Sharpening Accessories: Honing Guides, Stone Holders & Jigs

Sharpening Accessories for Consistent, Repeatable Edge Work

The best sharpening abrasives produce inconsistent results without the right support tools. Honing guides hold blades at a fixed bevel angle, stone holders keep waterstones and lapping plates stable during use, and registration jigs ensure you can re-set a blade to the exact same projection each time. This collection focuses on the accessories—primarily from Veritas—that make systematic, repeatable sharpening straightforward.

The Veritas Mk.II honing guide system is modular and highly configurable. The Veritas Mk.II Standard Honing Guide handles the majority of bench chisels and plane irons. The Narrow Blade Guide accepts slender chisels and paring tools that slip through the standard guide's jaws. The Mk.II Deluxe Honing Guide Set includes the guide, the side clamping attachment, and the skew registration jig in a single bundle, covering most sharpening situations from the start.

System accessories extend the guide's capability significantly. The Camber Roller Assembly introduces a controlled radius to plane iron edges for use in bevel-up planes or smoother work where a slightly cambered edge is preferred. The Mortise Chisel Adapter handles the thick cross-section of mortise chisels that standard honing guides cannot grip securely.

Stone Management & Setup Tools

The Veritas Stone Pond stores and soaks waterstones, keeping them hydrated and providing a splash-free work surface. The DMT DuoSharp DuoBase Holder stabilizes a double-sided diamond stone for hands-free use. Use the Veritas Bevel Gauge to verify the angle you've ground or set before final honing. For the abrasive stones and diamond plates these accessories support, see the full sharpening collection. Browse all shop essentials.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a honing guide and why do I need one for sharpening?

A honing guide holds a chisel or plane iron at a fixed bevel angle while you move it across a sharpening stone. Without one, maintaining a consistent angle freehand requires practice. With a honing guide like the Veritas Mk.II Standard Honing Guide, you get repeatable angles every time, which makes the sharpening process faster and more predictable.

What is the difference between the Veritas Mk.II Standard and Narrow Blade honing guides?

The Standard Guide handles bench chisels and plane irons in the typical range of widths. The Narrow Blade Guide accepts blades that are too slim for the standard clamping jaw—typically paring chisels and specialty irons narrower than about 3/8 inch. Many woodworkers own both.

What does the Veritas Camber Roller Assembly do?

The Camber Roller Assembly replaces the standard straight roller on the Veritas Mk.II guide with a crowned roller. As you move the guide across the stone, the crowned roller introduces a gentle curve (camber) across the width of the blade edge. Cambered plane irons reduce plane track marks on face grain work.

How do I use the Veritas Bevel Gauge?

The Veritas Bevel Gauge is a precision protractor you hold against the face of a blade to read the existing bevel angle. Use it after grinding to verify you've reached your target angle before moving to honing stones, or to confirm the angle a used tool was previously sharpened to.

Why use a stone pond for waterstones?

The Veritas Stone Pond keeps waterstones submerged so they remain fully saturated and ready to use immediately. It also contains the water and swarf during sharpening, keeping the bench dry. The pond doubles as a lapping base when a flat reference surface is needed.

Can I use Veritas Mk.II accessories with other brands of honing guides?

Veritas Mk.II accessories are designed specifically for the Veritas guide system and use proprietary mounting. They are not directly compatible with other honing guide brands. For the full range of Veritas system accessories, see the Veritas 4-Piece Mk.II Master Accessories Kit, which bundles the most useful add-ons in a single purchase.

How do I sharpen small carving tools or narrow chisels in a honing guide?

The Veritas Small Blade Holder is an accessory for the Mk.II system that accommodates very narrow blades down to 1/8 inch wide. For carved or curved profiles, slip stones and strop-based methods are typically more practical than a honing guide.

What sharpening stones work with these accessories?

The Veritas and DMT accessories in this collection are compatible with diamond bench stones, waterstones, and oil stones of standard sizes. The abrasives themselves—including diamond plates and waterstones—are available in the sharpening collection.

Does Infinity Tools offer a quality guarantee on Veritas products?

Infinity Tools stands behind the products it carries. The quality guarantee page details the coverage and process for warranty claims and returns.

Where can I learn proper honing guide technique for beginners?

Infinity Tools publishes practical woodworking and sharpening guides at the Learn blog. Topics include how to use honing guides, establishing bevel angles, and progressing through sharpening grits for consistent results.

Sharpening Accessories