Best guided sharpening system for 4" and under blades?

D

DC Kestrel

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Jun 3, 2017
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103
Well, back to the debate about whether to get a guided sharpening system, but it's easy to overboard. After a bunch of research, thought that the KME system would be best for the price, but the multiple threads seem to indicate that eventually, you end up with a WE system. My knives are mostly in the 3-4" blade-length range, with no recurves or serrations, although I do have a number of knives with a FFG. If the answer is stick with my Sharpmaker and strop, that's a great answer, but would be interested in the system that works best for blades of this length.

Many thanks in advance.
 
Edge Pro Apex
Get the new Diamond Matrix stones unless you just have the softer lower alloy steel.
It's worth getting the small knife attachment ~$30.

I keep looking at the WE but have reservations that have not been put to rest by anyone here who has one and I have asked a few times.

Also one has to buy seriously expensive accessories for the smaller knives.
Edge Pro = ~$300 vs WE at a minimum of $600 or $800

If you need a fancy stone base get the WE but other than that I fail to see the attraction.

By the By the edges I got the first few times I used it (full disclosure I'm a very experienced Jig sharpener with other systems) I was getting literally hair whittling edges off the Shapton Glass 4000 stone as my final stone. Zero strops or other futzing around.
Meaning, with a jeweler's visor on, I could take any edge I sharpened to a single hair while it was still in my arm and shave little curls off the hair without severing it.

I have about two year plus into using it now and it is getting easier and easier to debur decent steel but I know without a doubt that if I follow the steps in the instructions to the letter and use the stop collar and adjust for each stone's thickness ( a super simple step that takes about three seconds to do) . . .
I know all the edges I sharpen will end up this sharp. Any thing from light touch ups to fully reprofiled edges .

I would buy another Edge Pro in a heart beat if I lost this one.
 
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Here's the deal, the "main three" (EP, KME and WE) are all absolutely capable of producing insane, mirrored edges. They all can handle knives of roughly the same sizes and all offer many options and possibilities. It's just a matter of what each individual likes more or less about each system. They are all excellent and all the discussions will be subjective.

I cannot imagine why a person would need to buy a WE when they have a KME or EP.

If you don't want to free hand and want flexibility, just decide on what you think the pros and cons are of all the different systems, beyond just those mentioned and go forth and sharpen.

I think the first questions that every individual needs to answer are, what steels am I sharpening, what results am I after, and what do I think is the best method for me to achieve these things?
 
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I've had my EP Apex for about 4-5 yrs and love it. To best utilize it and to lessen your labor, I suggest
that you mount a high-power magnet directly under the knife-plate.
"Mount" one of them to the underside of the work-surface plate that your knife blade sits on. I just measured the mag that I use, and it appears to be 3/4" circular by maybe 1" deep. I think it's about an 80-pounder or so.
NOW...your knife blade will be very "secure" when you place it on the work-surface, and lighter knives can be sharpened without even holding onto the knife. The big advantage is that the blade is always secure on the work-surface...which is difficult to maintain using your fingers only. In my case, this has resulted in my finished edges being much "nicer" and a good deal sharper than I had experienced previously.
I took that 3/4" circular cylinder of magnet and wrapped it in a bit of tape and jammed it up into the space directly under the work-surface. It has held just fine for many knives at this point.
 
DC Kestrel said:
Well, back to the debate about whether to get a guided sharpening system, but it's easy to overboard. After a bunch of research, thought that the KME system would be best for the price, but the multiple threads seem to indicate that eventually, you end up with a WE system. My knives are mostly in the 3-4" blade-length range, with no recurves or serrations, although I do have a number of knives with a FFG. If the answer is stick with my Sharpmaker and strop, that's a great answer, but would be interested in the system that works best for blades of this length.

Many thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

I'm theorizing that members of a sharpening forum might want to move from a KME to a WE for a number of reasons... but I don't think it's inevitable that you end up with a W.E. I also did a pit of price comparison between the KME and the W.E. Go HERE and while the initial cost of the W.E. may be higher... for what you get, it pretty much balances out. (Couple of years old, so prices may be different). And there's obviously a lot of satisfied results seen on YouTube with both.

I think any of the "major players" would satisfy your need... I'm just saying if you got the KME, I'm sure it would fit the bill, and shouldn't be ruled out based on what I think may be an incorrect perception... nor should the W.E. based on price.
 
OP here - Thanks for all of the comments. I lean towards the KME system (may just start with the Deluxe package and add a few extras) because of the size and completeness of the set, and because the WE system people seem to really like is the 130 model, and that's getting a bit beyond what I want to spend for starters. Given what I've spent on knives, may as well spend a bit to make sure I can maintain them well.
 
I'm happy with the KME that I've had for years.
I upgraded to the diamonds when they became available.
 
DC Kestrel said:
OP here - Thanks for all of the comments. I lean towards the KME system (may just start with the Deluxe package and add a few extras) because of the size and completeness of the set, and because the WE system people seem to really like is the 130 model, and that's getting a bit beyond what I want to spend for starters. Given what I've spent on knives, may as well spend a bit to make sure I can maintain them well.
Click to expand...

Look up Dean O on YouTube. He has some great KME videos, including scissors, customization, and much, much more. Sadly, for some reason he hasn't posted in a long time but his vids are still there.
 
I recently picked up the W.E. Go Deluxe and some extra stones (1200/1600 ceramic). That, plus the 5 / 3.5 micron strops get really nicely polished (not quite mirror) edges that are laser beam sharp. I've done all my smaller pocket knives, including several full flat grind (Spyderco PM2) blades without any trouble at all.

All-in with an angle cube was about $430 or something.
 
TRfromMT said:
I recently picked up the W.E. Go Deluxe and some extra stones (1200/1600 ceramic). That, plus the 5 / 3.5 micron strops get really nicely polished (not quite mirror) edges that are laser beam sharp. I've done all my smaller pocket knives, including several full flat grind (Spyderco PM2) blades without any trouble at all.

All-in with an angle cube was about $430 or something.
Click to expand...

Does the Go model require that it be screwed onto a base, or can it be used free standing?
 
DC Kestrel said:
Does the Go model require that it be screwed onto a base, or can it be used free standing?
Click to expand...

For a small blade, it could probably be used without the clamp, but the clamp is provided. You could also screw it to a small square base/board - there are screw holes.
 
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