Do these knives fit?
- This topic has 7 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 07/11/2019 at 12:36 pm by
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Hi there,
I’m just deciding to get a WE Gen 3 Pro and I would like to know if it’s capable to sharpen the knives I use most or if I need the low angel adapter or another accessoire?
The knife to the left has an blade length of 21,5cm, the knife to the right 6,5 cm. The blade heigth of the right knife is only 1,5 cm – is this perhaps too narrow?Is there any of these knives I have to take care of especially while looking for the right clamping position?
Thank you very much,
Thomas
I think all of those knives will fit. The very narrow knives (fillet and paring) might require the use of an obtuse angle to prevent the clamp from getting in the way of the sharpening stones. The low angle adapter can help with that. Also, fillet knives require extra care since they are usually quite flexible, but they can be sharpened.
Great choice on the Gen 3 Pro system (I have the same one).
From my personal experience I’d also get a Tormec small knife adapter for around $39 too. Its great for smaller knives. The LAA adapter runs around $75 plus shipping and as organic noted its a must for thin blades. If you get the LAA unless you are ordering all at once WE’s free shipping kicks in after $100. So if you buy the LAA later on order it with 10 or 12 inch rods as the LAA moves the knife up higher in the OEM jaws. Rods are around $30 plus shipping so an LAA and a longer set of rods will be over $100 and will ship free. I started with 8 inch rods then went to 10 inchers now I recently ordered the 12 inchers. Watch the vid below on using the Tormec adapter with the WE system.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mK9Q8xtZosw
It really depends on the sharpening angle you want. If they are of a quality of steel and usage that can utilize a lower angle ie. under 15 dps I’d say that there is certainly a few there (guessing #3,4,8) that you will get stone contact with the vice unless you use a low angle adaptor or the tormec holder as others have stated.
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The smaller knives can be the most challenging in my opinion. If you do purchase a Tormec (which I did), aligning the knife perfectly using the rubber clamp is not easy compared with using the vice on the WE. It does work great however, just takes some practice. The first picture I attached is what Jeff is referring to when he says the stone will contact the vice. I broke mine in the first week I had it when I didn’t realize that I needed the low angle adapter 😉 The second picture is the Tormec Small Knife Adapter. You can see how the rubber clamp does secure it to the fixture but getting exactly dead center before beginning your sharpening does take a little time to perfect.
The nice thing about the LAA is it does clamp the actual blade which adds stiffness flexible blades need. Some longer blades you just do in two clamping steps. Doing the back section of the blade first and the moving it forward and re-clamping it to do the front section. I use a small piece of wood in my hand on the opposite side that Im working to help support the tip.
With the Tormec you mount the blade loosely in the adapter and lay it flat on the edge of a table and the metal section that gets clamped aligns with the blade which are both laying flat on the table. Then you tighten it down before mounting in the WE jaws. Its a must have item for smaller blades like paring knives etc.
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