Took the plunge
- This topic has 9 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 05/16/2017 at 3:44 am by
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It depends on what your sharpening goals are. Looking for a mirrored edge? Then you’ll likely want the 1500 diamond plate, glass platens, and some lapping films (although you can also get there with strops, it just takes longer). It seems that many people enjoy using the ceramic stones for adding a micro bevel or as a finishing grit. The strops are nice for edge touch ups, putting a convex edge on a knife, or just getting smoother cutting performance.
Some accessories that I can universally recommend are a jewelers loupe, a USB microscope, a sharpie marker, the Tormek small knife adapter, and an angle cube. I don’t think that you would regret purchasing any of these items.
That new 2017 model looks really cool! I hope Clay is planning on releasing an upgrade kit for the tool free micro adjustment arms and the new split jaws.
For me when I first was starting to use the Wicked Edge, the best method of monitoring for blade sharpness was simply my finger tips feeling the edge. After I knew I has putting a sharp cutting edge to my knives then I began looking for a method to see how the edge was being made sharp, “the visual quality of the edge”. First I used a lighted loupe, with some awkwardness, like you’re mentioning then I got an inexpensive USB Microscope I used with a smart phone. Now I use the a USB Mscope, of my liking, with a Laptop I have adjacent to my sharpening station.
Marc
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Thank you for your response. I hope to be able to create a sharp, mirrored edge one day. For now, I’m just going to concentrate on the essentials. I have a jeweler’s loupe; however, it is only 10X. Do you think that would be a useful power, or should I get something stronger. I also plan on getting the angle cube and the 1500 grit stones when I am able to save the money.
A 10x loupe will be a lot better than just using the naked eye and I think it would be fine if you don’t want to invest any more right now. You certainly don’t need any scope or loupe to put a great edge on a knife with the WE.
However, I’ve found that I like having the ability to see the edge at about 50x for macro inspection and also at about 150x or so to see a detail of the scratch pattern up close. Being able to see clearly what is going on close up allows for a more informed sharpening process. It can help you know if you’ve properly apexed the edge, to determine when to advance to the next grit in your sharpening progression, or if you need to go back to a more coarse grit to fix an issue that you had previously overlooked. Also, it’s just fun!
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Welcome to the forum, Viking! Glad you like your WEPS. I think you already got good advice on the accessories, so I won’t repeat that. But if you have other questions, please don’t hesitate to ask.
Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge
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I don’t have any of the ceramic stones though I would like to get some. Hopefully those who have used them will reply as well.
I don’t think that the ceramic stones are capable of putting a truly mirrored edge on a knife without stropping or the use of a lapping film afterward. I believe that the edge they produce is reflective, but kind of hazy like a high polish satin finish. The cutting abilities of these types of edges has been reported to be very good for utility applications.
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The ceramic stones will definitely give you a finer edge. But I think Organic is right: you’ll still be able to see some scratches after the 0.6 ceramic stones.
If you want a true mirror edge, the lapping film is the fastest route. Alternatively, you could strop your bevel, but this requires a little more experience and usually also a bit more time.
Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge
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