I was outside smelling roses, how do you post while you are offline?
I will read all of this and absorb the value.
Thanks to all!
I might put on my inventors hat? 
A question for Clay, what does “Made In China” printed on the WEPS box apply to?
The box?
I understand exactly what you are talking about. I did that (blade leaning left of center) to one of my kitchen knives I wasn’t paying close enough attention to.
The post Mark gave you discussing clamping was spot on. The foam tape trick, while maybe not perfect is pretty darned close. Of course, a clamp that handled this would be better yet but it is, as others have said, possible to get very close using foam, chamois… whatever to clamp the blade.
Ken
Thanks Ken and Mark, cbw etc.
I thought I was going mad trying to explain this.
All those years using a Lansky and wondering how to mount it securely without this very problem getting in the way.
[quote quote=“Billabong” post=7021]
A question for Clay, what does “Made In China” printed on the WEPS box apply to?
The box?[/quote]
Hey Chris, we’re both not from the USA. Do you realize how sensitive this is over there? I once made a joke about it and I got the impression it was not really appreciated. Ah well, they need to grow up too… :-).
[quote quote=“mark76” post=7028][quote quote=“Billabong” post=7021]
A question for Clay, what does “Made In China” printed on the WEPS box apply to?
The box?[/quote]
Hey Chris, we’re both not from the USA. Do you realize how sensitive this is over there? I once made a joke about it and I got the impression it was not really appreciated. Ah well, they need to grow up too… :-).[/quote]
A karma hit, hey?
I can understand this doesn’t sit too well with a lot of countries.
It’s just expected now.
We have done very well selling our iron ore to them. (for now)
Us Aussies love American made stuff, can’t get enough of it.
We pay no tax on imports below a value of $1,000, over that and GST (Goods & Services Tax) kicks in. (10%)
I am curious what bits Clay has made in China, that’s why I said “the box”.
notes my karma level and watches closely
[quote quote=“PhilipPasteur” post=7003]I then tighten the top screw down hard while making sure the blade is centered. Then I tighten the bottom screw, but no more that I have to to keep the knife from movingj, just snug. I try to keep the gap between the fixed and movable vice jaws equal top and bottom.
Phil[/quote]
Phil, you are clamping a point on the knife on each side by eye.
In a perfect world, the clamp would be flat against the knife on each side.
The clamp would simply follow the angle of the knife.
The gap on the top and bottom would reflect this, they wouldn’t be equal unless the knife is rectangular.
Each time you setup your knife, it would be the same.
The official instructions.
[color color=blue]Step 5:
“Tighten the top screw of the Vise until the knife is lightly held in place, then tighten the bottom screw until the knife is firmly held in place. Do not over tighten! Remove the Depth Key and Alignment Guide from the Vise.”[/color]
http://www.wickededgeusa.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=71:basic-knife-sharpening-instructions&catid=38:instructions&Itemid=88
The fact that the person setting the knife up has to “allow” for this left side “pulling” is to be expected.
As the left side of the clamp “always” remains vertical.
I have packed the left side only to acheive a vertical mounted knife.
I’m thinking of using a feeler guage set to shim the left.
Then I can have a record for setting up next time.
If the vise clamp could squeeze both sides of the knife at it’s correct angles, it (the clamp) would then need to be able to rotate slightly to the right to be vertical.
I can see this problem being overcome one day, everything else is just a workaround for now.
If you don’t admit there “is” a problem, then you will never try to fix it!
Thanks for all the input!