I’ve had the same problem at the begining, when I sharpened my first knives. I got a new pair of jaws from Wicked Edge and I thought about what I had probably done wrong in order to get those jaws bent.
I noticed that it was probably because I tightened the vise too much (well, the only possible cause!). The reason for that was because when I wanted to sharpen, let’s say, a full flat grind knife for example, I did not use any adhesive tape so the blade slipped in the vise and I needed to tighten and tighten again. Too much…
So, to make a long story short, I use tape on every knife I sharpen now. I use that kind of tape which is used by painters. It’s relatively thick, soft and most of all, non-slippery without being double sided adhesive. It protects the blade from scratches and helps to have it firmly maintained in the vise without tightening it too much. Since then, I kept my jaws as straight as on the first day.
