Scott Miller, welcome to the Wicked Edge Forum. I imagine you’re unhappy and disgusted right now, thinking this expensive knife sharpener is pretty useless. I’m sorry to share the reality of this, with you. All the different Wicked Edge models do have their limitations, specifications and ranges of use. As you discovered the 1/4″ (wide jaw) accessory set are exactly as named. Knife thickness limitations is one of the few shortcoming for the Gen 3 vise design for the W.E. models that use it, (e.g., WE130, Gen 3 Pro, and Commercial Series). In reality, thinner knives than 1/4″ are the majority for knife designs.
If you will be sharpening thick bladed implements on any sort of regular basis, the “Standard Vise” model like the WE120 is more practical in that situation. Even still, when using a W.E. standard vise model, you may need to acquire and change out the included vise hardware with longer screws to accommodate those thicker knives or even hatchetts and axes.
For your situation, owning and using the Gen 3 Pro, you may be able to acquire, (if you don’t already have it), the W.E. low angle adapter, LAA. The adapter is also a two piece “standard vise” design. You may need to do the same thing I mentioned in the previous paragraph, that would be substitute the standard included screws with longer screws that would allow you to expand the LAA wide enough to accommodate and clamp your thick, 5/16″, Kukri knife.
Another suggestion I can offer is you may be able to acquire and use a “Tormek small knife holder”. This grasps knives by their handles. Both of these suggested adapters, (LAA and Tormek) hold the knives offset, then that unit is clamped in your W.E. Gen 3 Pro vise. The large size, the weight and balance of the thick knife may not be ideal for these adapters. These adapters are not ideal for the Kukri.
Most of us do acquire and find the LAA and the Tormek Small Knife Holder a practical and useful accessory to have in our sharpening kits. If you will be sharpening thick implements regularly it’d probably be useful to invest in a second W.E. sharpener, the WE120.
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