"Angle Guide" with Smith Tri-Hone

[poonchasta]

I'm considering getting the Smith Tri-Hone sharpening set with the Arkansas stones. The description says that it comes with the 3 stones, honing oil, sharpening instructions, and an "angle guide." Does anyone have any idea what this "angle guide" is? is it actually something useful, or will I just be throwing it away? Just curious.

 

[Soilarch]

Might be useful to some...it's a iddy biddy piece of plastic that's a two-sided triangle.

I threw mine away but I'm glad I bought the tri-hone itself

 

[BJE]

The angle guide in the Smiths system is a piece of plasic that looks like a wedge. You are supposed to set the wedge on the stone and then the knife on the wedge so it will help you keep a proper and consistant angle. I don't think they are useful, the angle that is set is too high and it just gets in the way. If you are new to freehand sharpening, it might help you learn to keep the same angle on both sides. It will give you an idea of how the knife should look in relation to the stone.