsp3.jpg (http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=51868&cat=1,43072,43078&ap=1)

http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=51868&cat=1,43072,43078&ap=1

[Wayne Wheeling]

Probably a question I should have asked prior to my purchase today. I bought the second one, the MKII. Used it tonight, easy to use. Interested in seeing what others have to say!

[Mike Henderson]

Get the second one - it's much easier to set up the blade for sharpening.

I've owned both and much prefer the second (the MKII).

Mike

[jonathan snyder]

Some folks, myself included have mentioned having difficulties with the MKII with very narrow chisels. There is not much surface area and they tend to skew. I have heard some folks mention that the original jig is better suited to narrow chisels, but I have never used it

Having said that, I have the MKII with the skew attachment and the camber roller. It is a very well designed jig IMHO. It allowed me to develop my sharpening skills.

I am now learning to freehand sharpen. I found that having to jig up was causing me to put of a quick honing, which caused me to use that chisel just a bit too long, which resulted in longer sharpening sessions. I hollow ground my chisels, and I am now freehand honing them right on the bench very frequently while working. My chisels are always much sharper now. I have not developed my freehand skills far enough to tackle a plane iron yet, so I'm still using the MKII.

JOnathan

[Danny Thompson]

Setting the bevel angle is much easier on the Mk.II. I recently bought and used mine for the first time and really liked it.

[Alice Frampton]

Glen, for chisels? I'd get one of these (http://www.spear-and-jackson.com/en/eclipse-honing-guide-85mm-3-1-8). You can make a simple stop set-up (http://galootcentral.com/components/cpgalbums/userpics/10152/eclipse36_proj_gauge.JPG) (hope BugBear won't mind me swiping that example) to make setting the angles just as easy as with the Veritas. The MkII for most other things, but IME chisels are not its forte.

Cheers, Alf

[John Newell]

Some folks, myself included have mentioned having difficulties with the MKII with very narrow chisels.


I have the first version and I'd say the same about it.

[Ken Werner]

If the price is a big issue, the Eclipse style works well, and costs much less. The Veritas Mk II is very good and much more stable. The Mk II will enable you to put back bevels on plane blades, which can be occaisonally useful. Either will get you started, but ultimately learning freehand should remain a goal.

[Tim Sgrazzutti]

MKII all the way. Very fast to set up, and easy to use. I frequently touch up edges freehand, but having the jig to redo primary bevels, and make sure your secondary and microbevels are square, and at the angle you want them is nice. Also, I've never had problems using it with chisels, even down to 1/8". You just have to be mindful of how you hold it, and where and how much you apply pressure. Because it's so easy, I doubt I'll ever give it up and do everything freehand. I don't feel bad about using a jig sometimes, after all, I use all of my irons in a jig -- it's called a plane!

[Don Rogers]

Glen,

I’ve been a lurker here for some time now and have learned lots from others on this forum. This is my first time to post, however.

Several days ago, I purchased the Mk. II, and really like its clamping method which references the chisel or plane blade to its back surface. Most others reference from the top side of the chisel and if the chisel top side is not parallel with its back side, the resulting bevel wants to deviate from being square with the chisel sides.

Another feature I like is the long roller which is more stable and holds the blade parallel to the sharpening stone. Other fixtures with short rollers allow the blade to rock more – which may be OK if you want to slightly radius it. The Mk. II sells an optional cambered roller if that’s what you want to do. Also, I heard somewhere that the roller is replaceable when it wears out and you won’t have to replace the entire fixture.

Other good features of this fixture are its eccentric roller adjustment which allows quick adjustment for micro beveling and – it’s easy–to–use bevel angle setup attachment.

In all, I believe Veratas did an excellent job in designing this fixture.

DonR

[JayStPeter]

I have both and never use the first anymore. For plane irons, the blade cambering roller works pretty well.

[Brian J. Williams]

I bought the Mark II last year, and I really like the way that jig lets you micro bevel your irons; especially back-beveling. I'm not real great at free-hand sharpening, and this jig sure helps.

Brian

[Justin Grow]

I also am just starting, and got the mkII last week. In playing with it, on one iron I relied on the jig too much and ground a primary bevel that was not square. Either I installed the iron crooked, or pressed too hard on one side. At any rate, put a mark across the back of the blade so you can visually check squareness as you work. Mine wound up off by 1/16" over the 2" wide blade.

[lawrence rottersman]

Two things to keep in mind: The keys to Neanderthal heaven is already in your hands and this is SuperKlutz speaking.

I own both iterations of the MkII, plus the power version, and also the Eclipse and the very pretty Kell. I did a lot of gouging with all of them, perhaps because of false overconfidence, thinking the jig would not mind my concentration wandering and my hands going spastic.

Get Harrelson Stanley's dvd from Smartflix or buy it and first time you will hone very decently. I was amazed how easy it really is. The original bevel is something else, of course, which does require technique and patience, but following the existing bevel is well within your power. You are really obliged to think and feel what you are doing, and isn't that what we are really all about here.

At least this was my experience and what a frisson (French for thrill) it gave to my confidence, not to forget the wonderful convenience of it all.

Stanley (I hope I have his name right) is the rep for Sharpton Waterstones and is associated with Lie-Nielsen. I regret to say I have no stock in either company.:)

[Barry Beech]

I have both and only use the MK II. I had problems with the first of getting the angle correct and then getting the blade square in the clamp.

With the MK II there is no problem getting the blade square and setting your angle. I also haven't had any problems keeping smaller chisels square but I mostly use mine with plane blades.

[Grant Lasson]

Glen I have both. Get the second. Neither one does very well with very narrow chisels.

[Mike Gabbay]

I will chime in here as well.... I have both but greatly prefer the MKII. Also the cambered roller is a very nice addition. I found the first one to be harder to set the blade square and if the chisel is small they move alot.

[Glen Blanchard]

Thank you everyone for pointing me in the right direction. The MkII was purchased this last weekend, and I look forward to putting it to good use. Thanks again.

[Greg Cole]

The only issue with the MKII is blade width, can't use it on an iron over 2" IIRC. The honing jig did help me get to the proper level of sharp & proper angle.... but eventually you'll wind up not using it and freehand sharpening.
If I really abuse an edge, I'll start with a course stone & the jig to get things tidied up and then progress on up to through my sharpening schedule... but I try to intermittently hone edges as needed.
I started doing this as I delved into hand mortising... and now do the same with irons. Seems to extend the intervals between "major" sharpenings.....

Cheers.
Greg

[Tim Sgrazzutti]

Greg, you can fit irons up to 2 7/8" wide in the mkII

Regards,

Tim

[Peter Quadarella]

I have the first and having read this I'm thinking about getting the MKII! :) The first one is sometimes a little difficult to get the angle you are looking for.