Need some advice from the pros

Welcome to the W.E. forum Bill.

The WE130 with the Gen 3 clamping set-up is the easier and simpler model of these two to use and well worth the higher price.  All the sharpening and polishing mediums are compatible with all the different W.E. models.  The techniques used for sharpening and polishing knives are the same techniques used with every W.E. model.  The WE130 model allows the widdest range of sharpening angle settings.  It does work well for many knives you will try to sharpen.   But not necessarily with every knife or steel.  For these circumstance the WE130 is easily adaptable, modified and customized as you find the need to improve it’s compatibility to allow you to sharpen a wider variety of knives of different sizes, types, shapes and steels.

Adding the 800/1000 grit pair and strops is a good choice to start with.  This will allow you to achieve a very sharp edge once you figure it out.

The diamond sharpening stones, the mainstay of the W.E. setups,  work very well once they’re well broken in.  But still, these diamond stones may not be the best option with every steel.   There’s a wide variety of steels and hardnesses that may require other sharpening mediums, like whetstones, to sharpen those knives well.  There are aftermarket sources for purchasing a variety of whetstones, cut and mounted on W.E. handles.

The difference in the types of strop abrasives is in the vehicle used to suspend and apply them to the stropping paddles.  It’s really a personal preference for the feel of these strop mediums.  The pastes are inexpensive and easy to apply.  They can feel dry to some users and the paste can flake off with use.

The spray emulsions are my preference.  I find these have a nicer or smoother feel when using them.  Spray emulsion is not really a good name because the muddy looking thick emulsions don’t spray well.  The spray dispensers are prone to clog.  I’ve found to shake them up well and simply dab the emulsions on the strop leathers with the  sprayer cap’s straw.  This application method works well for me.

I finish up every knife I sharpen with at least a 4µ/2µ strop progression.  Care must be exercised using the strops to avoid cross contamination of these very fine grits.  The knife blade should be wiped clean after sharpening, before using the strops and again between the different strop grits.

Stropping is a whole different technique from sharpening, neither I’ll get into here.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Bill

That’s why we call it going down the “rabbit hole”.  If your like many of us it grows on itself.  We get more and more into achieving that perfect sharp and polished edge.  We get into more equipment and accessories.

If that’s not for you,  not where your interests lie, you may prefer to enjoy using your knives sharpened by a professional.  It’s probably cheaper in the long run. LOL.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Bill

It’s a good rabbit hole and keeps us with nice sharp edges.

1 user thanked author for this post.

Bill

MIKE, no disrespect intended….. but I beg to differ with your stated opinion, made in such absolute terms. It’s based on a limited point of view derived from the relatively small amount of time and experiences you’ve had knife sharpening using your WE130.  Your statement is actually incorrect.

Many of us using the WE Sharpening Systems have chosen to widen our sharpening capabilities and characteristics of our W.E. models.  The WE130 is highly customizable, modified and adaptable allowing it to be used to sharpen a much wider range of knife types, sizes, angles, and steel types then your personal sharpening experiences have encompassed, this far.  I’m hoping to help you broaden your perspective and change your opinion.

I regularly sharpen the various Japanese Chef’s knives in my collection with one of my WE130 setups.  I also employ my Shapton Glass Stones, along with the other Japanese whetstone brands I have, and use.  All of these whetstones are fitted and mounted on W. E. paddles.  I too learned, a while back, that the W.E. diamond sharpening medium either can’t sharpen some of these Japanese steels well, or may even damage these steels if used to sharpen some of them.

I’m including a few old photos of one of my W.E. setups that allows me to do as I say I can do.  With this setup I can achieve both, much lower and much wider bevel angle settings.  I have further improved it’s ease of use by incorporating additional accessories since these photos were first taken.  Like I wrote in an earlier post, the WE System is simply a well conceived, well designed, engineered and machined bench vise with precision adjustable angle jigs.  How you choose to employ it is limited only by your ingenuity, capability and budget.

Here is a forum link to another specialized WE130 set-up I have designed and built to allow me to use it with the wide variety of knives I own and use.

MIKE, keep sharpening, while enjoying your WE130.  As you said, “it’s the latest and the greatest”.  Probably more then you ever knew or realized it could be.

3 users thanked author for this post.

Mike, Brewbear, 000Robert

I do the conceptualizing and a lot of the designing.  NotSharpEnuff and airscapes do all my 3D printing.

1 user thanked author for this post.

000Robert

I believe WE offered a riser block some time ago but I don’t see it available anymore. I wish they’d make it available again, I surely be ordering it. Short of that, maybe one of the gents with 3d printers will take pity on us, the printer challenged ones.

Thank you Marc, replied just now!