Wicked edge go
- This topic has 19 replies, 5 voices, and was last updated 08/08/2018 at 12:03 pm by
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I watched a you tube video and the guy pointed out that the starting point on the stones is half way up the knife so you don’t get a full stroke on the stone also that you should flip the stones to give them even wear.
Is this an issue? Perhaps maybe an old version? Any fixes?
Next question can you add micro-angle adjustments?
thanks
Casey
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Welcome to the WE forum Casey!
I don’t own an WE GO but I will attempt to answer your questions to the best of my knowledge. It is true that on some knives you will not be able to use the full surface of the stones as the result of the blade height in the clamp. If you are worried that this will cause uneven wear on the stones, you can flip the stones over to help get more even usage. The diamond abrasives that WE sells are very robust and have been reported to last for about 400 knives worth of sharpening before requiring replacement. I have had mine for nearly two years with no decrease in performance. In fact, the diamond stones tend to get better with use.
As far as I am aware, there is no way to add the micro adjustments to the WE GO model at this time. The GO was designed to be an affordable and highly portable model. You will need to get one of the other WE models if you want the micro adjustments. This feature is nice to have and it makes angle adjustments faster and easier, but keep in mind that it was only introduced as an option a few years ago. You can still get outstanding results on your knives without the micro adjustment arms as many people did before this feature was available.
Have you already purchased a GO, or are you looking at your options right now?
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Welcome to our Wicked Edge Forum Casey. The level of where the stone meets the knife determines how much of the length of the stone can be used for a sharpening stroke. This a characteristic of the size, shape and depth or height of the knife blade your clamping and sharpening. Small narrower knives like everyday carries will, like you said, match or meet the stone maybe at the halfway point. Taller, larger wider kitchen type knives you may even need to raise the stone up a little before it even meets the bevel height. Like the video, you watched, and Organic suggested, if you are not utilizing the full length of the stone’s abrasive with your sharpening stroke, it’s a good practice to flip the stone over, and also switch the stones from side to side, to insure proper even wear and longevity of the stones.
“sksharp”, a long time participant and contributor of this forum, (though not as frequent lately), and very experienced Wicked Edge user says he can use his WE GO to do almost anything he can with his other fixed mounted system. He claims he adjusts the angles just as well to fine tune angle settings as he can on his more optioned WE systems due to the nature of the infinite sliding angle adjustment of the WE GO. The GO angles settings slide in a track and can be finely adjusted simply by the position where tightened and locked down in. Utilizing a digital angle device and a little patience you should be able to adjust the angle about as close as you can with any WE systems that have micro-adjustment capabilities.
A tenth or two angle difference is not going to affect the knives sharpness. The bottom line that matters to make a knife sharp and cut well is how keenly and precisely the two bevel sides meet at the knife’s cutting edge.
Marc
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The prices are pretty much the same no matter where you shop. I like to purchase directly through the WE site so that I know I will always get the most current version of the item I am ordering. Some of the retailers have new old stock of WE products and you might end up paying full price for the old version. Also, the WE customer service is amazing. Oldawan is another place that gets a lot of positive reviews.
If you tell us a bit about your sharpening needs / wants we can offer some advice on which setup would best suit your purposes. Do you have any previous sharpening experience? What kinds of knives will you be sharpening (kitchen, hunting, EDC folders, collector knives, others)? Is your goal mainly to get an edge that is great for use, or are you also interested in producing mirrored bevels for the aesthetics / chasing the hair splitting sharpest edges possible?
The WE130 can do it all and is the most versatile system available (even above the pro and the commercial sharpeners), but it is expensive and may be overkill depending on what you want.
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Actually, I think when you compare what you get, (i.e., all components, supplies and accessories considered), for what you’ll pay, all the systems, (Pro Pack 2, Pro Pack 3 and Gen 3 Pro) are relatively even in price.
Marc
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I recently purchase the GO plus the 1500/1um film paddle and have sharpened a handful of knives with it. It’s super easy to use and does a great job.
In general, I’m not interested in mirror polishing bevels or multi-stone progressions. I’m quite happy to sharpen the blade with the 600 (or 200 if required) and then micro-bevel with the 1500 diamond or 1 um lapping film. The fact that it packs up into a small roll is great for taking it with you, or if you don’t have space to leave it set up all the time.
As for using half the paddle, I’ve been deliberately flipping it during the break-in, but I’m sure it will be randomly flipped with use.
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Casey if you purchased just the WE130 Sharpener it only comes with 2 stone pairs. There certainly are many more regularly used abrasives and other accessories and adapters you’ll find you’ll want once you get started.
I believe when you purchase just the sharpener (without a mounting base) the mounting hole template may be included. I would call them to make sure they provide it, just to be sure. Any sort of heavy stiff rectangular material that doesn’t flex can be suitable for a base. I like something that’s heavy so it’s less likely to move during use. Remember it has to be level. You can find the dimensions and weights of the bases WE sells under the “mounting options” tab above. The advantage to buying one from WE is it’s pre-drilled so all you have to do is attach your sharpener with the screws they’ll supply.
Marc
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Ok thanks. I will contact them
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Need is a strong word. The 100/ 200 & 400/600 will put a very respectable edge on a knife on their own. Almost everyone I have encountered online ends up getting additional stones and some strops once they get bitten by the sharpening bug, but that is mostly for the fun of seeing what is possible.
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The precise nature of the WE tends to attract a community of sharpeners who are a bit obsessive about their results. This obsessive nature makes us go all out and purchase lots of extra abrasives in an effort to push the limits of what is possible. I count myself as one of those crazies, but most people will be more than impressed with the edge you will get with the basic stone set. Please keep in mind that the diamond plates will need to be worn in before they produce the best results (about 10 knives worth of sharpening).
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