I am new at sharpening but I have had my WE for a year and still cant figure out to use. The problem I have is figuring out how to set the angle for the different knives from kitchen knives, to hunting knifes, to caping knifes etc. I have read the phamphlet that came with my sharpener but did not seem to change anything. Now I go on you tube and there are up grades and changes already that are being made and I cannot even get the pro pack model that I have to work let alone think about the upgrades some one please help. I really want this to work so I can finally learn how to sharpen a knife correctly.
Here’s my advice. Pick one knife. One that you like but not love and work on that. Determine what kind of knife it is what you’re going to be cutting with it and what kind of steel it is.
Once we know the above information it’ll be easier to recommend an angle for you.
The next thing is to work on your technique and break in your stones. I just received my wicked edge a week or 2 ago now and Clay was explaining to me why breaking in the stones is so important. There are some great pictures there from Clay that illustrate it. I’m still not 100% happy with my results but it’s getting much better.
The nice thing about the wicked edge is you can change your angles. If you sharpen it once and you don’t like it you can change it. Make sure you keep track of your angles you use on each knife. that helps too!
That is what is hard I followed the settings in the booklet that comes with the sharpener and nothing changed, so I dont know is there a basic setting everyone uses say for kitchen knive is 18 deg, and hunting knife is 20 something, and small caping knife is something else and you tweak it or what. I watch the you tube videos and no one says this is where I set the arms to start they start going to it. This is where I am lost.
First thing: don’t get frustrated! A lot of sharpening, even with a guided system like the Wicked Edge, is based on feel and technique. One of the things that took me a few tries to grasp was forming a burr properly; without that burr you simply can’t get a good sharp edge, since the sharpening process hasn’t reached the very peak of the edge yet.
You’ll probably notice right away that most knives aren’t particularly even when it comes to the angle of the grind. If you have a smartphone or an angle cube that gets VERY apparent once you start looking for it, then it really bugs you Because of that you’ll often need to spend extra time on one side to get things evened out, again focus on that burr and make sure it’s all the way down the blade before switching sides to raise a burr there as well. That’s when you’re where you want to be.
Angle is important, but you might be surprised how well even an angle that seems to be too large for conventional wisdom will cut. My favorite carry knife is sharpened at 22 degrees per side, which is pretty middle of the road for a high end 154CM blade. It was the sharpest factory knife I’ve ever bought, and it’s even better now! I would definitely go with Kyle’s suggestion and pick a decent practice blade to just go with and try different things, since it’s easy to change if you need to.
If you haven’t checked out Clay’s videos, I think the demo where he trashes a cheap chef’s knife makes a pretty good intro to the system without delving into the more technical aspects like convex edges. They’re all worth checking out though! I’m sure with some patience and the folks here to help you’ll get on the right track to great results soon
By doing this, you’ll end up with a knife that is very sharp, you’ll get the hang of the WE, how it works, removes metal, etc. It also helps to “set” the knife for the Wicked Edge. Knives are sharpened with a variety of methods, so getting it profiled for the Wicked Edge makes things easier.
Chances are, just by doing this, you’ll have a knife that is much sharper than it ever was… even new!
Then, as you’re experience grows, you can start adjusting angles to better suit what you’re doing. This is if you even want to… many people are quite content at this point. But, if you’re are interested in changing angles, just pay attention to how the knife is performing. For example, if it’s a kitchen knife that you think could be sharper, the next time you sharpen, lower the angle a couple of degrees and see how that goes. If an edge is seeing hard use and dulling quick, raise the angle, etc.
Don’t concern yourself with the upgrades that are coming out… the original WE will put a GREAT edge on a knife (just watch Clay’s and other videos), and you’ll know if/when you’ll want/need the upgrade, if one day you say to yourself, “If only I could…” and realize that the upgrade solves the problem!
Thats why I joined the forum because I really want to learn and it has been very trying on my patience. I will try to night on a kitchen knife and see what I get.
This one thing that I have always wanted to be good at since a young age and I totally stink at it and I saw the WE and thought here I go and I cant even get going to GO . Thanks all for your help
[quote quote=“cbwx34” post=5695]
Here’s my .02. When starting out, my suggestion is to match the angle that is already on the knife.[/quote]
Wow, I can’t believe in my couple paragraphs I neglected to mention that! This is excellent advice, and learning how to match the factory angle using the old Sharpie trick is a good skill as well. You’ll kill several birds with one stone (har har, no pun intended) that way.
Also a +1 to not worrying too much about upgrades. I have the Pro Pack 1 and am constantly impressed by the edges it makes with just the stones, none the less some time put in with the strops to shine it up. Lots of time to wander down the rabbit hole later
+1 on the existing angle matching. Use the Sharpie.
One more point, don’t worry if, when angle matching, you wind up with two different settings on the arms. It is not unusual for a factory edge, or an edge sharpened by someone/something else, to be asymmetric, and also there can be a bit of play in the universal joints, etc. which make it such that the settings on the arms will be different from side to side when you get the most Sharpie mark removal, i.e. matching the existing angle.
