What other equipment (and why) do you use that isn’t sold by WE?
Here is my list:
[ul]
[li]Angle Cube (sold by WE) to measure angle of stones[/li]
[li]Rubbing Alcohol - to clean blade between stone/strops, also to wet strops for improved stiction [/li]
[li]Sharpie - to mark the edge to see how stone angle is cutting[/li]
[li]Flashlight - to help inspect edge [/li]
[li]Jeweler’s Loupe - to inspect edge [/li]
[li]Blue painter’s tape - to tape blade spine, thumb studs, etc. to protect from stones/dust[/li]
[li]Squirt bottle - for wetting water stones [/li]
[li]Super (rare earth) magnets - To catch metal filings [/li]
[li]Phone book, paper - To test sharpness [/li]
[li]Puffy foam tape - To pad vise jaws on full flat ground blades [/li]
[/ul]
Curious to see what other tools you guys use. Not even counting “mods” and storage cases. I didn’t realize how much “other stuff” I used. Luckily I only sharpen at home so far and don’t have to haul all this around.
I use a flat toothpick as a gage on top of the two pin depth gage for those in between situations like narrow blades, instead of just eyeballing it. I also found that electrical “friction tape” works a lot better than painters tape,foam tape or moleskin. It’s only a little tacky on both sides with just enough cushion to compensate for the irregularity of the metal to metal contact and the “tackiness” (a new word of the tape sticks to both the blade and the vice when clamped with vary vary little,if any, residue afterwards. For FFG blades I’ll double up the tape with a small (1/4 x 1/4 inch) piece to compensate for the taper just as the blade leaves the vice. I found this tape really locks and holds the blade in place without over tightening and bending the tips of the vice.
As long as you only sharpen at home, a small dedicated car vacuum with a hose and a brush nozzle is a fast and effective clean-up when changing to the next progressive stone. They are not vary expensive. Just be carefull of your hand and arm movement around that exposed blade.
Chet
Thanks for the reply. Toothpicks are a great idea. I had asked this question a while back about how to shim up smaller blades. I had just been doing it free hand and making sure the edge of parallel.
What do you mean by “friction tape”? Is this normal electrical tape (black stuff for wrapping wires) or something different?
I’m not an electrician but it’s labeled “friction tape” and have seen it used to wrap electric wires. It’s also use to wrap something you want to get a good grip on without being too sticky kind of like “sticky note paper” would be. I use it on the grip of my hunting bow. It can be found in the electrical department of any hardware store. The 2 key things about it is that, it’s made of cloth not plastic film so it has some cushining to it and it’s sticky on both sides. Glad I could help with the toothpicks Damn, I wish they had spell check on this thing, hint hint.
Chet
I had been using the blue painter tape to protect the blade from the vice. This past weekend I had a old Eye Glass cleaning cloth, real fine microfiber. I cut a small stamp size patch. It’s very soft, very thin, and held the blade in the WE Vice with NO play at all. This is something new I’ll have in my case.
I use a couple of strips of natural chamois to keep knives in place when clamped…works very well. I think the best investment I’ve made in terms of accessories is a USB microscope for checking edges. It works extremely well for checking a variety of things related to the edge; angle, chipping, uneven grind, verifying whether you’re ready to move up with stones, etc.
I also use it off stand for checking stone contamination to avoid unnecessary stone maintenance.At 80-100X you can clearly see metal fragments and clear them more selectively with rare earth magnets. Speaking of which, I have two rod shaped magnets that I slide into a straw. I roll the straw down the length of the stones a couple of times, then hold the straw over the trash can and remove the magnets. the fragments fall into the trash and don’t adnere to the magnet, so it’s a lot neater. With other shaped magnets, just putthem in a plastic bag first. When you’re done, remove them from the bag as toss it;your magnets stay clean that way
An ancillary item that I have found very useful in adjusting the blade height for small blades is a set of small hex keys. For ease in duplicating the setting for future sharpening, just note the specific size hex key used.
When I purchased my WEPS PP 2, I did a lot of research to see what folks were using and pretty much use the same stuff you’ve mentioned.
For the cushioned rest though for the arms to lay on, I use a section of one of those dense foam " water noodles " like you get at Wal-Mart…they are cheaper than the cabinet or drawer liner, and when they get dirty, you simply toss it and cut another section and keep on trucking.
You can get approx. 5-6 sections out of 1 water noodle before having to buy another.
This is really interesting to me. I have a chronic bursal inflammation in a shoulder and that makes sharpening with the WEPS a bit difficult sometimes.
Could you elaborate a bit more on how your arm rests work? Also, I’ve got no idea what water noodles are.
I use 95% of the stuff listed through this topic but no one has listed gloves. I bought a dozen pairs of Kevlar gloves because I was beginning to look like I had been on the losing side of a knife fight. Believe me since I have been wearing them I have slipped a lot and the gloves saved me from some old fashioned blood letting. Protects well against slashing cuts with some good pressure and mild pokes with the tip. I donated one pair to see how much it would take to cut them and I was pretty impressed with my sharpest knife fresh off the WE it did not cut all the way through the top layer and the rubber coated palms did not make through that side either. Just my .02 worth
Jed
Any specifics on the gloves? Brand, model, photos, where you got them?
I have some shooting gloves with Kevlar lining… and some others with various slash/puncture resistant linings. A bit of insurance when working up hot loads with pistols. But I wouldn’t say that they are very good for tasks that require dexterity or a delicate sense of touch. That is why I ask about specifics. I would have to check them out to see if they look like I could sharpen with them on…
Good idea though… I have cut myself using the WEPS… not so much lately. I have learned to respect the process.
The final cut I got was a small one but on a big 14" butcher knife and it was in slow motion as the very tip “just enough to draw blood” of my little finger nicked the blade and went flying through the air.
I still catch myself every now and then on the blades but I am trying to go a bit faster to keep the production line at the farmers market going. Gotta make fun money. So safety is key because cuts will slow me down there and open wounds working at the hospital is not on my list of a good idea either.
Ansell HyFlex 11-500 Kevlar Cut Resistant Gloves
I bought them on eBay a year or so ago for $25.00 for 12 pairs of them I think they are $36 now. I looked up the cut ratings and the cut pressures needed to cut through this specific pair and they boiled down to what I thought I needed. There are some other pairs out there with a much better cut and stab resistance but I was not going to shell out $85 - $125 for one pair. Any way you go with safety gloves is a lot cheaper than stitches will be.
You can look through this and see if they might be the pair for you. I have to save my money for the new serrated sharpening stone and some water stones that is why theses appealed to my needs. http://www.ansellpro.com/hyflex/11-500.asp
of the tape sticks to both the blade and the vice when clamped with vary vary little,if any, residue afterwards. For FFG blades I’ll double up the tape with a small (1/4 x 1/4 inch) piece to compensate for the taper just as the blade leaves the vice. I found this tape really locks and holds the blade in place without over tightening and bending the tips of the vice.
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