Wicked Edge knife sharpener

[miyamotomusashi]

I've been using my sharpmaker stones freehand lately. It's been giving the BEST results to date. I actually hold the blade steady in my hand, and move the stone across it. For some reason, I can keep VERY consistent angles that way. It's like the opposite from everything I've seen. I move the stone, while keeping the blade basically stationary. With this method, I do NOT scratch any blades! Haven't yet, and it seems quite unlikely. Those triangles are pretty awesome for that. I have every grit they offer...

I really think I will only use the WE for re-profiling, or for seriously heavy grinding jobs. It's just quite a lot of kit to bring out and set up. The Sharpmaker carries in my backpack, and literally takes seconds to get scary sharp steel.

For those interested, here is a copy of the LONG winded answer when I asked about FFG, including the Janky Diagram they sent me, showing how it's done:



(QUOTE)
Dear Mr. Musashi,

We apologize for the delay in responding to your question! We are a new
company and as such, consist only yet of myself and my business partner.
Both of us have been on the road at trade shows and I just got back into the
office yesterday. I saw your email, but only now have had time to respond
to it with the attention it deserves. We sincerely appreciate your
patience!

The Wicked Edge will clamp any knife that has either a fully flat ground
blade or has flat parallel sides just fine. The only kind of blade shape it
will not clamp is one that is double-edged, like a dagger, and has no flat
before the tang enters the handle. I have sharpened two daggers. Both of
them had a small flat adjacent to the handle that the vise could clamp on
to.

As for knives with the blade shape you are referring to, it is simply a
matter of loosening the top screw so that the bottom of the free vise jaw
kicks out a little more, using the bottom holes in the fixed vise jaw for
setting the depth if you can, aligning the blade so that it sits vertically
in the vise, and then clamping the vise down on the knife tightly.

I have attached a pdf with a drawing of what it should look like when done
correctly. The key, after doing this, is to not bear down on the blade with
the stones. But this is true no matter what kind of knife you are
sharpening. There is no need to bear down. Just let the diamonds do the
work for you.

The method we use to tighten a knife sufficiently into the vise goes like
this:

1. While holding the knife in position with your right hand, push the
bottom of the free vise jaw out away from the fixed vise jaw with your left
hand. Adjust the top screw until the free vise jaw is properly positioned
to clamp the knife as desired.

2. Turn the lower screw in until it touches the free vise jaw and holds the
free vise jaw in place.

3. Tighten the top screw down on the blade good and tight.

4. Give the bottom screw an additional half turn or so, as necessary to
further lock the blade down in the vise.

5. Check the blade to ensure it is sufficiently stable. This does not
require heavy pushing. Just a light nudge to make sure it doesn't move
easily. You will get the feel for this very quickly.

As a final note on this method of placing such a knife in the vise, you
probably noticed that one side of the blade is not touching except at one
point at the very back of the blade. This is okay and, in fact, desirable,
because you want the knife to be oriented vertically so that the bevel you
create is even on both sides. If the vise is sufficiently tight and you
don't bear down unnecessarily, then the knife will not move and you will
achieve an outstanding edge on it.

I hope this answers your question. If you have any additional questions,
please do not hesitate to give us a call on our toll free number:
877-616-9911 We are generally available on week days between the hours of 9
am and 5 pm Mountain Time. If we don't answer, just leave us a message and
we will call you back as soon as one of us gets back in.

We will be happy to process your order right away once you have placed it.
We pride ourselves on customer service and are sure that you will have a
very positive experience with us.

Thank you for your interest in our sharpener!

Best regards,

Devin Kennemore
The Wicked Edge Team
(END QUOTE)

The MOST hilarious parts of this to me were, "you
probably noticed that one side of the blade is not touching except at one
point at the very back of the blade. This is okay and, in fact, desirable..."

and also, "We pride ourselves on customer service and are sure that you will have a
very positive experience with us."

Those literally gave me a pleasant chuckle. Ha ha ha. Those jokesters... They got me good!

