WE66 Obsidian vs WE130?
- This topic has 10 replies, 6 voices, and was last updated 02/01/2023 at 9:01 pm by
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I love mine for sure. The only limitation is that I am waiting for the 1/4 jaws so i can grab bigger knives.:). I believe the 130 has a lil bigger vise and thats all i think. The WE66 is milled out of a solid block of aluminum pretty solid.
I would keep the 130, it is larger with more room to work. There are also more accessories for it and you already have it in fort of you. The New models were to replace an older portable WE Go.. The Obsidian is Portable, small and compact. It does NOTHING different or better than the WE130, other than it comes with a C-Clamp to mount it to your kitchen table.. In my opinion the 66 need a riser block to raise the vise to a better working level. As it is from the factory , you will have to flip you stone over after every stork if you want to have the entire stone used and wear evenly.. In other words, with a pocket knife mounted, you will only be using 1/2 of the stone to sharpen the knive.. the other half is always above the blade unused..
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I sent an email to WE this week on the differences between the two. My primary use case are full flat grind kitchen knives. A customer success manager wrote back with a fantastic response which I am pasting below.
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In all honesty, the WE66 Obsidian is my favorite sharpener that we have. The new DualCam ViseWE66, while functionally operating the same as the CamLock (WE130), it is overall a better vise. It clamps more securely to fully flat ground and distally tapered blades, like kitchen knives, and is just generally a more energy-efficient, better-designed clamp.The other major benefit of the WE66 is the Micro Angle-Drive. With the WE130, the angle adjustment can be a little more fiddly. You set the angle with the divots in the Degree Bar and then use the micro-adjust to hone in on the specific angle you’re looking for. TheWE66 takes both of these steps and places them into 1, fluid motion.
The biggest factors to consider when choosing between these two is the angle ranges, WE66is 13-31 while the WE130 is 13-35, and the price point. The WE130 plus the 800/1000 grit is still more affordable than the WE66. We are in the final push of creating a 1/4″ Jaw that works with the WE66. This should be out in the coming weeks.
Between the two, I would definitely suggest the WE66. I believe it’s an overall better sharpener that leads to a better sharpening experience overall.
I hear you. I was all prepped to purchase the 130 before the 66 came out. And my first reaction when I saw it was trying to understand the markup for what looked like a fancier version of the 60.
I do sales as a living and I’ve come to appreciate and recognize when a sales person is sharing their honest opinion as a subject matter expert.
S, yes, I bit the bullet and went with the 66. Right now my biggest challenge is waiting for UPS. No one has addressed how hard that is!1 user thanked author for this post.
It really just comes down to personal likes and dislikes and people’s lifestyles. If I were still hunting and camping and stuff, then I would probably go with the WE66 because of it being more portable and its easiness to be mounted.
And if I was on a tight budget or didn’t sharpen much or mainly sharpened slip joint pocketknives then I would go for the WE60. If I mostly stayed home and didn’t travel and hunt and stuff, then I would probably go for the WE130.
It just depends on a person’s wants and needs.
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I also own a WE60, pre purchased when it first came out for $150.00. With the deluxe case and an extra set of stones(800/1000) and 14/10 leather strop, it’s a pretty complete system for personal use on certain knives, but it has limitations. For portability and ease of set up there’s nothing close though. Perfect for hunting and vacation trips. You can even leave it in your vehicle so you always have it if you want, it takes up very little space.
A comparison of the 66 to the 130 is a better comparison I think. I think the 130 is more flexible, and with my Nanuk case that came with it, it’s portable but 50 or so pounds fully loaded and the size of a large suitcase with wheels. Not something most people are going to want to drag through the woods on vacations or hunting camps.
To the pleasure, sksharp
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