Hello all; first time poster here.
I recently received the 3rd revision jig from VijayDoshi, which, like the SVM-45, has a thumb groove on the back side of the stop/guide, and a wider and flatter bearing surface on the front side of the guide that helps in keeping the jig orthogonal to the support bar, aligning with my preferred sharpening method. However it also looked to my eye to have some offset between the centerline of the shaft and the clamp tips when fully closed.
As a test, I sharpened a standard 8" Zwilling chef's knife to 15 degrees per side using the KJ-45 centering jig. (The spine thickness at the clamping point was 0.130", or 3.3mm.) I then converted the KJ-45 to the new jig parts and, making sure to clamp the knife in exactly the same spot, I checked each bevel using the marker method. After getting a full clean from the first side, I found it necessary to lower the support bar adjuster screw 4 divisions (2/3 turn), or one millimeter, to completely clean the second side.
Being curious, I also performed the same test with the SVM-45, which revealed a necessary USB height difference of 10 divisions (1-1/2 turns), or 2.25mm, between sides.
While this test presumes inherent accuracy of the stock KJ-45 as a reference, its design is pretty simple and seems like it should center well. Since I appreciate the features of the modified jig, I now have to decide if the 1mm USB height difference is disqualifying for me.
I recently received the 3rd revision jig from VijayDoshi, which, like the SVM-45, has a thumb groove on the back side of the stop/guide, and a wider and flatter bearing surface on the front side of the guide that helps in keeping the jig orthogonal to the support bar, aligning with my preferred sharpening method. However it also looked to my eye to have some offset between the centerline of the shaft and the clamp tips when fully closed.
As a test, I sharpened a standard 8" Zwilling chef's knife to 15 degrees per side using the KJ-45 centering jig. (The spine thickness at the clamping point was 0.130", or 3.3mm.) I then converted the KJ-45 to the new jig parts and, making sure to clamp the knife in exactly the same spot, I checked each bevel using the marker method. After getting a full clean from the first side, I found it necessary to lower the support bar adjuster screw 4 divisions (2/3 turn), or one millimeter, to completely clean the second side.
Being curious, I also performed the same test with the SVM-45, which revealed a necessary USB height difference of 10 divisions (1-1/2 turns), or 2.25mm, between sides.
While this test presumes inherent accuracy of the stock KJ-45 as a reference, its design is pretty simple and seems like it should center well. Since I appreciate the features of the modified jig, I now have to decide if the 1mm USB height difference is disqualifying for me.