drew

[drew]

Here are a few shots of a ZT0600 that Kyle just finished for a customer:

if I could ever get to that level myself … I think i’d have a heart attack. I am still working on getting that amazing of a polish on mine.

[drew]

oh ok … thanks for the answers guys !!

I was just making sure I was not doing something terribly wrong by taking so much time haha. Now I feel better 🙂

[drew]

I am pleased to have been of help – sharpening in whatever medium you use is a big rabbit hole I regularly have to stop myself from getting more stuff .

Haha yes it is … I really hope I am satisfied with my new setup enough I can stop and save for awhile haha

[drew]

I agree with you Leo … I have sharpened plenty of knives on other sharpeners, but from what I’ve seen the WE gave me everything I wanted. I went ahead and picked up an angle cube since they are cheap just to help with the angles … I think now I will be happy with the setup for awhile until I feel I need a new level of polished haha. But like your said … About a 100 knives to figure out what I like and learn my tools. I think now with those setup I’ll be happy working on 100 knives…

[drew]

You will only alter the angle when it is desired to change it for strops .
I don’t have this accessory yet but it works in a similar way to the drill stop collar on the Edge Pro . What you do is set the angle perhaps with the 1K diamond adjust the VSTA for this stone by butting the plate up to the face of the stone and lock it off this provides the constant. Then you may go to your starting stone and set up the stone angle to but up to the VSTA and lock it off this will have set the stone up at an identical angle to the stone that you initially set up ; then with each change of stone you repeat the process until you get to stops then you reset the stone arm at the desired angle against the knife then but it up against the VSTA and now you have your next constant for the strops .
It sounds a lot more complicated than it actually is I am not sure if Clay or anyone has made a vid of it yet.
Suffice to say if I wrote out how you make a cup of coffee from start to finish even instant coffee it would still be a long dialogue – find kettle is there water is there power -no water fill it up no power plug it in it would sound way more difficult than it is take it from me it is the WE version of the Edge Pro drill stop collar and if you have not used it it can be hard to see how it functions but it is simplicity itself I think at the moment not having used either it is hard to grab just how simple and well it works .
I relate to this since I had a similar problem with the drill stop collar until I actually used it then it became clear just how it works .
I am sure you have read or heard Clay’s advice that with strops you drop the angle by 2˚ so that you do not round off the tip of the bevel since the strops tend to curl around the apex of the bevel in use if you do not reduce the angle if they do curl over the edge then you will remove the apex of the bevel.
Many of these thing require building a mental picture of the mechanics of the whole thing the same way an engineer will understand and see the internal movements of an engine .
There is to coin a phrase and I am not meaning it in a derogatory way to anyone least of all you – but there is no white mans’ magic to this its pure science .
Lastly you only need to reset the angle going to strops it does not matter if you go from diamonds to ceramics or Choseras since you will only wish to change the angle for the strops. All you do is but up each stone to the VSTA every change of stone.
It will all become crystal when you have them (VSTAs).

Thanks for that … So are the VSTAs a must have? I have done a lot of reading and you said as well that you only change the angle with strops. I have read that as well … Then we got on the top of thickness and all that and needing to change your angles with more addons and more $$ I am just not wanting to spend more money after my recent purchase of blocks. I’d like to use them and be perfectly fine with my results and not upset that I still need more gear to help sharpen after I’ve bought the complete system. If it’s a must it should of came with it to begin with I feel.

I was planning on switching the angle when I started stropping but never thought I would need to check after every switch of blocks.

[drew]

The Variable Stone Thickness Adaptor is a worthwhile accessory, especially when you get into water stones. I have water stones from my EP, Chosera stones purchased for the EP, and an 8k Naniwa stone on a WE paddle. Lots of different stone thicknesses. Very nice to only need to set the angle once ( for a given angle) on each side than constant fiddling with the angle cube with each “stone” change.

So you’re saying you just set the angle and go? Do you change angle from ceramic to leather and things like that?

[drew]

You should also reset the angles when switching different sharpening mediums particularly with the ceramics ,

The question was in regards to the previous statement

So are you saying from like a 200-100 grit range is one angle … 1200-1600 is a smaller angle by like 1200-16002 degrees then strops are even small by another 1200-16002 degrees?

[drew]

What should be done differently when using the ceramics?

In what context?

[drew]

Well I ordered my next round of blocks and strops … I am hoping it works out as well as I am thinking …

[drew]

Wow thats nice!!!

[drew]

It is recommended that dropping the angle by 2˚ per side because leather strops that have a tiny amount of give in them so they will round off the point if you continue with the same angle as the stones. You should also reset the angles when switching different sharpening mediums particularly with the ceramics , Choseras and the different strops since all will have different thicknesses .

Ooooh ok I never would of thought about that. Thanks for that info!!!

[drew]

So.. if you’re still interested in achieving a mirror edge, the grit progression you list above is perfect. Wicked Edge users have been attaining mirror edges with the 4 or 5 sets of stones and a couple of strops for a long time, but expect to work at it. Most have moved up to the higher-end stones to fill in the middle grits. If you decide to focus on getting your knife to cut, think in terms of a toothy edge and start stropping with the 5/3.5 after 800 grit or so, but at two degrees less angle.

Sorry for the ignorance … but why -2 angle?

[drew]

ok so after I used the 1200/1600 fine stones … should I go leather strop 5/3.5 micron and then roo strop with 1/.5 micron ?

I am thinking that would be a good progression to see how it goes… and then if I am not happy with the edge I could go even small micron with a nano cloth or something?

I found this …

[table]
[tr]
[td]Grit[/td]
[td]100,000[/td]
[td] 50,000[/td]
[td] 14,000 [/td]
[td]6,500[/td]
[td]4,500[/td]
[td]1,800[/td]
[td]1,400[/td]
[td]1,200[/td]
[td]1000[/td]

[/tr]
[tr]
[td]Micron[/td]
[td]0.25[/td]
[td].5[/td]
[td]1[/td]
[td]3.5[/td]
[td]5[/td]
[td]9[/td]
[td]14[/td]
[td]15[/td]
[td]18[/td]

[/tr]
[/table]

[drew]

I use paper to make sure I got a clean edge. If its not it will grab the paper and I know I need more.

[drew]

Well this look pretty cool … may have to look at them more closely once they hit the market

[Author]

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