[quote quote=“mark76” post=14453]
Josh, I also asked Eamon this, but are the paddles with Atoma’s the same thickness as the stock WE paddles? If they are, they would fit in the “system”, which would be a huge plus.[/quote]
Sorry Mark I thought I had addressed this? The paddles I received from Bob Nash are WE paddles. With the 140 Atomas on WE paddles going to 400/600 diamonds i can tell no difference. Maybe with the new ones coming in there could be a difference but I won’t know till Friday afternoon? I apologize for any confusion I caused. Like I have said many times here my written skills seem to suck!
Eamon
Okay guys the stones are in. I have to do a lot more work with them to see how they really are, but here is some down and dirty for the folks waiting?
First thing I did out of the box was to set them in the WE. Using a cheap cheap knife I started a scrubbing motion with the 600’s. Did this for about 20 minutes just trying to knock of the rough stuff?
I then repeated the drill with the 1200’s.
My main concern was were the going to be aggressive enough to go from 140> 600> 1200? So I set up the 140 at 20°. Using a fake mora I proceeded to re profile the blade. (Note this the ninth knife I’ve done with them and it feels like the are breaking in?) It feels like it went really fast? Seems like a third of the normal time?
On to the 600’s. these are cutting very aggressive! Using a alternating stroke all scratch marks of the 140’s are gone in about 30 stokes. I repeated this same drill with the 1200’s.
I then took the knife out of the WE and cut some copy paper. No problem just a little ruff? I decided to srop using my bench strop green compound and did that till it felt smooth? Some where around 10-16 strokes?
The test, I cut copy paper and easily push cut it! Next I went and got some newspaper, Easy! Folded the newspaper in a tube shape and it sliced NO PROBLEM!
I repeated this exercise on anther cheap mora ( BudK $1.95 each I bunches of them for screwing around) and on 600 and 1200 it was a little smoother.
So my main worry was will they work together for a Farmers market job? Would going from 140> 600> 1200 be to much of a jump? I am completely satisfied that they are going to work GREAT!
Today I will do some time test and see where they fit in against the We diamonds and see how they rate?
I’m not feeling well so it will be sometime today? Fire off any questions or concerns and I will start working them down as I feel better.
I’m very interested in this thread. I got a pro pack l with upgraded arms only just a few days ago. I am more than impressed and pleased with my results. EVERY knife in my house is now shaving sharp.
My only complaint is that when having to reprofile an edge to a lower angle I wanted or because the knife didn’t have an even bevel from the factory it sometimes took FOREVER to remove the metal with the 100 grit. On a few knives I actually opted for less of an angle than I ideally wanted because I didn’t want to spend all night reprofiling.
I had intended to get the we 50/80 stones but after some research I was kinda leaning towards not getting them because they can scratch so deeply and actually chip out the edge if you aren’t careful.
Sooo, if you guys think and recommend the atoma 140 for reprofiling and to possibly replace the we 100/200 then I will probably order some. Would just like your thoughts before I pull the trigger and order them and spend another $125 (stone+blank paddle). The wife isn’t exactly happy I’ve spent so much on a sharpener already (although I think it was money very well spent).
Anyways I look forward to your advice and responses.
After reading the entire thread again I guess all the questions I had were basically answered. I guess what I’m really looking for is a push from others telling me to go ahead and order them lol.
Here’s your push, Go gett’um…they’ll save you at least two steps (hence time) and the reprofile can be achieved in 1/3 the time. The time you save you can spend with the wife and enjoy the knives. So what’s not to like, since it looks like a win-win all around.
Here’s your push, Go gett’um…they’ll save you at least two steps (hence time) and the reprofile can be achieved in 1/3 the time. The time you save you can spend with the wife and enjoy the knives. So what’s not to like, since it looks like a win-win all around.
Have fun with it though![/quote]
Big +1 You will be amazed!
Also so having had a little time to play with the 600/1200 paddle? The 1200 is very aggresive. I’m not sure how to describe it though? It is different then anything in the line up? Sometime ago Clay spoke about getting a DMT 1200 and said it was different. This is like that comment. It can be made nice with green compund or cleaned up with the 1200/1600 ceramics or both? I think most of us would be happy with that edge? By all means something that you can sell. I have yet to time them but should get that today? I am sorry I have not got to this sooner but my health just got in the way last week.
Also so having had a little time to play with the 600/1200 paddle? The 1200 is very aggresive. I’m not sure how to describe it though? It is different then anything in the line up? Sometime ago Clay spoke about getting a DMT 1200 and said it was different. This is like that comment. It can be made nice with green compund or cleaned up with the 1200/1600 ceramics or both? I think most of us would be happy with that edge? By all means something that you can sell. I have yet to time them but should get that today? I am sorry I have not got to this sooner but my health just got in the way last week.
I hope your health has improved and you are doing better…
I went ahead and ordered the atoma 140 stones today from Bob at Oldawan. He is a great guy and was full of useful information. We talked a good while and he let me pick his brain for all kinds of useful tips. I highly recommend giving him a call for anything you might need or if your on the fence on whether to get something. He can steer you in the right direction. I also got a better magnification loupe and a little microscope from him. He got it all shipped out today so I’ll hopefully have it in time to try out some this weekend. Now to try and find some non razor sharp blades, lol.
Once I have a chance to use the new stones I’ll post an update on my experience and thoughts about them…
Grift, Thank you so much! You know the old story? Some good days some not so good?