[miyamotomusashi]

Well, my thoughts so far were developed before I had the complete kit. They really shouldn't send it without the finer stones, cause it won't get anything sharp.

I decided to give it a good go today, and I actually got one of the most sharpest edges I've ever gotten. It put a "mirror" polish on the edge, and perfectly uniform.

Although, during my sharpening frenzy, the **** thumbscrew on the angle adjustment on one side came loose! :mad:

With all the different grits I have now, it really is neat to do both sides at the same time, and when I learned to have equal pressure from both sides, I started getting some seriously keen edges.

It did bind up a little, not bad enough to completely stop the motion, just hamper it a little. It also squeaked some.

I know there are a lot of things that annoy me about this thing, but it is also really good at what it does, just in an annoying way.

[kwakster]

Previously posted on Jerzee Devil;

While i think that most of us on this forum know how to sharpen knives in one way or the other, i do think the Wicked Edge has it's place.
First, it gives novices the ability to sharpen their knives to a level they would never accomplish freehand, and second, it gives the more experienced users the ability to reprofile their knives to a level of perfection i myself have never seen before.
In this it even trumps the Edge Pro because you work both sides of the edge at the same time, allowing the user much more control to build the new edge exactly in the middle of the steel, which is very important for later sharpenings and touch-ups on for instance a Sharpmaker.

My only gripe with the system until now, and i think i'm one of the very few that did an unbiased, fairly extensive review of the system, is that i still would want to see the Wicked Edge with finer diamond and/or ceramic stones.
Not as aftermarket accessories like they are now, but in one box as a complete system.
The problems with ordering, shipping and handling, although they are real at the moment, i consider hick-ups from a starting-up company.
Cut them some slack, they're already starting to prove themselves.

For the results i've been experiencing with the Wicked Edge Sharpener take a look at some of my previous posts. :)

[Resist]

After SIX days, and not hearing ANYTHING, I called Wicked Edge, to find out what is up with my order. They said, "Oh, huh... That's weird. We haven't done anything with your order yet.

After I placed my order with Wicked Edge I was told an accessory was back ordered. I was asked if I wanted to substitute the item with something else, wait out the back order or have part of the order shipped to me. I responded and hadn't heard back from them until a week later when I emailed them. They apparently were still waiting for my response, but informed me the back order could take a month. I was very disappointed, especially since their web site hadn't shown this item was out of stock. I had even emailed Clay prior to placing my order and he said nothing about this. It really bothers me that they didn't get back with me right away or keep their web site updated. I had read online that others have had terrible customer support from Wicked Edge, now I see what they are talking about.

I ended up canceling my $300 order, even though I believe their knife sharpening system is perfect for me. Guess I will end up saving myself money and buying a less expensive system.

[jackknifeh]

I have an edge pro and couldnt be happier with it, I know you said your not interested but any of these type of stone sharpeners have the potential to scratch the blade. I just blue tape the blade before starting and have not had a problem with scratches, even on black coated blades. Most every sharpening method has its pros and cons, It comes down to what a particular individual will and will not put up with. As for the stones wearing on the edge pro, they last fairly well and are 7 bux to replace so its not that big of deal to me. It is however an ongoing cost issue and people should be aware of the extra costs that are not included in the initial purchase.

I looked at the wicked edge when I bought my EP and saw some of the flaws you pointed out in your review just in the online demos. I had enough concerns about it to keep me from purchashing it.

Thanks for the review, It gives some insight for people who might be interested in buying one of these sharpeners.

I've never seen a Wicked edge so I don't know anything about it, but I have an Edge Pro and can't say enough good things about it. You mentioned the stones needing to be replaced periodically. Like you indicated the cost is not bad but definately something that potential customers need to know. I used the DMT aligner sharpener and fell in love with the diamond stones. Someone on this forum brought up a web site that has DMT stones mounted on the stone blanks for the Edge Pro. I think when it's time to replace my water stones I may get the diamond stones. The stones are 6" long and 2" wide which makes them usable as a bench stone when not in the Edge Pro. They should last longer than the water stones I think. I've already gotten a stone blank and rigged my 4" DMT stones to be used in the Edge Pro. They worked really well. I believe combining diamond stones with the Edge Pro system would make for a very happy marraige.

