Setting Up the Honing Guide

The MK.II honing guide is designed to handle chisels as narrow as 1/2" and blades as wide as 2 7/8" and up to 15/32" thick. First, polish the back of the blade, working your way up to the finest grit of your sharpening medium. Veritas blades are lapped flat, so you are simply polishing this surface to the same degree that you will be honing the bevel. Other tools may require lapping. Before increasing the bevel angle of a new blade, consider using it for a time with its factory angle. If you experience edge failure, increase the angle by 5°. This approach lets you optimize the cutting geometry for the work you do.

1) Set the angle configuration
First, determine the bevel angle configuration to be used for the blade carrier based on these guidelines:

• Red for high angles
• Yellow for standard angles
• Green for back bevels

Secure the blade carrier in the chosen color position to the roller body with the locking knob (Photo 1).

Photo 1 – In this example, the yellow position is used for the blade carrier and registration jig.

2) Set the registration jig
To set the registration jig, slide it onto the blade carrier and follow these steps:

i) Set the jig such that the pointer on the top jaw of the jig aligns with the approximate width of your blade on the scale on the top of the blade carrier (Diagram).

Diagram – In this example, the stop is set for a 1" wide blade and a 30° bevel angle using the yellow standard-angle configuration.

ii) Tighten the registration jig clamp knob only finger tight.

iii) Set the registration stop to the desired bevel angle, using the preset in the same color chosen in step 1.

3) Install the blade

With the honing guide held upside down, slide the blade into the registration jig through the clamp bar until the cutting edge touches the registration stop (Photo 2).

Photo 2 – The blade bears against the fence as well as the stop.

Finally, hand tighten both blade clamp knobs firmly and evenly, and slide the registration jig off the blade carrier (Photo 3).

Photo 3 - The clamp bar should be parallel to the upper jaw to firmly secure the blade.

4) Set the roller position
In the last step, rotate the micro-bevel knob to the 12 o’clock position to hone the primary bevel, or to the 6 o’clock position for a micro-bevel of 1° to 2°.

Micro-bevel knob set for honing primary bevel.

Micro-bevel knob set for honing the micro-bevel.