Hand Tools Archive
David Weaver
I hope bill doesn't mind me sharing his thoughts, but he's somewhat concerned that the 35 degree tertiary microbevel that I'm using isn't really reflective of typical plane use.
Over the years, I have (by results, not by measurement) come to freehand hone to about 33 degrees for my final work because it seems to yield better edge strength and fewer strange defects. I haven't looked around much at what other people are doing since then.
Part of the abrasive experiment is to see in a common pitch plane if I'm giving up any edge life due to use of 33 or 35 degrees or whatever it is, and it doesn't appear to be any or much in the iterations I've done.
What's your final angle, especially if you use a guide and know what it is?
If you're using a grinder angle and then lifting the iron slightly on your final stone, add 2 or 3 degrees or whatever you think is appropriate. You can reply in the subject line for ease.