Upgrade original W100 to W130?

[Bill K]

I bought my Wicked Edge Version 1 i.e. W100 in 2012.  Other then the challenge of clamping certain knives (Benchmade 940 Osborne, Benchmade Bushcrafter, Henckels paring knives, Leathermans, etc – Yes I have the low angle adapter), it works well for my large kitchen knives. For those who have upgraded, does the new clamping system with the W130 accommodate a wider variety of knives and do you feel the upgrade is a good value?  Not sure how much value there is with updated better ball joints and guide rods.  Thanks

[Mike]

I have a newer WE130, and I can’t speak to all the knives you mention, but the upgraded model takes a Benchmade Osborne 940 okay.

[Marc H]

Bill K, the WE100 with it’s Standard Vise will accommodate even the thickest knives.  It may require with very thick implements that you use longer clamping and tightening screws to allow the vise to spread wide enough and still clamp tight.  This is a clamping characteristic the updated WE130 with the Gen 3 Vise cannot match.

Both the old style Standard Vise WE100 and the newer or upgraded WE130 model can have similar clamping issues with some knife shapes, sizes and configurations.  Not every knife can be clamped easily or well with both vise set-ups.  They both have some limitations.  Both vise models have sharpening situations where the low angle adapter, L.A.A.  or a Tormek Small Knife Adapter may need to be used.

The ball bearing joints used in the WE130 are like having power steering with the improved rotation, flexibility and range of motion, as compared to the 2012 model WE100 rotating arm joints.  The WE 100 guide rod brackets only allows gross angle adjustments.  Finer angle control can be achieved with the WE100 with knowledge, and practicing an angle adjusting adaptation of the basic usual sharpening method to include work-arounds.  The WE130 has micro-fine angle adjustability allowing an ease of repeatable precision not easily obtained using the old model WE100.  It allows the user to easily determine and match existing knife bevel angles, repeatedly, simply and quickly.

The Gen 3 vise in the WE130 allows for quick and simple self centering knife positioning and one handed knife clamping with tension adjustable control that is really unsurpassed in it’s ease of use.  The Gen 3 vise floating cam design simply and automatically overcomes the blade lean, off centered clamping and uneven bevel heights associated with using the Standard Vise design of the WE100.

When you put all the improvements integrated in the WE130 upgrade it is really a vast improvement in the user control and ease of use over the Standard Vise WE100.  To me it was money well spent.  You’ll still will have the WE100’s Standard Vise, you can re-utilize, for those few instances you may need to use it.  I still have my standard vise from my original WE120 I bought in the Pro Pack II, about 6 years, ago.  I haven’t found the need to use it since I upgraded to the WE130 with the Gen 3 Vise.

 

Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)

3 users thanked author for this post.

Bill K, DaveG, Hogdog

[Bill K]

Marc – thanks for the informative post/ insight.

[Author]

Posts