Ben Dale, inventor of the Edge Pro doesn't like diamond stones except for sharpening ceramic blades. He says they may be ok for a homeowner who sharpens his own knives but since he sharpens so many knives the diamond stones wear out real fast. Please don't quote me on Ben's opinion of diamond stones because I'm sure he could explain his reasons for his opinion.

Anyway, I'd recommend the Edge Pro to anyone. In fact I did that just yesterday with a typed recommendation. I think it was over a page and still had more good things I could say about it. There are several very good sharpening systems out there and the Edge Pro is one of them and the best one I've ever used by far. In fact I'm working on a report of what I like and don't like about the Edge Pro. That way when I recommend the EP I can just include the comments I already have and won't need to type them again (like now).

Go Edge Pro,
Jack

[miyamotomusashi]

I just wrote a HUGE update, but then when I clicked submit, it asked me to log in again, and deleted my HUGE response. Urgh, I’m not typing it again.

[jackknifeh]

I just wrote a HUGE update, but then when I clicked submit, it asked me to log in again, and deleted my HUGE response. Urgh, I’m not typing it again.

I've done that before. What I do sometimes is type my post using MS Word. That way I can save what I'm typeing every couple of minutes. I can even stop to get a sandwich or whatever. When I'm done I copy and paste the text into the post on the forum. My PC is on it's last leg and once in a while just restarts, sometimes after I've typed for 15 minutes. That's why I started using Word. After my PC restarts I just open the document and continue. On the other hand some of the forum readers may be happy my lengthy posts get deleted. :D

My sympathies,
Jack

[miyamotomusashi]

Yes, it was probably meant to be.

Anyway, I just realized the way they (Spyderco) gets them scary sharp from the factory is with power tools: Belt Sander and some sort of grinding or buffing wheel. I should have known they’re not building them from the factory with the Sharpmaker. Sharpaker is a SAFE and reliable (great) way to touch up the edges, but for serious (and dangerous - or “non-consumer&#8221 sharpening, power tools seem to be the way to go. From all the research (Google) I’ve been doing, it seems like EVERY knifemaker, or company uses a BELT SANDER to get ‘em sharp when new.

I understand it’s dangerous, if you place the blade facing the wrong way and your knife becomes a projectile, out of control flying missle - and how easy it would be to overheat and ruin the temper, if you’re not careful, and how safety goggles would help keep molten, metal powder from blinding you - but I’m going to buy myself a “real” kit.

Knives are dangerous, so I don’t need all of these “safe” sharpening systems. Isn’t that what it really all boils down to anyway? You go slow, so you don’t overheat the blade, there are brass rods, to protect your hands. I’m thinking if you lose the “safety factor” and you just want your steel scary sharp, you better do it how the PROS do it, on machines. Just where I’m at after 25+ years of battling the “wire edge” issues, and spending a small fortune on every safe system out there.

Note: I’ll always keep the Sharpmaker, as my travel kit. Perfect for touch ups and I’m not discrediting it one bit. I just think the Wicked Edge was a bad buying remorseful decision for me, as I’ve found so many design flaws and was expecting so much more.

[2cha]

After I placed my order with Wicked Edge I was told an accessory was back ordered. I was asked if I wanted to substitute the item with something else, wait out the back order or have part of the order shipped to me. I responded and hadn't heard back from them until a week later when I emailed them. They apparently were still waiting for my response, but informed me the back order could take a month. I was very disappointed, especially since their web site hadn't shown this item was out of stock. I had even emailed Clay prior to placing my order and he said nothing about this. It really bothers me that they didn't get back with me right away or keep their web site updated. I had read online that others have had terrible customer support from Wicked Edge, now I see what they are talking about.