You have found the best resource I know and that is Bob at Oldawan. He will never rush you and will stay on till I understand or make up my mind. I can’t figure how? But nobody can ship as fast as him. It like the packages have wings on them?
I think you are going to love your new stones! :woohoo:
Well from just looking at the pics on Oldawan’s site it doesn’t look like copper. If you really need to know though just give Bob a call at Oldawan, he would be glad to help I’m sure. I do know the Oldawan ones are bonded to an aluminum or some other type metal to increase the thickness and make them the same thickness as the other WE stones.
They are the stainless plates not the copper film. I get my plates cut and mounted to the aluminum by Ken and sell them in pairs loose or I mount them here in my shop if people want (or pull apart their handles to replace WE plates with Atomas like I did for Eamon replacing his 50 grit with 140). Thanks for the interest! :cheer:
Do you realize you are tempting at least one person and probably more? I’m seriously considering the Atoma’s, especially the 1200 grit ones. (But probably all of them… )
Can you tell us about the thickness of these plates? Are they the same size as the WE handles when mounted with their aluminium blanks?
And if so, how should they be mounted to be the same thickness? I have some spare blank handles and some 3M tape WE uses to mount the stones to the handles, but this tape adds a little to the overall thickness. Should the Atoma plates + aluminium blanks be mounted with glue only (no added thickness) or with the tape (a little added thickness)?
And can you tell us anything about their durability? If I understand this topic correctly, that’s a reason Clay decided not to carry them.
Hi Mark - Sorry to be gone so long from the forum… Happy to help anyone out with what they are looking for :silly: :woohoo:
Sure I can tell you more. I too use the 3M VHB tape to attach these to handles so what you have will work great. The thickness mounted with that tape is pretty close to identical as the WEPS stock stones - that was the goal! Eamon’s measurements were pretty spot on. Mine vary from my Wicked Edge stock handles less than 0.1mm thicker or thinner (less than 0.0039 inches and Eamon measured his 140s at 0.003 thicker) - my WE stones seem to vary in the same range from one to another.
Josh will probably have a better sense of the durability as I imagine he uses his a lot more than I do. Since I am selling systems I work at shows with the stock diamonds and at shows is where I do a majority of my sharpening. So far they seem to be standing up about the same as the Wicked Edge stones, better than DMT.
Hope that helps some - gotta run!
[quote quote=“mark76” post=14672]Hey Bob! :cheer:
Do you realize you are tempting at least one person and probably more? I’m seriously considering the Atoma’s, especially the 1200 grit ones. (But probably all of them… )
Can you tell us about the thickness of these plates? Are they the same size as the WE handles when mounted with their aluminium blanks?
And if so, how should they be mounted to be the same thickness? I have some spare blank handles and some 3M tape WE uses to mount the stones to the handles, but this tape adds a little to the overall thickness. Should the Atoma plates + aluminium blanks be mounted with glue only (no added thickness) or with the tape (a little added thickness)?
And can you tell us anything about their durability? If I understand this topic correctly, that’s a reason Clay decided not to carry them.[/quote]
Eamon I’m hoping you are still following this thread and that your health is continuing to improve.
So when you get the time or feel up to it please give us an update on how the atomas are performing. My 140’s should be here tomorrow or Saturday and I have a couple knives I’ve left untouched just so I can test there reprofiling abilities and see how they compare to the 100/200. Like I said previously I’ll post my thoughts after I get to use them.
Hi Guys,
So I have done a couple dozen knives using the Atomas. I have been trying figure out the best way to describe them? The best description I can come up with is this? In my opinion they are best for stock removal. If you are looking to save time and move on then these are for you. They do not set you up to do “pretty knives”. I do not use my 100/200’s at all anymore. All done with the 140. Then on to the 600 and clean the blade up. They will remove about 90% of the 140 scratches. The 600’s are good for stock removal just depends where you want to start out at? The oddball is the 1200? They do not fit in like you would think in normal progression? In my opinion as I mention earlier they leave a very toothy edge. They are more like what you would think a 700 would be? If you start with the 600 then 1200 to clean it up fast? Then you need to move on to something else?? 800/1000 or 1200/1600 ceramics something?
I think these stones are made for the guys trying to make money at this. They remove a lot of stock quick and clean, but you have to come back with something to finish the blade.
Let me know if there are any more questions or concerns I will do my best to answer them.
Eamon
Ok guys been out all night with my 4yr old and her friends for Halloween but the 140 atoma was here waiting when I got home. It’s late so I’ll make this quick.
Threw them on to reprofile an edge to 17°. WOW, let me repeat, WOW, they are unbelievable.. took me no time at all to get the angle down and a burr. I’ll give a more in depth opinion on them after I get to try them some more this weekend. For now I’ll finish this knife and go to bed.
Stay tuned. I’m impressed to say the least though!
I just wanted to report back and give an update . I have been using my atoma 140’s a lot recently and it seems now that they have gotten to the point that they aren’t removing metal nearly as quickly as at first… Clay may have been right (when he said that they wear quickly).
I will say that it may be because I was using heavy pressure sometimes, which may have caused the diamonds to strip out of the matrix prematurely… So you guys be careful and please update us! I would suggest keeping track of how many knives you reorofile with them.
It is now to the point that my 100 stock stones are cutting better…
I’m seriously considering the Atoma’s, especially the 1200 grit ones. (But probably all of them…