Observations and some success from a rookie WE user.

First off, let me say that this is a great forum! Thank you Wicked Edge Team for giving us this format.

There are many skilled and knowledgeable people here that are very willing to offer proven techniques for using the WE sharpeners. I have been blessed with a lot of great advise on how to correctly get the most from my WE.

I hope that this post will in some way help and encourage others that are new to the WE and shorten the learning curve and to realize that good results are “very” possible even for those of us just starting to use the WE systems.

I have just recently purchased a Gen 3 Pro. Thanks to some of the forum members here, I have upgraded and added a some accessories that have really helped make a great knife sharpening system even better, and some that I feel are necessary to get the best results possible. Are these upgrades and added accessories necessary to get a sharp knife, absolutely not. But…..In my opinion they definitely help.

1. First off, I lowered my Gen 3 Pro by removing the shelves because it was causing back pain due to reaching up and out to sharpen knives. Supposedly there is a kit in the works from WE just for this. Hurting takes a lot of enjoyment out of this hobby.
2. I purchased the 10″ and 12″ guide rods. I have pretty much been using the 10″ and find that it’s a good middle ground length that so far works well for me.
3. I installed Ed’s (NotSharpEnuff) upgraded micro adjustment kit. Making the necessary micro adjustments to the stone angle is much easier and I haven’t had any issues with the locking nuts coming loose during sharpening.
4. I purchased a set of stone stops and adapter cap for non-magnetic stones from airscapes. These have become invaluable in keeping the stones from contacting the sides of the blade and adjusting the angle of the non-magnetic stones.
5. Angle Cube……..I purchased the DXL360S angle cube for checking and adjusting stone angles. It’s very accurate and I feel a very necessary accessory for maintaining the correct edge angle with “every” grit change and strops.
6. USB Microscope…….I recommend getting a USB Microscope if possible. Its great for seeing what kind of shape your knife edge is in and making sure you have a burr created when establishing the apex.
7. Edge-On-Up Edge Tester…….If your budget will allow it, this is a great tool for determining how sharp your knife is. I was using the paper cut and three finger method for the first 8 knives I sharpened. I bit the bullet and ordered one of these and it is a handy way to know how sharp you are getting your knives and how bad of an edge they have before you start the sharpening process.

One thing that I have found that is extremely necessary for we beginners, is “patience”. You can’t rush….at least I can’t rush and expect to have a good edge on a knife. We have to take the necessary time to establish a good apex by finding the “sweet spot” correctly and then creating a good apex and the “burr”.

I made the mistake of “not” finding and using the correct edge angle on the first 6 kitchen knives I tried to sharpen. I ended up re-profiling the angle which required removing a lot of metal to get there. It took me two days on a few of those knives. I learned a lesson….and in a way I’m glad I did. Now I know what is involved in re-profiling a blade. We beginners should determine the factory angle first and use that angle to sharpen the knife during the learning process of using the WE. Re-profiling can happen later when really needed.

The last two knives I have sharpened on my Gen 3 Pro have definitely been the most successful. I sharpened my 9th knife, a Wusthof Kitchen Knife and then checked it on the Edge Tester and it tested 125 on the BESS sharpness scale. This falls into the utility razor category. I was very pleased with this. I had already started on this knife before I received my edge tester so I don’t have any before numbers. But, the edge was in pretty rough shape when examined with the USB Microscope prior to sharpening.

My 10th knife, which I sharpened yesterday was a brand new Zero Tolerance 0770CF  that I purchased this past weekend. I examined this blade with the microscope and the factory didn’t establish a good apex which was very visible with the scope. I then tested the blade on the edge tester and got a 295 score which falls into the new high end cutlery edges scale. I then began the sharpening process on the WE. Finding the sweet spot and establishing the edge angle at 20 dps. I took this edge through 2200 grit diamond stones followed with 14mu and 10mu balsa stops. I then re-tested the knife and got a score of 165 on the edge tester. This falls into the utility razor blade scale. It’s not a mirror finish, but that’s ok with me. I’m not into mirror finishes. I’m into sharp knives that do their job effectively. That is up to each individual to decide what kind of edge works best for them.

I am sorry I have no pictures to share. I’m still trying to work out some computer issues. I’m having better luck sharpening knives than I am with computers these days. 🙂

I can’t finish this post without giving credit when credit is due. MarcH has given me some much appreciated guidance and encouragement the last few weeks. He has definitely helped shorten my learning curve and I can’t thank him enough!

So……for all the newbies to the WE out there…..good luck…….and don’t be afraid to ask questions here. There are some very “sharp” individuals here that can answer them.

Tommie

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Johnny, Mike, Richard, Haffner, TimmyNY, Brewbear, tcmeyer, DaveG, Mike, wickededge, NotSharpEnuff, Organic, Marc H