I ended up canceling my $300 order, even though I believe their knife sharpening system is perfect for me. Guess I will end up saving myself money and buying a less expensive system.

My shopping experience with Wicked Edge was fine. I was warned both on the website before I purchased and via email that my items were back-ordered. I was notified when my items shipped. They arrived well packaged.

[jackknifeh]

Yes, it was probably meant to be.

Anyway, I just realized the way they (Spyderco) gets them scary sharp from the factory is with power tools: Belt Sander and some sort of grinding or buffing wheel. I should have known they’re not building them from the factory with the Sharpmaker. Sharpaker is a SAFE and reliable (great) way to touch up the edges, but for serious (and dangerous - or “non-consumer”) sharpening, power tools seem to be the way to go. From all the research (Google) I’ve been doing, it seems like EVERY knifemaker, or company uses a BELT SANDER to get ‘em sharp when new.

I understand it’s dangerous, if you place the blade facing the wrong way and your knife becomes a projectile, out of control flying missle - and how easy it would be to overheat and ruin the temper, if you’re not careful, and how safety goggles would help keep molten, metal powder from blinding you - but I’m going to buy myself a “real” kit.

Knives are dangerous, so I don’t need all of these “safe” sharpening systems. Isn’t that what it really all boils down to anyway? You go slow, so you don’t overheat the blade, there are brass rods, to protect your hands. I’m thinking if you lose the “safety factor” and you just want your steel scary sharp, you better do it how the PROS do it, on machines. Just where I’m at after 25+ years of battling the “wire edge” issues, and spending a small fortune on every safe system out there.

Note: I’ll always keep the Sharpmaker, as my travel kit. Perfect for touch ups and I’m not discrediting it one bit. I just think the Wicked Edge was a bad buying remorseful decision for me, as I’ve found so many design flaws and was expecting so much more.

I've seen a video of Spyderco's factory where they are making a Native and they do use a grinding wheel or something similar. I think this is mainly for speed since they are being made on an assembly line. Some that I've bought do come RAZOR sharp and some others come sharp but not RAZOR sharp. I think that depends on the skill of the person who handled that particular knife or maybe someone was just having a bad day. Who knows. All knives will get dull sooner or later so if they need a touchup right out of the box it's no big deal.

About safety, I use the Edge Pro which is about as safe as any and I still nick myself once in a while. :eek: :D Can't blame the sharpener or the knife though. I'll take credit for all my scars. :o

Jack

[2cha]

Something I noticed last night with Wicked Edge while sharpening a PM2, due a protrusion that surrounds the entire stone (probably a safety feature and I will grind them off or hollow out so I can reach) one cannot sharpen the entire edge of the knife--the first 1/16-3/32 cannot be accessed. I can access the entire edge on a Manix 2 due to the curved plunge line of the hollow grind.

Is this an issue with the edge pro?

[angusW]

Yes, it was probably meant to be.

Anyway, I just realized the way they (Spyderco) gets them scary sharp from the factory is with power tools: Belt Sander and some sort of grinding or buffing wheel. I should have known they’re not building them from the factory with the Sharpmaker. Sharpaker is a SAFE and reliable (great) way to touch up the edges, but for serious (and dangerous - or “non-consumer”) sharpening, power tools seem to be the way to go. From all the research (Google) I’ve been doing, it seems like EVERY knifemaker, or company uses a BELT SANDER to get ‘em sharp when new.

I understand it’s dangerous, if you place the blade facing the wrong way and your knife becomes a projectile, out of control flying missle - and how easy it would be to overheat and ruin the temper, if you’re not careful, and how safety goggles would help keep molten, metal powder from blinding you - but I’m going to buy myself a “real” kit.

Knives are dangerous, so I don’t need all of these “safe” sharpening systems. Isn’t that what it really all boils down to anyway? You go slow, so you don’t overheat the blade, there are brass rods, to protect your hands. I’m thinking if you lose the “safety factor” and you just want your steel scary sharp, you better do it how the PROS do it, on machines. Just where I’m at after 25+ years of battling the “wire edge” issues, and spending a small fortune on every safe system out there.

