Edge Pro vs. Wicked Edge

[ugaarguy]

I've been looking at higher end, true fixed angle knife sharpeners. The two that have gotten the best reviews in my research are the Edge Pro and Wicked Edge. I'd like feedback on these two sharpeners, and any comparison-contrast of the two would be most appreciated. Thanks in advance.

 

[Valkman]

I have a WE and just love it. Have never used the EP system but over on usualsuspects.net even guys with the EP prefer the WE. The WE site also has a forum at www.wickedgeusa.com

I got the Pro Pack which included a paperstone base and that base is the way to go unless you're never going to move it, then get the granite. I also got the 1200/1600 grit ceramics and a extra set of balsa strops. Having both the leather and balsa strops I much prefer the balsa ones.

The WE system is easy to setup and use, and you'll be getting mirror-like edges as soon as the stones break in which only takes a few knives.

I have 4 pages of notes from doing all my knives plus some that have been sent to me to sharpen. Keep track of mounting position, upper or lower mounting and angle sharpened at for future reference.

You have to join www.usualsuspects.net to read the threads but it's free and just go to the Knife Care & Sharpening sub-forum for lots of info on these two systems. USN is a knife site and I'm sure other knife sites will also have plenty of info.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I also have the Wicked Edge. We had a good discussion on it (http://www.thehighroad.org/showthread.php?t=642255&highlight=Wicked+Edge) here if you haven't read that yet.

I also went with the Pro Pack; but have not yet gone with the 1200/1600 ceramics and the balsa strops. I keep cutting up the leather strops accidentally (razor sharp edges will do that) so I am interested in getting the balsa strops. The 1200/1600 also provides a nice in-between step from the 800/1000 in the Pro-Pack to the strops; but you can get a mirror edge that will cause hair to jump off your arm just using the Pro-Pack and nothing else. However, if you have some of the really hard super-steels, you might be interested in the super-coarse stones to go with them.

Overall, I have only had a few real challenges so far - one was sharpening a 10" knife. While I could have done it with one setting, you get the slight change in angle at the ends of the stroke, so I ended up sharpening the blade in sections to keep the angle constant. However, to the best of my knowledge that problem exists with pretty much any angle/clamp system.

Another challenge was a bayonet I tried to sharpen. It was a pain (literally and figuratively) since it didn't have a flat side to set against the depth gauge and having edges on both sides soon taught me to pay closer attention to what I was doing.

Getting knives set up on the Wicked Edge can take a little bit since factory edges are frequently a bit imprecise. Once you get both bevels set up to a true 15, 17, 20, 25 degree bevel, etc. though, they are really easy to maintain.

 

[red rick]

I also have a Wicked Edge. I thought it might save me some time sharpening my knives so got it even though it is costly and made in China. It has not been any better or faster than my Lansky for me. Just not worth the money to me. They do have good customer service. One of the arms was binding up on mine and the pin was falling out and they sent me a new arm free of charge with fast shipping.

 

[Valkman]

It has not been any better or faster than my Lansky for me.

Doesn't the Lansky have fixed angle settings vs the WE where you can set it in between say 20 and 25 degrees?

 

[ugaarguy]

I find that I can free hand sharpen and get better results than I can with a Lansky system if just maintaining or improving an already decent edge. I use the Lansky only when I need to repair a chipped or otherwise badly damaged edge.

I'm still under no illusions that I can hold angle better freehand than a true fixed angle system like an Edge Pro or Wicked Edge can. The Lansky system is semi-fixed, but the guide slots still have a decent amount of play.

Anyway, I found a dealer with a basic model Wicked Edge in stock, so I ordered that plus the Paperstone base. Now I'm just trying to decide between the diamond stones or the Chosera Japanese water stones for the 800 / 1000 grit step before going to strops (or even finer water stones).

 

[AStone]

Subscribed.

This is interesting.

Hey, I might have a project for you.

 

[oldfortyfiveauto]

I have the Edge Pro and Apex models. Both work fantastic, are made in the the US and are fast. That said any of the others WE, Lansky, etc. work well, but just take longer. The Edge Pros flexibility is great. Pretty much any angle and blade length.

I also have a Lansky and a knock off of it. Never use them anymore.

 

[Valkman]

Anyway, I found a dealer with a basic model Wicked Edge in stock, so I ordered that plus the Paperstone base.

That's cool! Yea it gets confusing on which stones to get, I just got the ceramic 1200/1600 and I doubt if I'll go finer than that. The owner of WE Clay Allison posts knives where he uses ultra-super-fine stones and gets fantastic results.

Hey, I might have a project for you.

I don't want to hijack here but I'll sharpen any knives from THR for the price of postage.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

One thing I like about the WE is once you get the burr formed, the stones on each side let you sharpen very quickly.

