Wicked Edge knife sharpener

[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.

[Evil D]

Well, if you consider and accept the fact that these clamp system go by their own rules as far as what the actual degree of the bevel ends up being...then you can just adjust the clamp so it clamps flush on the sides of an FFG blade, and set it up every time that way and you'll always get repeatable results. Of course, if you then go to a Sharpmaker, you may find that you're not exactly at 30 degrees or whatever...but if you only use the clamp sharpener then you don't really have to worry about that.

I struggled with clamping my FFG blades the same as a saber grind blade for a long time, then i realized that for me, since i only use the Lansky, it really doesn't matter. I set the clamp up the same every time and my edge comes out scary sharp every time.

[phillipsted]

Fully agree, Evil D. What matters is consistency, not the exact angle. I really don't care about the actual angle on my Para2 clamped in the Top slot at ruler mark A. As long as I can repeat that exact position and get the stones back to the same angle after I've beveled it (whatever that angle is), then I can get it razor sharp again.

I like the WEPS system. I've been sharpening for a lot of years, and this is the first guided system that really worked for me.

TedP

[Kaye]

Hi there! Thank you everyone for your comments! There are many interesting things there!

[SolidState]

Hmm, might be a POS but if I can convince my Mother-In-Law that it will decrease the hanging flab under her arms, she'll buy one and soon stow it next to the other 15 bunblasters, thighdecreasers and such for me pilfer shortly thereafter. No cost to me!

Bwahahaha haha hahaha