WIDER VISE, INSERTS FOR DAGGER TYPE KNIVES.

[Carey]

I have a WE PRO II W/Case and I did not receive an extra screw in one of those cool little Ziploc bags 
I now have “screw envy”… Maybe I’ve been screwed out of my extra screw? Kidding the customer service from WE is OUTSTANDING!
Knives have somehow, out of nowhere, become a new “fetish” for me, god help me if it is anything like guns (who am I kidding I already know it’s worse). That got out of hand and went to collection of about 70 at one point, my brother is worse he is over 200 with NFA toys as well  But I shot all mine so… No “safe queens” here, or would that be there, I shall ponder…
In reality I need a longer screw (Don’t we all?) but that is a different topic and not for the WE forum.
I have some suggestions as well. However, before I begin let me list what I have “collected” so far. So here goes with the list: *All with the leather sheaths& VG-1 SAN MAI III unless otherwise denoted…

CS Magnum Tanto 7.5” X 1
CS Magnum Tanto IX
CS Master Tanto 6”
CS Mini Tanto vintage complete with box & papers (Not VG-1 SAN MAI III) I hear they made them in san mai, still looking for one… See I’ve been bitten HARD 
CS Black Bear Classic – Not the leather sheath, want a leather sheath for it, have to call CS…
CS Cutlass Machete – Nylon sheath, happy about that not being leather, would double the price!
CS Emperor Series O Tanto – 1055 High Carbon steel. *I gave this away to my brother as a B-Day Gift.
CS Warrior Series Wakizashi Sword – 1055 High Carbon steel. *I’ve been using this to learn how to sharpen a Katana style sword. As you will find out, a sword is NOT just a big knife and CANNOT be sharpened as such so using the WE system is out of the question. I have a set of Naniwa Chosera Waterstones (800, 2000 & 5000 grits) with a stone holder, I still have all my fingers and no stiches. I’m reading, talking to others and experimenting on how to go about doing this and trust me it’s not easy. There are NO “guides” to attach to the blade, all freehand. It takes forever. The whole blade is the cutting edge or “bevel” there is NO bevel, at least that is what I understand. There is a shoulder on the blade about ¾ of the way up from the cut your fingers off part. You lay the blade flat and that Shoulder to the cutting edge is the “angle”. Knives for the most part are simple comparatively speaking.
I also went to a site “Handmade swords” The prices range wildly and the claims they make for being folded and so on are almost hard to believe for the money they charge (very little) to ($15,000 +) But I got one O Tanto any ways because it looks so cool…

Right now that I have talked enough to be kicked of the site…

Here is the problem with my WE system that I have encountered while trying to sharpen two of my CS knives, one being the Tai Pan and the other being the Black Bear Classic. The vise used on the WE system is a great vise. However I think it’s to narrow, it needs some sort of rubber material on the inside face of the vise so as not to mare the knives and to get a MUCH better grip on them. Additionally, the guide system is wonderful to repeat you position and create a sharpening log for each knife to save time and material. I think the Guide holes should be equal on each side of the vise. In other words those long slots allow allot of movement with the guide and the depth of the guide should be increased because when we add the material (the rubber inner jaw material the screw will be to short and the guide will be too short as well. Making and additional set of wider jaws would be simple no need to change the base just widen it above the channel it already sits in the guide hole again SIMPLE, Screw length simple. Ay one who agrees with me please contact me and let me know.

It is impossible to hold a dagger type knife with a center that is higher then each sloping side. You cannot hold the two knives I have mentioned above with your vise system. Pouring a mold from and impression cannot be that hard then tool it up for injection rubber inserts. Unless you can provide me another solution I have no thought of I am sorry but I can’t see the money invested when I cannot sharpen two of my knives. I will say this, my 7.5” Mag Tanto I can shave with! I am so impressed with that it blew my mind

Those are my suggestions. If they cannot be addressed I will be forced to send the unit back and buy another system that I can even sharpen my Katana blades on.

Sincerely,

Carey J Nuyen

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[Mark76]

Welcome to the forum, Carey! Enjoy your WEPS!

Many people use a piece of chamois or foam tape to prevent a knife from getting scratched. Particularly chamois may also increase the grip, though I’ve never found that necessary. (Make sure you first tighten the top screw and then the bottom screw and the vise can hold almost everything.)

P.S. I removed your email address/phone number from your post to protect your account(s). If you want to share that with anyone, please send them a pm.

Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge

[cbwx34]

I just think you need to spend a bit more time with it, I don’t ever recall an occasion where I wished the clamp was bigger. It’s pretty effective, even on large blades.

You might try clamping the dagger on the flat at the heel, similar to this. Although from pictures it doesn’t look like the flat on your knife is as big, it doesn’t need a lot.

Like Mark said, a chamois or thin piece of leather (what I use) works great when needed.

[Mikedoh]

Hey CJN.
Welcome.
Like Mark and Cbwx said. In agreement with my betters.

May want to get your wings, so to speak, on lesser knives, I.e., not your favorite or “best knives “.
There is a learning curve. And, the stones break in/ wear to a more steady abrasiveness with use.
So, one needs to develop a “feel” for both: 1) using the WEPS. and, 2) how what ever stone one uses, is working
at its best.

Time and technique, IMHO, are the antidote for the difficulties you are having.

[Haakon Aase Heie]

A Katana should basically be sharpened just like a Scandi Grind knife. I think that might be very well possible with the low angle adapter that is for sale at the site. I am going to order that soon (along with the Choseras and other stuff)and if it’s successful on my Scandis, I will get to work on my Katana. I’ll let you all know how it works out 😛

I disagree though that Katanas are more difficult than knives. To me it has always been the other way around, same as with razors, because the angle is set in the blade itself. Various other knives are hard to sort out free hand. The great thing with the WEPS is that it makes everything you want to do easy and consistent.

[Carey]

Hello and thanks for the response.

I have a short Katana, and I have some chosera stones 800, 2000,5000 do you know exactly what the proper way to sharpen a katana is?

I have watched youtube, all different things and still have no a definitive idea as to how to go about this process.

From what I understand is you do not sharpen the edge you sharpen the whole blade from the “shoulder” under the blood grove to the edge. you should not see a “bevel” or edge on it. I am completely confused!

Carey

[Leo Barr]

When you can see no edge bevel this is because the whole profile is a gentle convex angle sharpening up to the edge a good convex edge hardly shows.

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[Haakon Aase Heie]

Unless you are going to use your sword on hard materials, I would recommend that you sharpen it like a scandi. That means that you lay it flat on your stone from the mid line towards the edge. The mid line is called “shinogi” and is your sharpening guide. The V-shape should give you the sharpest, but a less durable edge. Traditionally Katanas are usually more or less convex, depending on what you use them for, but that is hard to pull off, unless you have years of practice. If you want to look at some convex possibilities you can read this:

http://www.nihonzashi.com/diy_edge_geometry.aspx

The important thing to remember is to not make another edge on the edge. The whole bevel goes from the shinogi down to where the sides of the blade meet in a sharp point. There is a good guide on all this here:

http://www.nihonzashi.com/diy_sword_sharpening.aspx

Good luck

[Author]

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