In July 2010 I purchased an iGaging Angle Cube and Informed Clay Allison that he could use one to prove that the angle doesn’t change on long flat knives. There was lots of internet misinformation on this subject. Clay bought his first angle cube shortly later and found it extremely useful.
AccuRemote has a model with an LED backlight, so I recently ordered one to examine. It basically worked the same as my 2010 iGaging unit with the following differences. It is heavier at 22.7 grams vs 20.2 grams for the older unit. The magnets were weaker and would not hold on a smooth metal surface (but did work on the 800/1000 stone). Both this unit and my older unit have resolution of .05 degree, but often would not indicate change of less than .2 degree when varying the angle on the ProPack2 fine adjustment. This behavior is very undesirable. In addition, both require removing 4 tine screws to remove the back and install the 9 volt battery. The battery connector has extremely short leads and the connector can be almost impossible to snap on or off the battery. The LED backlight was not very bright and must be turned on separately after turning on the unit. I returned this unit for refund because the overall performance was worse than my older unit.
Wixey has a new Angle Cube Model WR300 Type 2 with LED backlight. It has a bright backlight that turns on when the unit is on. The resolution is only .1 degree but the display indicates changes properly when adjusting the ProPack2 fine adjustment. The most significant advantage is weight. The unit only weighs 7.9 grams and has almost no tendency to rotate the stone when mounted. The battery is a standard AAA, and is easily replaced by snapping off the battery cover on the back of the unit.
The Wixey unit is not a level and most be zeroed on the Wicked Edge mounting surface. It has magnets only on the bottom, so it reads 70 degrees when set to a 20 degree angle (90 – sharpening angle = displayed reading). Mr. Wixey is a former VP of Black & Decker and has extensive experience in product design of industrial tools.
I find the light weight, smooth operation for fine adjustment, easy battery replacement , and bright LED backlight significant advantages in actual use.
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