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JakeRoberts
240
Aug 22, 2016
Hey guys,
I've owned and used the Wicked Edge (WE from now on) ProPack 1 for over a year now. I use it to sharpen and maintain a collection of 27 knives (25 folders and two fixed blades) and it does do its intended job quite nicely. As others have stated, it is a good idea to learn how to sharpen free-hand using whetstones and\or diamond plates, and while I can free-hand rather well, it takes much more concentration and work (for me) than using the WE.
Now, the system being sold on this drop is the Generation (gen) 1 base system, which goes for $299 on WE's website. The Gen1 system can tackle almost any knife you throw at it (I've sharpened seven inch fixed blades with it with no problems), but it does have its limitations. The first is that, even though the Gen1 can, in theory, go as low as 15 degrees per side, its ability to go that low will depend on the knife being sharpened. For example, a Full Flat Ground blade (FFG) like many Spyderco offerings (example, the ParaMilitary 2, the Military, the Delica and Endura, etc.), whose blade stock is not very thick will cause the stones to hit the clamp if you go for 15 degrees per side. FFGs also bring their own problem in that, due to the way the clamp works, trying to stabilize an FFG is doable but requires a lot of clamping force. Using the clamp alone, you'll likely run into the issue of have the blade sway from side to side when sharpening with the stones, changing your sharpening angle.
What most people with a Gen1 and Gen2 WE do is to place a piece of foam between the clamp and the blade to stabilize it and keep it from swaying, but then you have to compensate for the added separation on the clamp by adjusting the arms to keep your desired sharpening angle. Now, in order to fix the issue of not being able to hit 15 degrees per side with some knifes, WE released a Gen2 version of the machine: the only addition to the Gen2 is a riser block for the clamp and recalibrated degree markings on the base to accommodate the clamp's new height. Unfortunately, the kit being sold is a Gen1 without the riser block.
Another issue with the clamp on the Gen1 and Gen2 is that it does not have a free-floating clamping head. The clamp on both generations stays fixed on the left side (does not move), while the right side is the one that moves (closes) when you tighten the clamp screws to secure the knife. That means that, depending on the thickness of the blade being sharpened, you'll have a different angle setting on the right versus the left because the blade is not centered on the machine's true centerline. Again, this can be compensated for by readjusting the right-side arm to keep the angle you want.
For beginners, this variability can be cured by buying a digital angle cube which will tell you, precisely, the angle you are sharpening at. Either that, or use the Sharpie method were you set the angle, paint the edge with a Sharpie that covers both sides and then make passes with the 600-grit stones to see what where you are removing material: you then readjust until you can remove the marker from the entire edge.
The ProPack I cost $425, and besides the stones included on the base system being sold on this drop, it adds the paperstone base (the system being sold here does not include the base, hence the +55 to add it), 800/1000 grit diamond stones, the 1200\1600 ceramic stones and leather strops with 5 micron and 3.5 micron paste. Neither the base system nor the ProPack 1 include the upgraded ball-joint arms with degree microadjustments or the riser block and recalibrated arm base.
This is where the system becomes cash-grabby: buying the upgraded arms with the riser block and recalibrated arm base will cost an additional $149. This is a must if your knives have inconsistent grinds on both sides of the edge. Almost every production knife has a different grind angle on each side, so being able to make microadjustments directly from the arms is quite helpful. A set of 800\1000 grit stones will set you back $70.00, and adding the 1200\1600 ceramic stones will cost another $85. All those stones, unfortunately, will only get you close to a true mirrored edge, because you'll still see scratches from the previous grits. For a true mirror edge you need to buy more strops and diamond pastes with smaller and smaller microns.
With all that said, if your blade's edge still cuts somewhat, you'll only really need the 400\600 stones on the basic system in order to get a very sharp working edge. If your edge has chips or deformities, or you want to put a bevel with a different angle (reprofile), then you would use the 100/200 stones, as they remove a lot of material. Once the stones break in (in my case, I had to sharpen 10 to 15 knives in order to get the stones to cut as intended), you do get awesome results.
There's a neverending debate on whether a mirror edge or a working edge is best: personally, I put working edges on most of my knives for the simple reason that it cuts down on the number of stones I have to use when retouching the edge. Plus, using the 400\600 stones I'm able to put a scary-sharp edge that will easily cut through phonebook paper and shave hair (though not whittle it).
In the end, only you can decide if the WE is right for you. It is extremely expensive, and it becomes even more expensive as you add more stones\accessories. I've always seen the company as cash-grabby: they still refuse to include the upgraded ball-joint arms and riser with the base and ProPack I versions, even though they make using the system better and much more accurate. The small knife\low angle adapter is another $75, a Pelican-style hard storage case is $185!!! (I just store it on a bookshelf). But there is no question that, when properly used, it will put an awesome edge on knives.
Here's a thread started by a WE user on Reddit that further explains the differences between the generations of the machine, their advantages and disadvantages, etc. (https://www.reddit.com/r/knifeclub/comments/3hnny5/planning_on_getting_a_wicked_edge_before_you_buy/). If I were to do it all over again, I would have kept free-handing, and once the stones give out (they still cut great after a year of constant use), I'll just retire it. The results are great, but the cost (both on initial purchase and with the potential to add "accessories") is just too much.
aaoei
8
Aug 22, 2016
JakeRobertsthanks for the info! i'll definitely reconsider my current system now!
