But for now I am going to focus on getting better and faster at freehand and really understanding the geometry. This has been very, very helpful. Thank you alll!
One thing that may help with improving your freehand sharpening is if you can take a video from the side to see your hand movement. This will let you see any wavering in your motion and blade holding.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)