Use of water stones as a supplement to the WE system

[Tim]

As a newby I hope I can get away with asking this. I an an old timer and have sharpened many knives over the years using mainly freehand, so I have a complete set of highly used DMT bench stones, and a few years ago stepped up to a pretty good set of Naniwa Chosera water stones up to 10,000. I have really liked the water stones, but have always had issues with re profiling and keeping consistent angles.

So, cut to the chase, bought a WE Pro Pack 2 and love it, I have sharpened enough knifes with it and broken it in to the point where I am getting better edges than ever. So, do you recommend adding the WE waterstones or do some of you do the final finishing using freehand waterstones? Obviously, given that I have already spent a lot on the waterstones I would like to not have to buy the WE versions, but given how much I have come to like the WE system, I can if necessary, buy the WE waterstones.

So to summarize, does anyone mix freehand use of waterstones with the WE system?

Thanks,

T

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[Eamon Mc Gowan]

I bought my chosera bench stones after buying the WE and the chosera WE stones. I like you find my angles to be so much better by using the WE that as a rule I don’t mix bench stones and the WE.
I do not believe any person can tell anther person when sharpening that is the wrong system? I think that if it works for you then end of conversation.
That being said I think it boils down to are you going to be happy with the end product? Really in my mind I think you are going to have to try and see if you like the edges? I think within a few tries you are going to know if you are in for a walletdectomy? :S
Good luck and remember to have fun! :woohoo:

[Leo Barr]

On double bevel knives of soft steel as used in some restaurants I do the thinning bevel freehand ; if its the first time with Atoma 140 or subsequently I will use DMT fine I find this very quick to do (5-10 passes per side maximum) so I run through the knives first doing the thinning bevel freehand 10˚then I put them in the WE and do the cutting bevels this cuts down the time by half .
I use the WE on cheap to medium value chef knives – Globals I do on bench stones Choseras since they are manufactured with a convex edge 10-15˚ and they are easy enough to do .
Shuns on the other hand have a V bevel 16˚ so in general I will do these on the WE.
I don’t think I would start a knife on the WE and finish it on bench stones unless it was a very ornate damascus but with a convex edge so if I can get the WE low enough I may do the low angle with the WE then top it off by convexing on the bench stones at a higher angle although as yet I have not come across a knife I have needed to do that way.

[John Haley]

I moved to sharpening with the WE only a fairly short time ago, beginning with the PP2 along with a full set of Choseras. If polished edges are your goal, then they can’t be beat. Diamonds and ceramics just can’t do the same job when it comes to fine edge sharpening and micro-polishing. For EDC’s and heavy use knives I usually stick to the diamond and ceramics to keep a somewhat toothy edge. To be more question specific, I no longer use my old bench stones or sandpaper.

[Tim]

Thanks, again, good information!

T

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[Jende Industries]

Hi Ducs,

Eamon hit it right on the head, IMO. B) Do whatever works for you.

However, just my 0.02 – I generally freehand more than I use guided sharpeners and I tend not to mix them because the edges off the WEPS are just so much more precise – and I’m a very good and confident freehand sharpener. So when “regular” sharp is needed, I’m fine with freehand, but when I want to use Pi to 7 decimal places, I go right to my WEPS. :cheer: IOW, I don’t want to mess my WEPS edges up by finishing freehand.

Another thing for me is that it is like a competition – My WEPS edges easily beat my freehand edges EVERY time, but that pushes me to make my freehand edges better, which pushes me to make my WEPS edges better, which pushes me to make my freehand edges better…..

Another argument is that the availability of different sharpening stones and strops – which the WEPS supports – make switching out to bench stones rather unnecessary as long as the knife is in the clamp.

And it’s another thing if you finish on the WEPS, then maintain on a bench stone. That is an excellent way to get more life out of your edge since the V grind made by the WEPS will touch up better and longer before needing reprofiling.

But again, Eamon hit it right on the head.

[Leo Barr]

I could not agree more the WE or even the EP show what is achievable which improves my freehand sharpening . I like the lack of setting up for freehand sharpening and for experimenting with different bevel combinations I like the bench stones .
I mentioned before that if I have a double bevel on each side of the blade I find it much easier to do the thinning bevel on bench stones then do the cutting bevel on the WE no need to set up twice.
I find I like to do more traditional Japanese knives by freehand and the others on the WE.
The bench stones need regular practice and there are days when perhaps the edges could be better on the bench stones but when I am in practice the difference narrows between bench and WE .
I do find the WE sets a target sharpness to achieve by bench stones and that for me is part of the fun of bench stones one can spend a lifetime perfecting the technique.
So like a lot of sharpening techniques that rely on hand and eye whether using tool,machine or stone alone there is a harmony.

[Tim]

Yeah, absolutely great posts. I have worked much of my life, and I am 62, to perfect my craft in many areas, fly tying, fly casting, precision shooting, motorcycle maintenance, … One of the reasons I posted is that I love the WE system but do not want to lose the craft I have developed over the years. These posts, particularly those of LeoBarr, jendeindustries, and Eamon are basically what I needed to hear. As I have gained experience with my cheap knives and worked up to my better, though not best knives, I am achieving edges I could not have dreamed of before. I love the WE system. But I do not want to lose the years of practice I have put in on freehand. Your posts really helped to put it all in perspective.

I just sharpened a Hinderer that I gave my son on the WE. He is a drilling engineer and really uses his knives, I mean uses them. He broke the point on the knife and I restored the point using the WE and put an edge on it he could not believe. Made me feel good. What a great system!

T

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[Mikedoh]

I learned to free hand sharpen a while ago, but if it was a new knife, it took a bit of time. I like the WEPS. Relatively quick, accurate, repeatable results. For me, free hand sharpening was a feel of slicing the stone. Don’t think I’ll lose that feel. WEPS allows me to quickly repeat a given edge, or to get to a chosen angle relatively quickly and accurately.

[Author]

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