I would appreciate some advice about honing jointer knives. I have always done this myself, using a Veritas honing guide and silicon carbide waterproof paper. I use the jointer table as the reference surface. I start at 320 grit, then 600, 1200, finish with 1500 or 2000 if I have any. It takes no more than about 5 minutes a knife.

I’ve recently gotten two sets of knives done “professionally.” I was surprised to find the microbevel appearing to have been honed to a grit no finer than the pattern I get with 320-400 grit. Certainly more coarse than 600. (The primary bevel is much more coarse than that. I’m not really concerned with that, I never touch the primary bevel anyway.)

The backs of the knives are more highly polished – maybe about 1200-1500 grit.

These two sets perform just fine in hardwoods and softwoods. The surface they leave is everything I need.

Have I been “over-doing” my honing? Is there a point of diminishing returns on jointer knife honing, so that a lower grit is all that’s needed?

I would never hone a plane iron or chisel like these knives.

VL