No, mine was straight forward to hone and it did not need to see one but once recently since I bought it new about 6 months ago. However, mine is one of the early ones that need a layer of tape to get a proper angle (per the instructions then); I notice in Hart's site now it says the 1 layer of tape is optional. I don't know when the change occurred, but if you are buying used it is something to consider. Of course you can always use the one layer and be done with the guessing (if you plan on buying second hand).