clamping at 15 degrees

[Brian]

While practicing with my new we 100 when trying to sharpening at 15 degrees the stone hits the bottom clamp screw. What am I doing wrong. I am working with a stiff about 4 ” long kitchen knife.

 

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Dwight Glass

[Marc H]

Welcome, Brian:  15º is a fairly narrow angle setting for any kitchen knife and it is at the lower end of the sharpening angle range limit for most models, WEPS.  You can try to clamp the knife higher up in the jaws.  All that matters is that the knife is griped securely.  It doesn’t have to be sitting down on the depth key to work properly.  Positioned on the depth key makes it easier to reposition the knife and record that clamping position for future touch ups, but is not mandatory.

Just curious, are you choosing to profile that knife at 15º or is that the previous bevel angle you are matching.  Did you use the marker to determine the bevel angle the knife was previously sharpened at?  Or is that the manufacturer’s specified angle?

Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)

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Organic

[Organic]

The low angle adapter can help you get lower angles without hitting the vice. I also really like using the Tormek small knife jig fit this purpose.

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Marc H

[tcmeyer]

If it’s just the lower screw interfering with your stroke, you might consider picking up a second screw and cut it to the length you can live with.  Changing screws is a 30-second job.

The WEPS systems generally use only two screw thread sizes; 10-32 and 1/4″-28.  I think they use stainless screws everywhere, but that’s not an issue.  Any old screw will do if it’s the right size.  If you can’t find anything locally (we have an old hardware store here that keeps almost anything you might need), send me a PM and I’ll check to see if I have what you need on hand.  Might not be flat-head but I know I’ve got several different kinds laying about..

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Organic

[Brian]

Thanks for the help. I did not see the angle with the marker and thought I would try 15 because the try angle sharpeners are fixed at that angle. I will try practicing with different knifes.

[Marc H]

Brian, as you see from the responses of three different, very experienced, Wicked Edge users and experienced knife sharpeners, there are different ways to deal with your issue.  Part of the learning curve and the experience gained over time with a lot of sharpening done with a variety of knives is we Wicked Edge users learn how to adapt our techniques, adapt or Wicked Edge Sharpeners and utilize external adaptors to get the job done, while overcoming the limitations of our Wicked Edge System.  Knowing what route to take,  and when, is based on experience,  creativity and intuitiveness.  I’m sure all three of our suggestions would enable you to successfully sharpen the knife to 15º per side.

Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)

[Expidia]

If you don’t have one yet, I found an angle cube is indispensable when using this system along with the black marker.

And if you are sharpening a branded knife, you can google the manufacturer for their angle.

I started with my Wusthof brand kitchen knife brand and just googled: “Sharpening angle for Wusthof knives”  . . . for my starting angle.

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Dwight Glass

[Author]

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