Note: I’ll always keep the Sharpmaker, as my travel kit. Perfect for touch ups and I’m not discrediting it one bit. I just think the Wicked Edge was a bad buying remorseful decision for me, as I’ve found so many design flaws and was expecting so much more.

When you're using wood it's a belt sander. When using steel it's a belt grinder :D

I have a small 30"X1" belt grinder in my shop with sharpening belts and a leather strop as well. I can get an extremely dull blade of s30v very sharp in a matter of minutes with it. I've never gotten the blade too hot when using the belt grinder and have never had a blade thrown out of my hands, but I still wear safety glasses just in case. But it feels like cheating so most of the time I use the SM. I'm not terribly skilled at it but I really enjoy using it. It's almost like meditating and there is a feeling of satisfaction when I notice my skill level increase while using it.

[jackknifeh]

Something I noticed last night with Wicked Edge while sharpening a PM2, due a protrusion that surrounds the entire stone (probably a safety feature and I will grind them off or hollow out so I can reach) one cannot sharpen the entire edge of the knife--the first 1/16-3/32 cannot be accessed. I can access the entire edge on a Manix 2 due to the curved plunge line of the hollow grind.

Is this an issue with the edge pro?

I have an Edge Pro but not a PM2. The EP strokes the edge at a 90 degree angle (or as close as you want) with the edge of the knife so the stone can get right to the end of the edge at the pivot of a folder. So I doubt if you would have the problem you are talking about with the EP but without pictures it's hard to tell.

Jack

[miyamotomusashi]

Does anybody know the “ideal” thickness of the blade to use with the Wicked Edge? If the blade is thicker, it changes the degreeº numbers on the RIGHT side - and if it’s thinner, it makes those numbers more obtuse than what they read.

I remember someone posting this “ideal” thickness the machine was calibrated too, but I can’t find it now - and I’m anal enough that I NEED to account for this when I reprofile my expensive knives.

I guess buying a tool like some digital angle finder would be an easy way to figure it out without math, but I don’t really have the means to buy one of those right now, nor would I even know where to look, or what options I would need, etc.

I want to sharpen a pretty thick blade, but I want to account for the “ideal” calibration of the read-out on the adjustable universal joints, at the base of the rods. Does anybody know of an easy way to do that? Thanks!

[rycen]

Sounds like this might help

http://m.rockler.com/m/http/www.rockler ... XsKSlV0%3D

[miyamotomusashi]

Sounds like this might help

http://m.rockler.com/m/http/www.rockler ... XsKSlV0%3D

Thank you. I actually downloaded an app for the iPhone, called “iLevel” which is the exact same thing - pretty neat, actually. And it was FREE!!!

I found out that with the thick blade stock of the SMF Strider, I had to set the right side to 21º while the left side was at 20º to get them to match, then with the stones - I measured angles, and found I was actually at 15.6º! :eek:

So, I would NOT go by the numbers printed on that thing - I recommend a (free) angle (digital, free) read-out too., so both sides will match, and also be an accurate read-out, so you know exactly how much metal you’re grinding off.

So, after I got it all set up, it made a very obtuse angle near the pommel, while getting VERY acute towards the tip. The level of variation was preposterous. Then I looked up research, and read that I should clamp it so the belly curve is closer to the pivot point of the rods...

This (because of the way my Strider SMF is ground) cause the blade to NOT clamp straight up and down - because I was on the flat ground part - but the worst part is that it made the blade BIND terribly, skewing the blade towards the left, and it was clamped crooked - and no matter how much I loosened the bottom bolt in the clamp, I could not BUDGE the top screw... Then my knife moved in the clamp and left a HUGE GOUGE in my (Expensive) S30v. :mad:

I had to get a loner leverage tool to release my (now scarred) knife from this POS clamp and I got out my belt grinder with leather belt strop and got myself an EVEN and UNIFORM, MIRROR FINISH within ten minutes.

