Sharpening

Slightly geeky post today, so one for the workshop heads. Two very treasured, daily used items in the workshop are my Japanese chisels and Veritas block plane. They are truly beautiful to use and also very easy on the eye. I have had the chisels for years and have frankly not had to do much too them, apart from the odd lick in the way sharpening because they keep their edge so well. But i recently cut them back and purchased the Mark 2 Veritas honing guide plus some King Japenese Waterstones for the final sharpening. Neither are cheap, but the guide is so good to use, with a really straight forward combined blade squaring register and angle checker. In the past honing guides have been flawed, but this works.  The best woodwork in Japan is unrivaled; the thought and process is appreciated, deliberated over, then finally (finely) executed, and the Waterstones fit into this philosophy. Being far softer than a diamond sharpener there is the likelihood of a blade digging in, so they may need re-honing themselves occasionally. But if you keep it slow and steady, the finish is like a mirror, and frighteningly sharp.