My wife made me a great birthday present: a kitchen knive from Juergen Schanz (Lucidus II Gyuto).
To preserve this piece of art und to make the best use of it I need to sharpen it of course. I’ve got a short insight how to sharpen an knive with a wet Stone but I don’t trust myself enough that I get a good result using this method.
So I’m thinking about getting myself a Wicked Edge sharpener and I’m here to get as much information if this is the right tool for me before I invest over 1000 euros.
Please forgive my bad english - it’s a long time ago since I wrote in english forums.
thank you for your welcome and the detailed explanation!
Of course you are right, if it would be only one knife I want to take care of it would be easier to send it to its manufacturer to sharpen it. Especially as I’m no “obsessive compulsive perfectionist” regarding knife sharpening.
I just want to have sharp kitchen knifes whenever I need them. So sending them to a pro is not really an option for me. Also I want only sharpen the knifes that are in use, I don’t want to give them a new profile or transform dull knifes into shiny and mirror-like knifes. I just need sharp knifes to work with them. Therefore I hope I don’t need 2-3 hours just for one knife. Thinking about professional cooking chefs - I can’t imagine they spent more than 10 minutes for each knife to keep it sharp!?
I’ve already read und understood what has to be done to find the perfect clamping position for each knife - of course this takes some time but that’s only once for each knife. Also I understood that the first shapening with a WEPS needs a little reprofiling for each knife - so the first sharpening may take some more time what is ok for me.
But 2-3 hours per knife each time would be a problem for me because in september I start a very time consuming project (private Pilot license). Although the break-in period disturbs me because I only have about 6 knifes that I use regularly. So my question is if I can produce sharp (not shiny) knifes during the break-in period already?
I hope I find some experience-reports from other users so I can make the right decision.
Your knives will still get sharp during the break in period for the stones. Once the stones are worn in then the knives will become sharp to a greater degree.
You dont one have to spend multiple hours on a knife especially if you don’t care about how shiny the edge is. The first time you sharpen each knife will take some time (how long depends on many factors), but once a knife has been sharpened once it will take only a few minutes to get it re-sharpened when using the Wicked Edge. Clay specifically designed the system to allow rapid re-sharpening and it does this very well.
Welcome to the forum Thomas. I share the experiences of both forum members “airscapes” and “Organic”. The very first I sharpen a knife, with fully broken in stones, it can easily take me two, three or more hours depending on how large the knife is, how rough the edge is and how finely polished an edge I’m applying. Then subsequent sharpenings take much less time.
There is a “zen-like” quality many of us experience while sharpening and I get into it and find it relaxing. These sharpener works very well. Even for a few knives. the WE130 would be my choice model for a balance between function, ease of use and versatility. It is not for everyone. Those that master it and use it well, love it.
Guten tag Thomas and welcome to the forum! I lived in the Rheinland-Pfalz from 2008-2011, what a beautiful part of the world you are from. Are you near Karlsruhe? The one point I wanted to make about the Gen 3 is that it sits a little high because of the base included for stone storage. I took that into consideration when I purchased mine and now I am thinking about removing it from the base because of the height of the workbench I use it on. Currently, I have to stand up when sharpening and let me tell you, that gets real old after a few hours. Other than that one issue, it’s been a solid performer with the cam-lock vice. One thing that I discovered when I first started using it was that the set screws that secure the micro-adjustment tend to back out once I began sharpening so I started tightening both of them (not much) with a set of small channel locks and haven’t had that issue since. Good luck and don’t hesitate to use this forum for answers and advice.
The modifications set-ups I pick-up from forum member “notsharpenuff”. He makes these as a hobby and shares them for pretty much what he has in them in his parts expenses. He follows the design concept previously shared on this forum and utilized by TCMeyer.
Welcome to the forum and the slippery slope on knife sharpening! I started with the wish of having a sharp kitchen knife and evolved to a scary sharp mirror polish edge. Admittedly, I’m not quite there yet but progressing in small steps. The forum members are a great help and this is the one forum where the owner of the company is actively participating in the discussions, something rarely found. I have the WE 130 and love it even though I didn’t master it. One thing I found of great help is the angle cube https://wickededgeusa.com/collections/attachments-and-adapters/products/digital-angle-gauge , something you need in order to replicate the sharpening angle each and every time. Another tidbit I make a lot of use of is https://wickededgeusa.com/collections/attachments-and-adapters/products/advanced-alignment-guide, something that allows you to get reference points for each blade you sharpen. It will increase the purchasing price with a few euros but but my way of looking at it is cry once and enjoy it for years, rather than save now and cry every time you go to use it.
great you liked germany. I live in the vicinity of cologne but I know a lot of places in germany because of my work. Yes, there are a lot of nice and differently looking places in this small Country, I enjoy living here very much.
