I purchased this kit on my last visit to Wicked Edge. Here’s my quick take on it…
As usual, quality build, should last a long time. The arm/joint design works smooth. Angles are in 2 degree increments 12-30 deg., and were within .5 degree on a few knives I checked during sharpening. No problem getting consistent, even bevels. On the knives I tried (3-4 inch pocket and hunting style), the lowest I could go was 16 deg. without hitting the clamp. Since this was lower than the bevel on the knives, I didn’t spin any time dwelling on this to see if I could go lower. Instead of the key/depth gauge setup on the original WE, this version has a small notch or shelf cut on the inside of the clamp you can use as a guide.
While I understand the C-clamp (to keep it all in a compact kit), after a couple of uses, I abandoned it, and used a 6″ quick release clamp. (I actually abandoned the C-clamp when I couldn’t tighten it down on my kitchen counter… I didn’t have enough clearance to easily turn it.) I set it up in various places (kitchen counter, dining room table, workbench) and other than the C-clamp problem, there were no other issues. I also bolted it to the top of a toolbox (there’s a hole drilled in the bottom of the base), and used it there… no problem. It’s quick and easy to setup… slide the arms on, and get started.
You can get a nice workable edge off the 600g stones, but I added a small ceramic rod that fit in the kit. The rod works great for cleaning up the edge, and removing any burr if a stubborn knife is encountered. But even without it, I could get an edge that would shave arm hair, or slice paper… no problem.
All in all, with the exception of being able to set a more precise angle, I could see little difference in use between this and the original WE. The jaws are designed a little different, which may translate into not being able to set as low an angle on this model, but I didn’t actually check this so can’t say for sure. And there’s no “knife brace” to assist in sharpening thin/flexible knives. But it put great edges on the knives I tried!!
Good stuff!
cbw
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