Ok I will give the sharpie a try tonight when I get home from work and see. Then watch for the burr and try to progress from there. Thanks everyone for the help Im sure I am going to have more questions hope youall dont get tired of my questions.
An endoscope (or recording microscope) works wonders in this department, allowing a standard match to take place (i.e. a .5mm pencil lead) in comparison to the bevel. Just an FYI
This post makes little sense, anyway, a “recording microscope” is not really a good recommendation when starting out. A simple loupe/magnifier would be more beneficial. Burr detection and marking the edge with a Sharpie is “tried and true” across many methods of sharpening.
Just an FYI. B)
(I can’t bring myself to call it an endoscope.) :sick: :ohmy:
I think you got the idea… keep us posted on how it goes!
This post makes little sense, anyway, a “recording microscope” is not really a good recommendation when starting out. A simple loupe/magnifier would be more beneficial. Burr detection and marking the edge with a Sharpie is “tried and true” across many methods of sharpening.
Just an FYI. B)
(I can’t bring myself to call it an endoscope.) :sick: :ohmy:
I think you got the idea… keep us posted on how it goes![/quote]
I guess ignorance is bliss in your case. Another FYI just for you.
So the settings that are in the phamphlet like 18 deg for a kitchen knife and 22 deg. for a hunting knife where do those settings come from. If using the sharpie is the best way to set the angle then why have these settings? This is where I get confused because then you can change it but change it to what angle how do you know what is the angle to change it to to get the best edge on the knife.
Those settings are recommended… I’m not sure the best way to describe it, but I’ll try… as a starting point, more for the person who just wants to “insert knife, follow instructions, remove sharp blade”. :unsure: Think of it this way, what if someone who bought the sharpener and never visited a forum, got the WE with no guidelines on setting an angle? That would really be confusing. The suggested angles like 18 for kitchen etc. are based in part on how most knives of that type are sharpened, the type of use they’ll get, and how they’ll perform. In other words, a kitchen knife is thinner, can take a thinner edge because (in theory) it will see lighter chores, vs. a hunting knife that will see harder work, so it should have a more robust edge.
If you get into sharpening, and more importantly, learn proper use of a knife, you may find that you could put a smaller angle on a hunting knife, because you’re going to use it properly, and not “beat up” the edge.
The reason I suggest the Sharpie method is, I feel it’s a better starting point then setting an angle and spending what may be a lot of time trying to achieve this. Matching the existing angle as a start, will result in a very sharp edge, like I said probably sharper than new, while giving you an idea of how sharpening in general, and the WE specifically works.
To determine what angle to change to… occurs over time or with experience. Almost all knives can go thinner. So if you sharpen a knife, and the edge holds up well, next time drop down a couple of degrees and see how it does. Conversely, if you sharpen and an edge readily fails based on how you use it, increasing the angle will make a stronger edge.
ok that makes sense then as I get used to doing this then I can figure out or ask and get advanced guidelines on how to set the blade angle secondary to the use of the knife. AWESOME I am so glad that this forum is here because I was going to sell my sharpener because of the money I had in it and I could not figure it out. It was not as easy as it was when Clay used it on the outdoor channel and then shaved
The beauty of using an actual sharpener, vs. some type of pull thru - hope for the best device, or one that doesn’t let you adjust anything, is that, although there is a bit of a learning process, once you “get it”, you’ll be able to adjust the sharpening to fit your needs, as well as achieve a higher level of sharpness.
You’ll also better understand what actually makes a knife sharp, so if you’re caught somewhere without the WE, you could take a stone or other abrasive and know how to at least get a knife to cut decent.
More on the Sharpie bit vs. just using a recommended angle. When I try to match angles using a sharpie, I make a very gentle pass with the 800 stone, basically just trying to wipe off as much Sharpie ink as possible. If your setting is off (and it usually is if it is a new knife to you) you are not really taking any significant metal off by doing this. So you make the pass, and adjust the arm in or out a degree or two until you get the most “wipe”. Then you know you are about as well matched as you are going to get, and typically you will start your progression with the finer grits instead of the coarser grits.
If I’m doing a knife that isn’t in too bad a shape, I don’t necessarily want to reprofile it, just match the existing angles. On the other hand the angles suggested in the manual, 18, for example, are just that - suggestions or recommendations. If you have an old kitchen knife with a munged up edge, you’re going to want to reprofile it anyway and 18 degrees is a good suggested angle to use. No Sharpie marking needed, just set up for 18 degrees, put on the 100 grit stones and have at it until you get the burr. Now you are on your way to a reprofiled edge as you go through the progression.
Once you get experience you can decide what angles you like, based on how you use your knives. For me, I tend to higher angles on kitchen knives than pocket knives, because my kitchen knives get “abused” by the family and the higher angles tend to last a bit longer. But that’s just me.
Because of that you’ll often need to spend extra time on one side to get things evened out, again focus on that burr and make sure it’s all the way down the blade before switching sides to raise a burr there as well. That’s when you’re where you want to be.