Toker
@toker
active 1 month agoForum Replies Created
-
That’s a WE Blade Stabilizer is in your photo. A Stabil-Rizer is an different aftermarket accessory. Also, mine is on the taller WE130 vise. The geometry of the two different vises allow for different clamping advantages.
It might be harder to see in the photo, but the Stabil-Rizer has the blue +4° label on it.
I don’t have a WE120, but I would bet that you would’ve had better results using a Low Angle Adapter rather than the riser block. The quickest and easiest way for me to sharpen tiny blades is to use a Tormek SVM-00 small knife jig. It’s quick and easy.
I was also coming close to hitting the clamps on some of my really low angle Japanese knives. I didn’t really want to use the Low Angle Adapter since I would lose the benefit of the new Dual Vise clamp, so I figured the riser would give me a little more room.
This looks like a great entry level sharpener. I currently own the WE120 and the WE66. I much prefer the WE66’s clamping system, but it doesn’t do really small thin knives well like paring knives. Even after I added a riser, it still has it’s limitations and doesn’t sharpen really fine angles on small blades. My WE120 doesn’t have those limitations with small blades, but the clamping system has it’s own issues. So it looks like the WE40 has a better clamping system than the original series, but obviously not as good as the new DualCam Vise. Does the WE40 allow the really small blades to be sharpened at finer angles? If so, it might be worth replacing my WE120.
Do you mean a riser block that goes underneath the vise, or a Low Angle Adapter? I use my WE60 for really tiny blades. Going by the photos it looks like we might have the same problems with the WE40. I really don’t know why WE believes that the base of the vise needs to be so broad. If they would bring the base in 1 1/2 inches or so it would fix the problem. If I had the WE40 (since it isn’t very expensive) I would see if my son could cut the base of the vise and reweld it and then I could check it out, but I don’t have one yet.
The Stabil-Rizer. Even with the riser, the WE60 has more limitations on shallow angles on small knives like paring. Using a paring knife as an example, I was able to do 16° angles on the WE120. Before I added the riser, I was only able to do around 24° on the paring knife and actually scraped the clamp. After I installed the riser, I am able to do around 19° on the paring knife. Not ideal, but I can live with that since it’s just a fruit knife.
On the same note, I can no longer do one of my cleavers after installing the Stabil-Rizer on WE60. Due to the height of the blade, the largest angle I can sharpen is about 22° when I would rather have something like 24°. So I still use m WE120 for that, but I have to use a bigger allen wrench in order to secure the blade better. That’s why I’m debating if the WE40 would be able to replace the WE120 for those outliers.
Thanks for all of the responses. I ordered the WE66. Looking foward to giving it a try. I’ll have to use the WE120 to get the true angle of all my knives for a little while.
1 user thanked author for this post.
I can’t imagine not using the micro-adjust on every knife I sharpen.
I agree. Using the micro-adjust is much faster.
I just watched a video on the WE66 since I misunderstood how it was working. I thought the top knobs were for locking the angle into a set slot like the WE120. Then the side knobs were to refine the angle. The WE120 was a pain since you couldn’t see what the final angle was when you used the angle adjustment knobs.
Now that I see how it’s working, that’s the version that will definitely make things easier.
1 user thanked author for this post.
IMO: The $200 micro-angle adjusters included with the WE66 are a convenience you’ll either enjoy or regret forever. The WE66 micro-angle adjusters are unmatched in dial-in precision adjustability.
I don’t think I’d ever use the micro adjustments. I have them on my WE120 and never use them. Simply because I don’t want to adjust it for every knife.
I think I adjusted the WE120 micro adjustments once to get it even for one of my kitchen knives. After that, I usually just went with whatever angle was closest to the angle that I desired on the left/right.
TLDR: Sounds like the WE64 is a direct upgrade to the WE120 if I’m primarily interest in the new clamp.
1 user thanked author for this post.
