Joel Fiorentini

[Joel Fiorentini]

I’ll weigh in on this…I ordered a Pro-Pack 2 at the beginning of November. It took about six weeks to receive it as it was on backorder. I was a bit flustrated that it was taking so long as I was really looking forward to it! When it arrived I found that the base had a small chip in it and that one of my ceramics would bind up on the rod as if the inner hole was to small. I called and spoke to Kyle. A new base and replacement ceramic stones were sent to me along with prepaid shipping labels to send back the defective items. I never once received any objection from Kyle about making this right. I think they are a growing company that are struggling to keep up with demand right now. They have a great product and they stand behind it. They may not be able to answer each call on the first ring or every email immediately but give it a bit as they will get back with you. At least that is my experience. Just for the record…I am in NO WAY affiliated with wicked edge, just a satisfied customer.

[Joel Fiorentini]

I recently purchased some 10w nano-oil and am very satisfied. You can read about it here:http://www.spyderco.com/forums/showthread.php?55431-Nano-Oil-for-Sal

[Joel Fiorentini]

Great post Phil. Would you recommend the 5k/10k Choseras after the micro fine ceramics?

Well..
Here I go again. We had a long topic where we discussed what a mirro bevel really is. It seems that many people call many stages of reflectivity a mirror. If sharpening myself I consider a mirror to be a mirror… an edge just as reflective as my bathroom mirror, and with less than 5% coverage with visible scratches.

You simply can’t easily get that with the progression that you mention. Actually, I don’t think it is possible at all without spending hours on the strops. Recently I tried on some D2, AUS 8A and S30V. I used the diamonds through 1000, then the 1200/1600 ceramics, then coarse and fine microfine ceramics, then 6/3 and 1/0.5 micron paste/spray respectively. What can I say, the bevel was somewhat reflective, but with lots of visible fine scratches. For the application the knives will be used for… it was fine.. and they were very sharp.

The ceramics leave what I would call a semi reflective (shiny, but no mirror) edge. Even after 100 strokes each side with all four ceramic grits, there were lots of visible scratches. Now in this way they are more similar to the Shapton stones. They just don’t supply much in the way of polishing ability at all. You can make the bevel brighter with the strops, but you would need hours of stropping time to get rid of the visible scratches. If you want a real mirror (in my definition) you need some stones that polish as well as abrade. Even the 1000 grit Chosera stones will give you a much more mirror like bevel than the sub-micron ceramics. I have 5K and 15K Shaptons that I will not use when trying for a perfect mirror, because, although very precise, like the Ceramics, they leave… perfectly aligned and very precise Scratches! A great edge for cutting things…but scratchy…
BTW I test by holding a bright flashlight almost parallel to the edge. By cahnging the angle it is easy to see both the amount of reflectivity and the damn scratches. It really shows scratches that you may not see in normal light and looking at the bevel perpindicularly.

I can tell you that getting to my definition of a mirror edge is time consuming. I use 13 different grits of stones and eight different grits on strops from 3K up I am doing 150 strokes…or more per side… 3 to 4 hours… and often I am not really satisfied with the results.. I can still see some scratches (AAARG). However, when I have compared these edges with some of the stuff my local sharpening buddies call a mirror edge… they quite amazed at the difference. There is at least an order of magnitude more reflectivity and scratch removal.

So, it is all about what you want. This whole perfect mirror scratch free thing is all about OCD and just saying…I can do it. It sure does not make the knife orders of magnitude sharper… BUT, it is an eye catcher and has gotten me quite a few sharpening jobs 🙂

Phil

[Joel Fiorentini]

Welcome to the forum. Check out this page also to help position the knife correctly in the vise: http://www.wickededgeusa.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=91:finding-the-sweet-spot-positioning-your-knife-from-front-to-back&catid=38:instructions&Itemid=81

[Joel Fiorentini]

My wife and I purchased a set of the Henckels Pro S. I realize your stated budget was $100 and I am no where near any kind of expert on kitchen knives. But…we love them! Our hopes are that they will last our lifetime and are a pleasure to use. Knowing I can keep them sharp on my wicked edge helps too! If you can swing it by holding off and saving up a bit I think you would enjoy them. Steaks even taste better after cutting them with these…just kidding!

[Joel Fiorentini]

You’re welcome. Now have at it and enjoy you’re new sharpener.

[Joel Fiorentini]

No that is not normal. Please check that you have both screws that run up from the bottom thru the adjustment bar in correct and that they are tight. It should be rock solid after that.

[Joel Fiorentini]

I just used the 100 grit stones for a longer time than I normally would have until I brought the shoulder of the edge down to just past the miss grind. Now mine wasn’t off a lot so it is not noticeable that I removed a little more metal than I normally would have to correct this factory defect.

[Joel Fiorentini]

Hi Bill, Welcome to the forum! I ran into this same problem with a Kershaw RAM. The factory grind was off at the tip on the left side. I brought the shoulder down until it was gone. I just could not have that beautiful mirroed edge meeting that rough factory miss grind! I guess it really depends on whether it bothers you enough that you’re willing to lose a little metal to fix it and of course just how far off it is. You will love your Wicked Edge by the way!

[Joel Fiorentini]

I use one of these http://www.ebay.com/itm/30X-60X-Loop-Magnifier-Jeweler-Eye-Loupe-Lens-LED-2in1-/310402858400?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item484573bda0. It works great for “in the clamp” examination.

[Joel Fiorentini]

Congratulations!

[Joel Fiorentini]

Hey guys, I’m thinking of adding a new section dedicated to task specific sharpening so we might have sub-forums for cooking, hunting, EDC, bushcraft etc… What do you guys think? Would you want to contribute in those areas, share your experiences and strategies?

I think it is a great idea. I would find it helpful.

[Joel Fiorentini]

That is funny!

[Joel Fiorentini]

I’ve already bought the rare earth magnets (saw them used on a video by modifiedz on youtube). I will try the glove finger trick. Very clever idea.

[Joel Fiorentini]

Thank you Chris. I will not worry about it then. I will concentrate my efforts on eleminating grit getting into the ball joints.

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