Reply To: Straight edge when sharpening
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As a follow-up, if your OCD (or CDO, in alphabetical order as it should be) is such that it really, really grinds on your soul that the edge isn’t square, then don’t be ashamed to have a simple jig handy. Something cheap like the Eclipse style jig (actual jigs made by Eclipse are getting pricey) for $10 and a few strokes on the course stone will get you back to square. Remove from the jig and proceed free-hand. The jig is nice for when things have gotten completely out of whack and you need a reality check.
But free-hand sharpening will nearly always be faster and you can get back to work making smaller bits of wood from larger ones.