Tips for holding an angle while freehand sharpening?

OP poonchasta ought to be proud to have so many great responses here!

Probably don't want to start out out a thick edged prybar that needs major rebeveling (I caught myself before calling it reprofiling ;)).
 
I have used the wooden wedge method described above, but I used electrical tape to tape the wedge to the stone, it seemed to work pretty well because you don't have to worry about the wedge moving or falling off of the stone, and as long as you can maintain the angle (that's the real trick!) you will have consistant results. Eventually you will get to the point where you are comfortable enough to toss the wedges. The main thing is to be patient, it takes awhile, quite awhile in fact, but you will get there, just focus and enjoy the journey.
 
When I'm touching up edges (rather than drastic reprofiling) I like the edge facing me, with lots of light shining on it so I can see exactly how it's contacting the stone. If I'm unsure of my angle, i just lower it a little until I see a shadow form under the edge, then bring it back just a tiny bit.
 
sketchbag said:
When I'm touching up edges (rather than drastic reprofiling) I like the edge facing me, with lots of light shining on it so I can see exactly how it's contacting the stone. If I'm unsure of my angle, i just lower it a little until I see a shadow form under the edge, then bring it back just a tiny bit.
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I pretty much do this as well.
 
If I am trying to maintain the existing edge angle I will start with the blade almost flat on the stone and raise the spine of the knife reducing the gap between the edge and the stone. I like this method because you can see when the edge makes contact with the stone, also if the edge bevel is large enough it will stop like it has hit a flat spot when you get to the proper angle. As you know it takes alot of practice, how much will depend on how much you learn in the begining about sharpening it self. Once you have mastered the whole angle thing learn about stropping it puts a new meaning on sharp. Good luck and dont give up
 
I wouldn't say go slow, just be steady. Slowing yourself unnecessarily can give fatigue a chance to creep in. The longer you take to complete a stroke, the more the imperfections are going to mess with your bevel. Getting the bevels to meet isn't too tough, but you want them to meet along the entire edge. Letting the blade wiggle-waggle along the stroke can cause a burr to form in patches instead of all at once.
 
On the other hand, don't get to caught up worrying about wether you are going to fast or slow. One thing to remember is that it should be relaxing and enjoyable. In other words, concentrate on what you are doing, but don't try to hard. The first thing you need to do is learn the basics thoroughly. Without a solid understanding of raising a burr, then removing it, then adding a micro bevel (or not), all you are doing is grinding steel and hoping for the best. Freehand sharpening takes alot of time to learn and become proficient. DON'T GIVE UP.
 
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