I have given up on the Wicked Edge COMPLETELY. I believe it is a worthless POS and I vow to NEVER clamp another knife in there. I almost threw the thing across the room, because it cost me over $400 total, and just wrecked my $550 knife.

I would have put up with all this machine’s issues, if only it could do an EVEN BEVEL, but (measuring with my iPhone and iLevel) it ranged from 20º at the base and went all way down to 12º toward the belly and tip! UNACCEPTABLE, especially on a “nicer” knife!

EDIT: WIth iLevel, you have to keep the iPhone/iPod, VERTICAL while making measurements - up and down... it’s hard to explain, but as you move the rod back, and the iPhone would “lean” backwards, you have to keep it straight up for accurate read-outs... I’m sure the real tool that rycen linked too would work a lot better, but the free app worked in a pinch.

[angusW]

Sounds like this might help

http://m.rockler.com/m/http/www.rockler ... XsKSlV0%3D

I have the identical one but I got mine from Lee Valley. I would think that it would be more accurate than an iPhone app plus you can zero it at any angle. A quick way to see if a level is off is to put it on a level surface then spin it 180º and see if you get the same reading.

[miyamotomusashi]

You can zero the iPhone app at any angle as well, and it gives you to the tenths of a degree. I tested it the same way, with a flat piece of granite slap... It was surprisingly accurate, and FREE! Worth a shot, if you already have an iPod/iPhone, and are interested... At least while you’re waiting for your more expensive one to arrive.

I buy into HIGH QUALITY tools just like most knife knuts, and I found the app to be more than adequate for angle measuring. I was actually really impressed!

The one I used is called, “iHandy Level”.

EDIT: Oh yeah, you need to use it on the side without buttons...

[Evil D]

After watching the video they have on their site, the first thing i immediately noticed is that this setup still doesn't solve the problem with clamp placement. It does have the little peg you stick in that assures that you've clamped the knife in the same amount each time...however, the height of the blade itself plays a huge role in the final degree you get, since the further the edge is away from the 90 degree point that the stones are pivoting off of, the lower the bevel is going to be. You'll also notice that in the pics posted above, the bevel starts getting much lower at the tip...because the tip is further away from the clamp than the belly of the blade.

Of course, this is an issue that all clamp systems have to deal with. I think a better design than that little peg would be to make it so that a set amount of blade was always sticking out from the edge of the clamp...it needs to be made adjustable so that, for example, maybe 1cm or so of blade is sticking out from the clamp...so that you can set it up for any size knife and still have the same amount of blade coming out from the clamp, otherwise on a tall kitchen knife, God only knows what your ending bevel degree is. I'm no expert but the Endura pics look a LOT lower than 30 inclusive to me, especially given that Spyderco shoots for 30 from the factory and that bevel looks like it's nearly twice as wide as the factory edge (unless that knife has been sharpened a LOT). Still, i'm sure you'll still get repeatable results with any knife...you may just have issues when going from this setup to a Sharpmaker, when you think you're at 30 inclusive and you go to hit it on the 30 slot and find that you're way lower than that.

[Javascript]

I watched all the videos provided on the WE website, read the material, and must admit I like what I see. It looks like a quality product, yet I see that those with experience have differing opinions.
Seems to me that the WE system tries to do what other alignment systems try to do--maintain the precision of the sharpening process for one knife-sharpening event (short-term repeatability).
Operator skill is still required, especially when duplicating the setup conditions for resharpening the same knife at a later date (reproducibility). The WE tries to address that with the spacer and angle-setting rods.
The Lansky has the same problem with FFG blades—how to adjust the jaws to accommodate both the sloping side of the blade from spine to edge and taper of the blade from tang to point. I use a non-elastic tape as a spacer on the blade such that each side of each jaw will contact both the spine and the tape further down the spine. Now I have 2 points of contact on each side of the blade, and I do not have slip/slide issues.
I have also measured and recorded the length of the jaw and height of the slots and use those values to calculate the approximate angle for a given knife.