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Since the mid-1990s I’ve been married to my inexpensive side-clamp honing guide, sometimes called an “Eclipse” guide after the firm that developed it. So when Lie-Nielsen Toolworks began showing its side-clamp honing guide around, I resisted even picking it up – I don’t like to mess with my sharpening routine in any way.
About two years ago, Thomas Lie-Nielsen asked me to test a prototype of his guide, perhaps because I was skeptical. After six months of using it, I retired my trusty Eclipse. Why? The Lie-Nielsen is simpler to use, requires less fiddling and holds tools with a vise-like grip. Plus, a variety of additional jaws (sold separately) allow you to hold odd-shaped tools and get precise edges.
The guide is simpler because it has only one opening to grip both chisels and plane irons. The Eclipse has two. One opening makes setting the sharpening angle easy because you don’t have to decide which opening to use.
It requires less fiddling because the jaws are precisely machined from stainless steel.
Read the full review here
Web site: lie-nielsen.com
Blog: Read a longer version of this review with details on the jig’s array of jaws.
From the November 2015 issue
Here are some supplies and tools we find essential in our everyday work around the shop. We may receive a commission from sales referred by our links; however, we have carefully selected these products for their usefulness and quality.