Replies

1. 
   forestgirl | Nov 06, 2002 09:39am | #1

   My suggestion would be to focus on the honing guide and decide if it is a quality accessory, as that's mainly what you're paying for.  The sandpaper and the glass are availabe at a variety of places.   Their honing guide doesn't look particularly wonderful to me, but I've never used it so can't testify.  The whole sandpaper/glass idea is not original to Rockler.

   I did pick up the sandpaper there just because it was convenient.  My glass is a piece of 3/8"-thick glass off of a 75-year-old table, appears to be quite flat.  Honing guide is from Veritas. 

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

2. 
   bhamster | Nov 06, 2002 10:00am | #2

   I don't know where all of this emphasis on "plate glass" came from, actually I guess I do, someone wants your money!  All glass is flat enough for the sandpaper sharpening system.  (Ok some of that old wavy stuff from 100 years ago isn't very flat , but you should be using that in your old house restoration projects.) Go to your local recycling center and get some old glass shelves, etc. for a couple of bucks and spend the rest of your money on some new tools!

   Jim

1. 
   sorethum1 | Nov 06, 2002 06:55pm | #3

   I've been looking for the often recommended Eclipse guide with no success.  I also am inclined not to overspend, but even a basic guide runs about $10, and after shlepping to different places for glass (whatever it costs) and sandpaper, the $26 doesn't seem out of line.  But this assumes the guide is acceptable, which was really what I was getting at in my post.  Todd

1. 
   fdampier5 | Nov 06, 2002 07:45pm | #4

   It depends on what you want sharpened.

     Got a bunch of flat blades?  OK, any glass system works.  Got some round chisels or gouges, now you have a problem.  One other consideration is adjustability.  Can you change the blade angle for difficult woods.  Is it repeatable?  It wasn't too long ago fine wood working did a comparison on all of the sharpening systems out there.  very informative.. read it!

2. 
   forestgirl | Nov 06, 2002 08:29pm | #5

   In the infancy days of this (Prospero) forum, we had a big thread on different honing guides and people's experience with them.  I'll see if I can find it -- wish me luck. Send the troops if you don't hear from me in a day or two!forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

3. 
   forestgirl | Nov 06, 2002 08:34pm | #6

   Wasn't that hard to find it, amazingly enough.  Here's the link:

   http://forums.taunton.com/tp-knots/messages?msg=5710.1

   forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)

4. 
   forestgirl | Nov 07, 2002 12:12am | #7

   Todd, I dropped a line to a guy who has a web site about his shop, and he uses the Eclipse guide.  Asked him if he knew where to obtain one.  Here's what he wrote back:

   The Eclipse honing guide has been sold under different names and made bydifferent manufacturers.  I have seen them recently at both the Rockler and Woodcraft retail stores here in Denver.  Both have online ordering -- Iwould check those.

    forestgirl -- you can take the girl out of the forest, but you can't take the forest out of the girl   ;-)