NEW HANDLES
- This topic has 21 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 11/08/2017 at 10:52 am by
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Thanks for bringing it up! We’ve made them tighter so there is very little play. The new design and material makes for much better tolerances. We’ve switched from polypropylene to ABS to reduce the amount of shrinkage during molding. We also made it a 2-piece part with each piece enclosing half of the bore rather than having a thru-bore which used to require a slight draft to the pins so they could be extracted.
-Clay
Are all of these new handles in stock and available?
Marc
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I haven’t tried them, but they look cool!
Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge
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Clay: Are they designed to fit the new rod diameter? Will they fit the old rods? I’m looking to buy three pairs of blank handles and then load them with the 200/400, 600/800 and 1000/1500 stone sequence. The question is, do I also need to order a set of the larger diameter rods?
Thanks,
Tom
Clay: Are they designed to fit the new rod diameter? Will they fit the old rods? I’m looking to buy three pairs of blank handles and then load them with the 200/400, 600/800 and 1000/1500 stone sequence. The question is, do I also need to order a set of the larger diameter rods? Thanks, Tom
They’re designed for the new, thicker rod diameter, so they’ll be loose on the older rods.
-Clay
They’re designed for the new, thicker rod diameter, so they’ll be loose on the older rods.
Clay, my older stones fit nice and snugly on the new larger diameter rods. They feel like they slide truer without the slop. Will the new stones have this same snug fit and feel?
Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)Will the new stones have this same snug fit and feel?
Yes and hopefully even closer/smoother. With the new design and material, it’s much easier to control the diameter of the bore.
-Clay
I just received my new handles today, (the latest rendition/version handles). I have not sharpened a knife with them yet, but I did slide them on my WE System, with the newest version guide rods, to feel the fit. They have a very similar and snug feel as the original stone handles do on the new wider rods. I was unable to notice any additional tightness, snugness or difference in the tolerance. That’s a good thing. I do like their snug smooth feel very much.
I did try the new stones with a pair of old style guide rods. The feel is the same original feel I had for years, with the slightly noticeable slop or looseness. So those of you who are still using the older original guide rods you will continue to experience what you’re used to.
For those of you using my “Stone Racks”, the new version stones do fit the rack pegs correctly.
Marc
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I received my new handles today – three pairs of blank handles to which I’ve attached six pairs of diamond stones: 200/400; 600/800; and 1000/1500. I also added a set of 12″ rods, which are the new diameter of 0.255″. I haven’t yet had the opportunity to use them on an actual blade, but I can comment on the quality. Outstanding!
This marks a major milestone for my WEPS operation. I’ve can now abandon my use of bronze bushings, except for the diamond film handles, which I’ve settled on 6/3 and 1.5/1 microns. The new handles have nearly the same amount of play between the rod and handles as I’ve had with the bushings. I’ve drilled out the 1/4″ bushings on the film handles to 0.257 diameter (Size F drill). This is a little too tight for the new rods, but a few spins of the rod in the bushings with 5 micron lapping paste does the trick.
With the new set-up, I’ll be able to operate almost exclusively with my 2017 Gen 3 Pro rig, with no real need for the VSTA’s, except for the diamond film handles, where I’ll use my AngleCube.
Clay and WE crew: Congratulations on another top shelf move in your product line!
The only thing I’d change is to offer the blank handles in the standard colors – red/orange; green/yellow; and blue/purple. Or something like that.
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The only thing I’d change is to offer the blank handles in the standard colors – red/orange; green/yellow; and blue/purple. Or something like that.
Tom, surely you have an old tie-die shirt left laying around that goes well with the new color style handles! LOL
What did you use to measure the rods to that precision?
Marc
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What did you use to measure the rods to that precision?I have a number of measuring tools that will measure down to 0.001″, but for this I used a cheap 0 – 1″ micrometer I bought from Grizzly ( #2504, currently at $14.50 ). It actually measures down to 0.0001″ reliably. I have it mounted in their heavy micrometer stand ( #H7612, $18.95 ).3 users thanked author for this post.
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