It’s a type designed many decades ago by a company called ‘Eclipse’. Typically now called an ‘Eclipse Guide’

The design has been copied variously over the years by all and sundry…. some good, most of indifferent quality; the main failing across all makes usually revolves around accurate holding of a wide range of chisel shapes and blade sizes.

You have identified two pieces from both ends of the quality spectrum…….. the Lie-Nielsen holder is expensive, but as with all their kit, it is generally excellent quality.

The Faithfull brand guide embodies all your expectations in an inexpensive, far-eastern made tool.

There are plenty of original Eclipse guides available from time to time on a well-known auction site…… A well used original will usually indicate that it can be used well.

Good luck

• This reply was modified 3 years, 5 months ago by YrHenSaer.

Interesting.

I also sharpen by hand. My last episode with a guide involved a guide and I found that the main problem with all the guides that rely on a single narrow wheel was that it had a tendency to tip to one side, giving a slightly tilted bevel angle. On plough-blades, a right-angle across is essential.

I gave up on that and revised my hand-sharpening technique for all narrow blades – say, narrower than 3/8 inch – by holding the blade in a hand vice and drawing the blade backwards down the stone (diamond in my case), not pushing forward at all.

This has a number of advantages, I think:
* You have better control of the blades posture on the stone by drawing back:
* Angle corrections are easier to maintain:
* The edge-wire is drawn out in a single line, instead of being compressed on each forward stroke. The advantage of this is that often the final stopping gives a straight, very narrow single wire remnant in one piece.

The same idea works for chisels, as well.

I think that the single narrow wheel gives the option to ‘rock’ the blade to ease off each corner on plane blades.

Veritas guides have a rear roller about 1-1/2 inch wide.
Also incorporates an offset bearing that can raise the blade a degree or two to finish with a secondary bevel, if you are of that persuasion.
Works well.