Baxsin

I share Brewbears sentiments.  Besides breaking in your stones being a sort of forced learning period, I feel it’s a kind of right of passage all us Wicked Edge users share in common.   Like a sort of initiation that we all have experienced.

I think that breaking in our own stones they are individualized to the sharpening styles and methods we ea…[Read more]

Welcome to the Wicked Edge forum Malachy.  This may not be the suggestion you want to hear….having just purchased your Wicked Edge and just begun using it, with a long time of sharpening knives before you, I suggest you purchase the pricey W.E. L.A.A. and another adapter by Tormek called the “Small Knife Adapter”.  You will have a need for b…[Read more]

Michael, the 50/80 are coarse and aggressive as intended.  I tend to use them most often with a scrubbing up-down-up-down stroke, one knife side at a time, when I know I need to remove a lot of steel.  Due to their limited use it requires a long time to break these coarse stones in well unless you do as suggested by “airscapes” and clamp a flat b…[Read more]

Welcome to the Wicked Edge Forum, Mark.  You didn’t say…was the knife edge sharp, as it was, with the uneven bevels?  Did it cut well?  Was the edge sharpness the same across the length of the knife edge?

I have a full set of the newer style, bi-colored ABS handles with some numbers beginning to wear off, and some numbers partially worn off.  I don’t consider it much of an issue.  Things wear when used.

Just finished this modular Hybrid “Rack-It”.  It is called Hybrid because it is both standing and hanging.  It can be used hanging on the wall and or on a table top, just the same.  It was commissioned by “NotSharpEnuff”.   It will hold 36 pairs of Wicked Edge Stone Paddles.  The legs fold flat so it can hang flat on the wall and be used like…[Read more]

I suggest to you to finish each and every grit stone used in your sharpening succession with a few alternating side, edge leading strokes.  Do enough to completely and effectively address the entire length of the knife edge. By this I mean use a sharpening stroke that is pulled down and on to the edge with an alternating, left then right then…[Read more]

I use isopropyl rubbing alcohol on a paper towel.  It removes the “Sharpie” brand permanent marker’s ink completely.

Eagle Greg, thank you for your PM inquiry for me to build you a “Rack-It” stone holder.  I responded via email.

Welcome to the Wicked Edge forum Greg,  As important to your sharpening outcomes as broken in stones are, is a good understanding and practice of good basic sharpening technique.  I suggest to you, and all new comers, that you gain some practical experience and make your mistakes on some practice knives before you take on your good knives, like t…[Read more]

A burr is formed when the sharpening stone is removing steel at the knife edges.  If the stone angle is not set correctly so your sharpening strokes are reaching the knife edge, (i.e., appexing the edge), it doesn’t matter how many strokes you do.

I suggest you re-evaluate your angle settings.

Dale, thanks for finally posting to the forum.  Even though you haven’t introduced yourself to this point, it’s obvious you’ve done an awful lot of reading, learning and putting into practice what you learned on the forum. Welcome!

A while back Clay had posted on the forum that a horizontal scrubbing motion along the bevel, (side to side, from…[Read more]

Thomas, once you have gotten through the learning curve, gained some practical experience in clamping knives and using your Wicked Edge set-up and your stones are broken in,  sharpening a relatively small, relatively flat and relatively soft steel knife can be pretty fast and simple going.  The description of “razor sharp” is a subjective term a…[Read more]

Welcome to the forum Ken.  Theoretically the standard vise setup utilized in the WE100 and WE120 can clamp any thickness knife.  You may have to procure longer screws then those the setup came with for really wide/thick bladed knives.  The clamping method you use is always the same.  That is tighten the top screw to snug the knife between rou…[Read more]

Just shipped off this 30 post Hybrid Rigid Rack-It.  I built for a new forum member.  It hangs on the wall and is easily removed to use on the table top also.  I call it rigid because it doesn’t fold up.  It’s modular because the ladder rung design offers a multitude of stone capacities, layouts and dimensions that can be customized to the use…[Read more]

You choose a stone grit that accomplishes what you need it to.  One that is coarse enough to remove the steel from where you want it removed as quickly and easily as possible with the least amount of effort exerted and the least amount of deeper scratches applied then necessary.

I would start at 600 grit and if that doesn’t do what you need…[Read more]

I’d be learning and practicing on some other knives first with that big electric wheel.

Richard,  if it’s more time consuming and more work then you want to do then maybe you “bit off too much”.

It’s not anything that you’re not equipped and capable of doing and doing well.  Just apply the basics you’re already using.  Use your tools and aids.  Pay attention to detail and don’t move on to the next step before you’re finished wit…[Read more]

Welcome to the W.E. forum, jlt.

The numbers and demarcation lines inscribed on the square angle bar are only an approximation meant to be used as a guideline for positioning your guide rods.  For true relative guide rod angle settings use a properly zeroed digital angle cube.

You are correct.