 

[ugaarguy]

It's Here

I ordered it early Thursday from EM Gear. They sent it out the same day, and FedEx had it here late this afternoon (just had to make the short trip from North Central GA to North East GA).

I just sharpened a small Wusthof Santoku, and it performed quite well. I did finish it on the butcher's steel afterward, and it did further improve the edge. I definitely need to order a set of 800/1000 grit stones. Based on my initial results I imagine that 1200/1600 grit stones followed by diamond paste strops would do some serious work on an edge.

 

[AStone]

This just gets more interesting.

And it's only Friday.

1200/1600.

Whoa.

 

[Valkman]

Yea they do. 1200/1600 followed by the balsa strops with real fins diamond paste makes an edge you can read off the reflection.

Just keep breaking in those stones and you'll get there!

 

[Classified00]

For what it's worth, I've used Edge Pro for over a decade and I'm very satisfied with it. Once you get used to the process, sharpening becomes a breeze.

 

[ugaarguy]

Update

Sharpened six more knives with it. The 600 grit/mesh puts a plenty a useable edge on the blades, but I want to hone. I've ordered the 14/10 micron and 5/3.5 micron leather diamond paste strops from EM Gear.

I think the jump from 600 grit diamond stones to 14 micron strops will work just as well as (if not better than) the 800/1000 grit diamond stones. I base this assumption on excellent results obtained from free hand sharpening using a blue/red DMT Diafold and finishing with a green DMT Minisharp (DMT blue is 325 mesh/grit - 45 micron, red is 600 mesh/grit - 25 micron, and green is 1200 mesh/grit - 9 micron). Going from that 600 grit (25 micron) diamond stone to 14, 10, 5, and finally 3.5 micron diamond strops should really get the blades popping. If I like the results enough it might push me to order the 1/0.5 micron strops.

1200/1600.

Whoa.

As noted above 1200 mesh is roughly 9 micron. 3 micron is about 8000 mesh, and 1 micron is about 15000 mesh.

 

[Valkman]

That should work, I don't use the 14 and 10 micron anymore just the 5 and 3.5. After the 1200/1600 the 5 micron polishes it up and the 3.5 really gets it shiny. I should look into the 1/.5 strops.

 

[AStone]

For readers that are not metrically inclined, and just to remind all of us,
a micron (aka micrometer, symbol μm) is 10^-6 m (10 raised to the negative 6 meter),
which is 1/1000000 m or 1/1000 mm.

For comparison, a typical human mitochodrion - the cell organelle in which most ATP
is produced to fuel muscles that sharpen blades - is about 1 μm in diameter.

So, 3.5 μm grit is pretty small.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

Could be contamination or technique; but while the 3.5 micron paste will leave a mirror polished edge you can read off of, you can still see visible scratches in the right light.

 

[JohnKSa]

My guess is that they're left in earlier stages involving coarser grits and not fully polished out by the finer grit stages.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

That is probably exactly what is happening as I noticed the other day when I was sharpening knives that several of my earlier efforts now have almost no visible scratches on the edge (I retouch using the 1000 grit and then strop with the 5 micron/3.5 micron).

I'd bet that I just wasn't spending enough time between the coarser grits to get out some of the deeper scratches. I tend to get impatient after the 600 grit because the back of my mind is always saying "Seriously, do you need a mirror-polished edge on a $15 paring knife? Call it good already."

 

[JohnKSa]

Seriously, do you need a mirror-polished edge on a $15 paring knife?

I do, I DO!

This is not good. I really want a WE full-up set and comments like that aren't helping me be strong.

I'm actually starting to think about selling a gun or two to finance the purchase of a knife sharpener. I find that disturbing. Perhaps I need professional help...

...or I could just wait until it's no longer disturbing and go for it.

 

[Valkman]

I just ordered 2 Moras at about $15 each and they'll get the WE "treatment"! Also ordered a Victorinox paring knife set and they'll get it too. I don't care how cheap the knife - it gets a mirror polished edge.

 

[Bartholomew Roberts]

I'll warn you - I cut myself (drew blood) on every one of the Moras I sharpened. The Scandi grind is just a little steeper than 15 degrees, so a 15 degree micro bevel on them will leave them so sharp that just wiping the metal bits off the blade to avoid contaminating the strop, it sliced right through paper towel and finger with almost no pressure. They were also hell on my leather strops.

On the other hand, I don't think I've ever gotten a knife that sharp in my life. So that was fun.

 

[Valkman]

Mmm, maybe I'll just strop them in that case. We need a bleeding smiley!

 

[Valkman]

I'm actually starting to think about selling a gun or two to finance the purchase of a knife sharpener. I find that disturbing. Perhaps I need professional help...

I sold a knife I never thought I'd sell to get my WE. It was a knife I made that was featured in Blade magazine but I offered it to a friend and he gave me enough to buy the system. At least I know where the knife is and it'll never be used or sold.