Some time ago there was a reference here to an article about grit rate vs. edge retention here. I thought the article was on Science of Sharp, but I could be mistaken.
The point of the article was that coarse edges (up to a point) have a longer edge retention than fine edges. Although this has been stated more often (and I didn’t always agree; how do you measure this longevity?), I had never seen a good reason for this. The hypothesis in this article was that the teeth of a coarse edge break off easier than those of a sharp edge, thus keeping the edge sharp for a longer time.
Unfortunately I cannot find the article back. Does anyone have a link for me? Thanks!
Thanks Marc! That’s a fast response. I’m not sure this is the article I read before, but it’s very good. Cliff gives a very simple definition of edge retention and, as we know of him, thoroughly tests his theory. Only the reason why coarse grit edges have increased edge retention is part of the discussion section and not tested. IIRC the Science of sharp article (or whereever I read it) did actually test the hypothesis for this.
Thanks guys and LOL, Curtis. Of course I’m curious where those photographs come from and what they actually show.
And success with managing your time, Clay. I spoke to a guy who met you at the IWA (I think - from Knives and Tools) and he told me how busy you are; as if I didn’t know that already…
I can definitely see the appeal of this version; it would be very portable so it would make it easier to bring with you every day. I could see myself wanting one of these so that I could bring a wicked edge to my parent’s house. As nice as the gen 3 pro is with its sturdy carrying case, it would be rather cumbersome to take it on a flight in addition to the other luggage I would need when I travel back to visit.
Wow! I just watched the video and Clay said that it would be retailing for $199! That makes it an exceptional value and puts Wicked Edge back in the discussion for those who are more budget conscious. That’s directly in the price range of the Edge Pro Apex and the KME.
Ah, the dangers of taking prototypes to shows. We’re hoping for a late summer release of these. The idea is to have a portable, affordable unit. I’ve really been enjoying these. One feature that’s not shown in the prototype is that the stones will actually store inside the base piece. The guide rods also store in slots in the base piece and the jaws lie flat when you use the thumbscrew to take them off of the base so the whole things becomes pretty compact. The basic case won’t have additional stone storage but a deluxe case will be available that has spots for two more sets of stones so you could travel with three sets total.
ps - we’re trying to keep this product relatively hush hush until we’re ready to release it. We showed it to dealers at Shot Show and IWA but don’t want to fully let the cat out of the bag yet.
Still, I know Clay has a lot of projects going on. Look at all the new products appearing on the website; and they all seem great. All the shows/exhibitions that are visited by the WEPS team. And a completely new website was realized (with people like me nagging for improved features ). I can remember Clay was going to produce a series of photographs showing the scratches of each stone, which has not been realized yet as far as I know. And now research into edge retention vs. grit rate. (I can remember another research project with - I think - a university, but I forgot what it was.)
I fully understand not every plan is realized due to time constraints; and commercial activities - new products and shows - probably have a higher priority than more basic research. Although this latter is of course what interests me a lot.
Yes, that is the one I am refererring to. Only the pictures are very small (shouldn’t that be easy to fix, Clay?, or are they still the old pictures?) and I’m not sure about the resolution. And as you say, it doesn’t cover every WE abrasive, but to be honest, at the rate new abrasives are being released, that’s pretty hard.
Mark, Cliff Stamp and Jim Ankerson are the only two I know of that go in depth to test edge retention, although I am not as familiar with Jim’s methods or documentation. The 2 articles of Cliff’s work that come to mind are:
Thanks Josh. The second point is important, too, and we sometimes forget that. Polished edges not only have a long edge retention in chopping wood, but in most circumstances where we push-cut and don’t use a slicing or a similar motion.
). I can remember Clay was going to produce a series of photographs showing the scratches of each stone, which has not been realized yet as far as I know. And now research into edge retention vs. grit rate. (I can remember another research project with - I think - a university, but I forgot what it was.)