Abstract: A fixture for holding and aligning a blade of a hand tool during sharpening with a sharpening apparatus which includes a base member and a clamping plate. The base member includes a front side, rear side, a clamping surface, a bottom surface and a guiding means. The guiding means is selectively positioned along the bottom surface between the front side and rear side. The base member further includes an aligning means which projects above the clamping surface for positioning the blade at a predetermined angle with respect to an axis of the guiding means. The clamping plate is removably attached to the base member by a pair of clamping means. The guiding means is configured for easy removal and seating in an elongated mating recess in a support plate attached to the sharpening apparatus. The guiding means allows fully guided pivotal and linear movement of the blade with respect to an abrasive surface of the sharpening apparatus.