The height of the device should be ok for me - I have adjustable table and I like to work while standing because I often have back pain when sitting down too long.
Could you explain to me what a “channel lock” is? I tried searching for it in the net but all I found was a Company named “Channellock”. Do you mean a lock ring perhaps?
Thanks for the hint. I already own two angel cubes because I’m flying rc-helicopters. There you need them to adjust the rotor blades. The AAG is already on my shopping list after I’ve read the beginners guide how to find the correct clamping position.
I’ll start now new threads if I have any questions - perhaps others are interested in the same answers and here they won’t find anything.
Again thank you for the warm welcome and all the hints für a beginner!
Richard is likely referring to a pair of “pliers “ made by the company you found on line. Maybe these, to help get a grip on the screws. Other members came up with modifications for tightening.
Welcome to the forum: If I lived in Germany I would buy a used unit that usually comes with many add on’s included. They pop up here from time to time. Also join “Edge Snobs” on Facebook. I see more used units pop up there more often than here. Even if you only have one knife now once you start sharpening you will be adding more to your collection. To start the sharpening learning curve correctly you need to buy a few cheap beater type kitchen knives at a garage sale or thrift shop like $2-5 each. You don’t want to start learning with your good knife.
Its the base that weighs a lot for postage to Germany. You might tell a seller to keep the base (they can re-sell it seperately or toss it) and just mail you the rest the cheapest way. Once you get the unit just buy a thick wooden knife cutting board (or make your own) and mount the unit to a board.
Thomas, once you have gotten through the learning curve, gained some practical experience in clamping knives and using your Wicked Edge set-up and your stones are broken in, sharpening a relatively small, relatively flat and relatively soft steel knife can be pretty fast and simple going. The description of “razor sharp” is a subjective term and often loosely used. Without quantifying the edge sharpness with a sharpness measuring device, like an “Edge On Up” the terminology is really just an embelishment. A wide range of edge sharpness will cut hair.
The results of your efforts are directly related to your time, effort and attention to detail. It’s not too difficult and time consuming to apply a paper slicing edge on a small blade when you are experienced. Now, to apply a mirror polished, scary sharp edge does require more time, more effort, and more attention to detail. Your results are effort driven. You get out of it directly what you put into it.
In addition to Marc’s comments, you have to know the gentleman in the video is a rather accomplished knife maker that knows his way around a sharpening stone. I didn’t agree with his statement that the markings on the horizontal rod are all you need, you are much better off using an angle cube in order to have replicable results.
I just ordered the Wicked Edge Pro-Pack III together with a Carson eFlex USB microscope.<span id=“productTitle” class=“a-size-large”></span>
At the moment I’m in holidays but the order will wait for me at home when I’m back in august.
By the way another stupid question: can you tell me how to remove the permanent marker from the blade after I’ve found the sweet spot and the correct angle? Can I use brake cleaner or something similar?
I use lacquer thinner, which is pretty nasty stuff, but it works easily ten times as fast as isopropyl alcohol for removing marker ink. If I put a single drop of LT over a Sharpie mark, I can see the marker disappearing into the clear liquid.
Nasty stuff, as in sucking the oils right out of your skin. The pads of my index fingers are calloused and dry from lightly rubbing the thinner over the side of a blade to remove all the marker marks! A tiny bit on a Kleenex or a paper towel will wipe away quite a bit of marker ink. I would think Brake Kleen and acetone would work as well, but I haven’t tried them lately. Any one of them would be a flammability concern, if you’re worried about your eyebrows.
I always have spritzers of lacquer thinner and isopropyl alcohol on my work bench. Because of their low boiling temps, I often use them to cool off edges I’m grinding on. Seems to work as well as a bucket of water.
I use it because it’s handy and it’s handy because it’s an excellent solvent for lots of adhesives. I frequently use it for cleaning up epoxy messes, especially the putty knife I use to mix it. Have to be careful what I use it on, as it will tend to dissolve many plastics, including ABS and the soft rubber handles used on some kitchen knives.
