Excited …

[Mark]

I’m feeling very excited today. My WE 130 should arrive today. I have been reading the forum and watching every video I could find. Hopefully, that will help with the learning curve. This forum has some great people offering solid, proven advice. Thanks to MarcH for taking the time to steer me in the right direction. I see several people on this forum getting the results I hope to achieve. I’m starting out with a basic 130 set with aluminum base and an add on 800/1000 stone. I will be purchasing the 4/2  leather strop set next.  Organic and MarcH recommended these. Thanks.

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45srbest, NotSharpEnuff, Marc H

[Organic]

The fun is soon to begin! Focus on developing a consistent technique and work on your junk knives first.

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Mark

[Mark]

Thanks Organic. I’m looking forward to it. I’m not new to sharpening but I am to this system. Should be an exciting venture.

[Richard]

It definitely is fun but don’t become impatient.  Take it slow around the knives, otherwise, it can get ugly (no reaching over the knife to grab something, bring it around the back).  And always go for the burr, you can’t go wrong.

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Organic, Mark

[Mark]

Well, It’s definitely going to take some practice lol. I bought a couple of cheap knives to play with. The one I just sharpened had 440c steel. I took my time and set the angles with my angle cube. Took it to 18. Worked it down starting with the 200 grit. I worked a burr on both sides and progressed up to a 1000 grit. Managed to cut myself twice. 🙁    Nothing serious, but I definitely have to learn some better muscle memory and slow down. The edge will shave hair and do smooth cuts on paper, but I have done better edges with my other systems. I know this is just me learning the system and the stones wearing in. I hit the edge with my ceramic rod and got it sharper so I see that the strops are going to be needed for the system. I just have work on my technique a lot. So far, I like it.

[Expidia]

Welcome Mark.  Tips I’ve learned the hard way . . . Do yourself a favor and spend $11 for a pair of the cut resistant gloves on Amazon.  Its as you say it takes time for your muscles to develop a stroking memory (its like learning how to play a piano).  Also get two pair of the plastic stops (I use them on both top and bottom of the rods, especially on longer blades) that Airscapes sells here so your stones don’t slip off the edge and scratch up your knives.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00W5DMX3C/ref=ppx_yo_dt_b_asin_title_o00_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

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Mark, Organic, airscapes

[Marc H]

Mark,  I agree that you need to practice safety first sharpening knives.  I am not a fan of what I found to be bulky cut proof gloves, that others prefer to use.  Although the gloves do work quite well, if you like them.  I find I’m always putting them on and taking them off again.

I prefer to use Safety Shields on my sharpening stones.  The shields leave my hands and fingers uncovered so I have better dexterity.  I can easily keep feeling the knife edge for sharpness as I continuously check my edges for sharpening progress.   Wicked Edge manufactures and sells this product.  I use my own home made safety shields.  They keep my fingers safely tucked behind a physical cut-proof barrier:

I have purchased Wicked Edge’s product and I cut the bottom out to make them easier to put on and remove:

The safety shields also help me with lateral stability, while sharpening.  They allow me to spread my finger pressure wider to allow for better control and flat even contact of the stone’s surface against the knife bevel while sharpening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)

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000Robert, 45srbest, Brewbear, Mark, Organic

[Mark]

Thanks for the responses. I saw the stone mounted shields on the accessories page. I may get both. i’m not sure about the gloves but better safe than sorry. I check my edge a lot and I think the gloves may get to be a chore taking them on and off. Maybe the shields would be more user friendly.

 

[Marc H]

Here’s a new project “airscapes” and I collaborated on.  This is a prototype of his 3D printed Plastic Safety Shields.  I’ll try them soon to see how I like them.  I have no problem with them being opaque since I don’t look through the shields at the clamped knife edge.  When I sharpen the left side I look from the right side and vice versa.  When I use alternating left-right-left-right strokes I look down the center.  Most of this, the sharpening strokes, for me, I find, after doing it a while, is “by feel” and “sound” using muscle memory, while feeling and listening for consistency.  I do look at what I’m doing but I don’t need to watch it so closely that I need to see everything.   I more watch to maintain finger and stone position for consistent sharpening strokes.

These shields fit close to the sides of the sharpening stones right up under the stone’s mounting plate.  In stead of squeezing the stones paddle between my finger tips, inwards or sideways, I can hold my finger tips flat against the Safety Shields, also.  This lets me apply flat lateral pressure to maintain good complete flat complete contact between the stones surface and the knife bevels.  So the purpose of the Safety Shields is two fold.  I have a physical barrier between my fingers and my sharpened knife edge and improved control over the sharpening pressure and the consistent stone contact with the knife edge.

The Safety Shields are designed and made thin enough to easily slide past the upper stone stops. But they’re thick enough to be rigid and not bow or warp.  The upper stone stops allow you to control the range of motion of your sharpening stones up the guide rods without coming off the knife edge.

 

Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)

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[Author]

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