New WE user

[Photog200]

I just received my WE Pro II sharpener yesterday.  I have already sharpened several knives and have been getting quite good results.  I have been doing most of my sharpening by hand on Japanese wet stones.  I got so I was getting “OK” results.  I wanted to get a more professional and consistent bevel so I decided on the WE system.  I can see where I have much to learn but already have been getting good results.

 

I do have a question though.  Since I came to this system from using wet stones, I was use to getting more polished edges than I can get with just the 1000 grit stones with the WE Pro II.  I have never used ceramic stones before for sharpening, should I go with the ceramic or the wet stones for the WE system?  I would like to take the sharpening to the next level and could use the advise for the next step.

Randy

[cbwx34]

I haven’t used them, but I believe that some members who polished with ceramics or waterstones have switched to using the diamond lapping film and describing better results.  The ceramics will give a decent polish, although not quite a ‘mirror’.  There’s also the option of leather strops… that’s originally what most of the polished edges were made with.

You might take a look at This Thread for some info… maybe get some ideas from it.

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M1rrorEdge, Photog200, Alan

[Mark76]

Welcome to the forum! I hope you enjoy your WEPS.

I’d go with the ceramics. Whet stones work well as well, but they are more involved. It’s more messy and they have a different thickness than the stock stones, so it takes quite a bit of time to set up the system for these stones (and you have to do that for every stone separately). As Curtis said, the diamond films are a great alternative, but these are wearables, of course.

Only if you want true mirror edges, the ceramic stones won’t get you there. Then you need whet stones (up to 10.000 grit) or diamond films (up to 1 micron at least).

Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge

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M1rrorEdge, Photog200

[Photog200]

Mark76 wrote:

Welcome to the forum! I hope you enjoy your WEPS. <span style=”line-height: 1.5;”>I’d go with the ceramics. Whet stones work well as well, but they are more involved. It’s more messy and they have a different thickness than the stock stones, so it takes quite a bit of time to set up the system for these stones (and you have to do that for every stone separately). As Curtis said, the diamond films are a great alternative, but these are wearables, of course.</span> Only if you want true mirror edges, the ceramic stones won’t get you there. Then you need whet stones (up to 10.000 grit) or diamond films (up to 1 micron at least).

It sounds like the ceramics or diamond films are the way to go.  The current system is fine for my kitchen knives but I have a couple of hunting knives that I would like to have the mirror finish.  Thanks for the responses, I was leaning toward the wet stones…glad I asked the question!

Thanks for the welcome too

[Photog200]

cbwx34 wrote:

I haven’t used them, but I believe that some members who polished with ceramics or waterstones have switched to using the diamond lapping film and describing better results. The ceramics will give a decent polish, although not quite a ‘mirror’. There’s also the option of leather strops… that’s originally what most of the polished edges were made with. You might take a look at This Thread for some info… maybe get some ideas from it.

Thanks for the reply.  My kit came with leather strops so I do have those.  Sounds like the diamond lapping film is what I will try.

[CliffCurry]

Welcome Photog.  Lapping films would be my preferred method to mirror polish as well. I do have micro ceramics that I got early on but now just use them for an occasional fine micro-bevel.

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Photog200

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