Reply To: Plane blade hollowed out in center

Ed, you could also have some warp/twist in the iron – something to look into if you haven’t already. Similarly, you could have an issue in the frog/bed which warps the iron when you tension it down under the cap, but if you’re saying it comes off your stones like that then the problem is either the iron is warped or your stones are worn. You don’t need a honing guide – applying even pressure will always give you a straight edge as long as your plates are in good condition and your iron is flat. Don’t blow money on new diamonds right away – maybe pick up a low cost double-sided oil stone or use a friend’s to experiment first.