Organic

Mirrored edges can be had with careful attention to detail and consistency. You’ll want to check regularly that your angle has not changed as you progress through the sharpening process. I do this after every grit change. The lapping films are the fastest way to get a mirrored edge, but you should be able to get good looking mirrored edges with…[Read more]

I have not seen a Black Friday promotion in the past. Deals and promotions seem to be spurred by the introduction of new products (pre-order pricing) or the discontinuation of old products (clearance).

I’m glad to be of service.

Yes, the molecule polishing blog was written by Mark76 and is a great read. He was a moderator on this forum for many years and was a very helpful fellow.

I’m glad that you’re getting improved results, but I don’t know what articles you are making reference to. I have never written a blog post about convex sharpening. Perhaps you have me confused with another member? I know Tom (tcmeyer) has written about convex sharpening on the forum in the past.

The WE team has a stellar record of superb customer service.

I’d say that looks pretty good for a first attempt. My first edges did not smoothly slice paper either. The strops help with that a lot more than you might expect.

Call Wicked Edge on Monday. Their customer service is second to none and they will take care of you.

Don’t worry too much about all of the little details at first. Most of the things that get discussed on this forum are related to getting that extra 20% of sharpness that’s possible if you work consistently and with attention to detail. Your first few knives won’t be perfect even if you do everything correctly from the beginning because the…[Read more]

I also try to do things as consistently as possible. Holding the stones at the base of each paddle is my preference because it is consistent and it helps keep my hands below the edge of my knife for an added layer of safety. My fingers can’t get cut if they never go above the blade.

The WE knowledge base is a great resource as well and contains detailed answers to many of the commonly asked questions.

Welcome!

The WE does great things for kitchen knives old and new alike.

Welcome Dave,

If price is no issue then I recommend the Pro Pack 3 or the WE 130. I have the Gen 3 pro and really like it, but the WE130 / PP3 has more flexibility with the individually adjustable angles and a wider angle range. The PP3 is basically a one and done purchase with a wide variety of adapters and abrasives to cover most sharpening situations.

Deciding what angle to go with or whether you want to add a micro bevel are things that are a matter of personal taste. I would use a sharpie to match the existing angles on the knife and go with that for now. 15 degrees per side is a fine choice for most Spyderco blades so you can do that if you’d prefer. For the first few knives don’t worry…[Read more]

I think Marc hit all of the most important points. I strongly agree that you want to start on a knife that you don’t care about too much. Sharpening with the WE is easy to get the hang of. You’ll probably have a nice and sharp edge on your first attempt. What takes time is learning how to get the edge that extra 10 or 20 percent of additional…[Read more]

You might also message Josh and see if he has any pointers. He’s a busy man, but I have seen him be very generous in sharing details on his sharpening jobs. I would be pretty surprised if he didn’t put symmetrical bevels on a blade unless you specifically asked for it to be that way.

The 1.4 / 0.6 are more fine than the 1200 / 1600 ceramics. The 1.4 / 0.6 would usually be used after the 1200 / 1600. Check out this article
Sharpening Grit Progression for All Wicked Edge Abrasives

Regarding the issue towards the tip: Try clamping the blade much closer to the tip. It will look strange with the majority of the blade sticking out behind the clamp, but you might find that the tip comes out better. Finding the sweet spot is about trial and error, so it will take some practice. Check out Marc’s thread on “How I find the Sweet Spot.”

I wouldn’t worry about it too much. The knives will dull much more from use than they will from inserting and withdrawing from the block. It is probably a better design to have them go in horizontally, but the difference will be insignificant in the long term. Also, when they go dull you have a Wicked Edge and will be able to restore the edge quickly.

No offense taken. If I was trying to blow through a progression I could probably spend ten minutes on a knife and get a very usable edge. I usually sharpen for my own enjoyment and work at a leisurely pace. A more focused and skilled sharpener could easily accomplish the same results that I get in a third of the time.

Chico,

Every grit in the sharpening process is important and this becomes especially true when you are after a mirrored edge. You’ll want to make sure that you are fully removing the scratches of the previous grit with the new grit as you move through the process. For example, if you fail to completely remove the 200 grit scratches with the 400…[Read more]