Veritas Mk.II vs Eclipse No. 36 Honing Guide: Precision or the $15 Classic?

Updated September 2026

Both hold a chisel or plane iron at a fixed angle on the stone. The Veritas Mk.II uses a registration jig and micro-adjust wheel to set the bevel within a fraction of a degree, with a camber roller option, at $55 to $80. The Eclipse No. 36 clamps the blade from the side and sets the angle by projection length, at $12 to $20.

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At a glance

Spec	Veritas Mk.II Honing Guide Check price on Amazon	Eclipse No. 36 Side-Clamp Honing Guide Check price on Amazon
Price	$55-$80	$12-$20
Our rating	4.8 / 5	4.3 / 5
Best for	Woodworkers learning to sharpen who want consistent, repeatable bevel angles on every session.	Absolute beginners who need consistent bevel angles and want the cheapest tool that delivers them.
Angle setting	Registration jig plus micro-adjust wheel	Blade projection measured by hand
Precision	Within a fraction of a degree, repeatable	Good enough; slight skew if clamped carelessly
Camber	Camber roller option for convex grinds	Straight bevels only
Blade range	Chisels, plane irons and skew blades to 2.5 inches with attachments	Most chisel and plane iron widths
Learning curve	Read the manual; the registration system needs learning	None beyond setting projection
Price	$55 to $80	$12 to $20

Eclipse to start for $15; Veritas when repeatable angles, cambers and skew blades matter.

The two options in depth

Rockler

4.8 Editorial score / 5.0

Veritas Mk.II Honing Guide

The best production honing guide for consistent bevel angles. The Mk.II uses a camber roller for convex grinds, a standard roller for flat grinding, and a micro-adjust registration wheel to set the projection and therefore the bevel angle precisely. The skew-registration jig in the deluxe set handles skew blades and chisels up to 2.5 inches wide.

Best for Woodworkers learning to sharpen who want consistent, repeatable bevel angles on every session.

Micro-adjust wheel sets projection to within a fraction of a degree
Camber roller option enables convex grinds for jack plane irons
Handles chisels, plane irons, and skew blades with the right attachment
Requires learning the registration system to set angles correctly - read the manual

Price $55-$80 Check price on Amazon

Amazon

4.3 Editorial score / 5.0

Eclipse No. 36 Side-Clamp Honing Guide

The original side-clamp honing guide and the tool that introduced consistent bevel angles to generations of woodworkers. The Eclipse No. 36 grips chisels and plane irons from the side, is inexpensive, and works well for routine sharpening. It is less precise than the Veritas Mk.II but costs a fraction of the price and requires no setup beyond projecting the blade to the right length.

Best for Absolute beginners who need consistent bevel angles and want the cheapest tool that delivers them.

Cheapest reliable route to consistent bevel angles for beginners
Side-clamp design works with most chisel and plane iron widths
The original design that generations of woodworkers have learned on
Side clamping can introduce slight skew if not set carefully

Price $12-$20 Check price on Amazon

Which should you buy?

Buy the Eclipse No. 36 if budget is the constraint or you are not sure sharpening with a guide is for you; for $15 it delivers consistent bevels on most bench chisels and plane irons, and generations of woodworkers learned on it. Buy the Veritas Mk.II when you want the same angle every session without measuring, sharpen jack plane irons with a camber, or own skew blades; the micro-adjust wheel and camber roller are the features that justify the price. Either guide is a stepping stone; most woodworkers who sharpen weekly eventually go freehand and keep the guide for re-establishing bevels.

Related guides

Common questions

Does the Eclipse guide really cause skewed bevels?

It can if the blade is clamped slightly off square, because the side clamps register on the blade edges. Squaring the blade against the guide body before tightening prevents it; the Veritas registration jig does that for you.

What angle should either guide be set to?

25 degrees for the primary bevel and 30 for a micro-bevel covers bench chisels and plane irons. The Veritas sets those directly; with the Eclipse, use a printed projection chart or make a simple setting block.

Do I need the Veritas deluxe set?

Only if you sharpen skew blades or want the narrow-blade head for small chisels. The standard Mk.II with the camber roller covers the common bench tools.

Can either guide handle a narrow 1/4 inch chisel?

Both can, but narrow chisels tend to twist in the Eclipse side clamps. The Veritas narrow-blade head holds them squarely, which is a real advantage for dovetail chisels.