Rath
85
Aug 22, 2016
JakeRobertsVery good information, thank you!
Some of this I was aware of (the cost of additional stones etc.) but I didn't realize that this did not include the gen-2 updates, which I had read about a long time back. I'm not certain if that changes my opinion of this drop since it at least saves the (imo) unnecessary expense of the $55 base. The company does seem a bit 'cash-grabby' as you put it, but I hesitate to judge them _too_ harshly since they do have a rather niche market -- unlike, for instance Hewlett-Packard with regard to their inkjet printer business model.
The info on usage is very interesting as well. I wonder if you could clarify something for me. It seems to me that getting a good consistent angle would be more important for a courser grit than for a finer, since they take off more material and do the most for establishing an edge. Wouldn't that tend to make polishing by hand the easier part of the job (or less sensitive to mistakes if polishing compounds and strops are used) or am I off-base on that assumption?
JakeRoberts
240
Aug 22, 2016
RathI don't agree with some of their business practices, but I did buy into their system so that one's on me... : )
To clarify, the 100/200 grit stones are VERY aggressive material removers; they will do quick work of reprofiling a new bevel angle. If you go down to the 50\80 grit stones reprofiling is even easier. So, if the knife can cut, even with difficulty, chances are you'll only really need the 400\600 stones. The courser grits should only be used for reprofiling and\or for fixing a really damaged edge (chipped or deformed edge).
The thing is, you need a constant and consistent angle, even as you progress through the finer grits, to make sure you apex the edge and remove the burr from each side. That way you guarantee that you are putting a sharp edge on. That's why I mark the edge with Sharpie even while working with the finer grits (but not with the strops), since the stones MAY have different thicknesses that can affect the sharpening angle (another reason why the ball-joint arms with microadjustments should be standard equipment on the base and ProPack I and not an option). For example, my 1200\1600 ceramics are a tad thicker than the diamond stones, enough of a difference that it requires a small adjustment. As long as you maintain a consistent angle throughout the entire grit range you want to work through, you should end up with a very sharp edge.
Some people do what you state: they use the WE to reprofile\repair a damaged edge, establish the bevel degrees they want, work up to 400/600, or even 800\1000, and then use a standalone strop. Here's the kicker though... you need to have experience with manual stropping or you risk rolling the edge and erasing most of the work done while sharpening. It's very easy to roll a knife's edge while stropping manually, even though you are using a soft material (leather, kangaroo, NanoCloth, etc.) and polishing compounds. The very real problem of rolling an edge is, precisely, because the stropping material has give/elasticity... apply too much force while stropping or come in at too acute (steep) of an angle and the leather/kangaroo/NanoCloth will wrap around the other side and you'll end up with a rolled edge. While they may be polishing compounds, they still cut (remove material, just much, much, much less than a sharpening stone, but enough to roll the edge). Hell, you can even roll the edge using the WE strops if you apply too much force; that's why most people move the stropping angle one degree in from the sharpening angle, to minimize the chance of rolling the edge while polishing.
When I free-hand, I strop using four-sided Stropman unit with four different polishing compounds. And this part takes me more time than the actual sharpening because I do it very carefully. Some people can strop while blindfolded, while others just can't get the hang of it. If you have experience with manual stropping, then by all means sharpen using the WE and finish it off on a manual strop. the results should be awesome. You just have to be careful that you don't roll it.
The first picture is of a Doug Ritter RSK Griptilian in M390 steel. This one was taken up to 600 grit and has what most people call a working edge. The next one is a Spyderco ParaMilitary 2 in S30V taken up to the 5/3.5 strops; after that is a Spyderco Endura in VG-10 steel taken up to the strops and, finally, a Benchmade 581 Barrage in M390 with black DLC coating. Again, taken up to the strops, but in that last picture you see what I mean about still having scratches (from the 1200/1600 ceramics) even with the 5/3.5 micron pastes. It still reflects like crazy, but you can see the scratches better right below the Osborne logo.
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Rath
85
Aug 22, 2016
JakeRobertsThanks for the very thorough reply and detailed information. I think this device is worth it to me for the aid in consistency and speed, cost notwithstanding. In most cases I doubt I will feel the need to go too far with my sharpening, certainly not the the sub-micron degree that it can apparently be taken, but for the odd exception I particularly like the tip of the slight change in angle for the polishing stage.
JakeRoberts
240
Aug 23, 2016
RathNo problem, let me know if you have any other questions. : )
Backinthewoods
0
Aug 24, 2016
JakeRobertsIs this a current model or a close out?
JakeRoberts
240
Aug 24, 2016
BackinthewoodsThis is the base model currently available from Wicked Edge's official website (https://www.wickededgeusa.com/product/wicked-edge-precision-sharpener/). It's basically the Generation 1.5 that's includes the hardened steel insert in the right-side clamp (the steel circle on the right clamp in the picture) and better degree indents on the bar that holds the arms. This one does not included the upgraded ball-joint arms, nor the riser plate and recalibrated arm bar. Basically, the clamps are made out of aluminum, and some people warped the right-hand clamp when tightening down with the Gen1 system; that's why the steel insert was added.
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it-man
720
Oct 30, 2016
JakeRobertsReally really appreciate the time you have taken to write your thoughts down. It really helps to have people with actual experience writing this and have nothing to gain from it.