First Time WE Purchase: WTB?

J

joe_it

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Oct 24, 2017
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I am looking to purchase a WE sharpening kit. I am purchasing the kit mainly to sharpen Pocket, Hunting(including gutting), Fishing/Fillet, and kitchen knives. I am leaning towards a WE130 with a paperstone base. My question for anyone who has a WE kit, is what other Stones/Strops or accessories should I purchase?

-1500 Diamond?

This kit would be upgrading my Work Sharp Ken Onion Edition belt sharpener. Thanks everyone for the suggestions.
 
I had a WE130 (2016) and either that or the F&S would constitute my personal 1-2 choices. 1500/blank is the route I would follow as well.
 
adamlau said:
I had a WE130 (2016) and either that or the F&S would constitute my personal 1-2 choices. 1500/blank is the route I would follow as well.
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What's F&S? I'll probably say 'duh' once someone spells it out, but I can't think what it is at the moment.

joe_it: will you be getting the 2017 version, or a discounted 2016 version?
If I understand correctly, it's the clamp and especially the jaws, that are supposed to be improved for the 2017 version.

adamlau: how come you got rid of your WE130-2016? Will you be replacing it with a 2017?
 
F&S = Field & Sport. The WE130 (2106) was gifted away because:
  • While it certainly made for consistent bevels, the WE was not able to go below 15 dps without the addition of a riser. Moreover, I did not feel that the results were superior to that of an edge coming off stones of a equivalent micron rating.
  • Setup, takedown and general maintenance (unloading diamond plates) took far longer than establishing and cleaning up after a waterstone session.
  • I do not like sharpening with diamonds due to the inherent health risks of diamond dust. Lubricate said plates with water? Good. Avoid diamonds and never create the hazard in the first place? Better. YMMV.
  • For the cost of the 1500/blank, you can pick up a nice oilstone/waterstone/diamond plate that would last far longer in terms of life expectancy.
Note that I like data-driven WE products and fully expect to purchase another sometime in the future as they continue to improve upon the previous generation.
 
Thanks for the info. A few questions in-line:

adamlau said:
F&S = Field & Sport. The WE130 (2106) was gifted away because:
  • While it certainly made for consistent bevels, the WE was not able to go below 15 dps without the addition of a riser. Moreover, I did not feel that the results were superior to that of an edge coming off stones of a equivalent micron rating.
  • I thought the product brochure said 13*? In any case, I've wondered how they measure that (i.e. there must be some reference edge height above the clamp jaws that they use, and a wider knife would produce a shallower angle, all else being the same.
  • Setup, takedown and general maintenance (unloading diamond plates) took far longer than establishing and cleaning up after a waterstone session.
  • Interesting points. Do you know of any videos that show this full process, not just the sharpening part, so I can get a better idea of how much time and what steps are involved?
  • I do not like sharpening with diamonds due to the inherent health risks of diamond dust. Lubricate said plates with water? Good. Avoid diamonds and never create the hazard in the first place? Better. YMMV.
  • I wasn't aware of the health risks, but I've never used or looked into diamond stones before. Do they all have a warning label? I thought one of the advantages of diamond stones was that they don't wear the way waterstones do. Other than the initial few uses when you break loose oversized or poorly bonded diamond grits, is there really much diamond dust created per sharpening?
  • For the cost of the 1500/blank, you can pick up a nice oilstone/waterstone/diamond plate that would last far longer in terms of life expectancy.
Note that I like data-driven WE products and fully expect to purchase another sometime in the future as they continue to improve upon the previous generation.
Click to expand...
 
  • The 2017 models all feature a revised jaw profile so 13 dps should be attainable with less issue.
  • Alignment guide, angle adjustments, clamping, vaccuuming/compressed air. All take time. Not much time so long as you record the initial alignment settings (or refer to the WE online database). But time nonetheless.
  • I was intending to obtain a job as an OSHA inspector at one point before transitioning into a general contractor. The key with respect to any irritant subject to inhalation is to limit exposure. Moreover, I have kids at home. Less is more as far as I am concerned. I cannot quantify the amount of diamond dust produced during a sharpening session using x steel under y pressure for z duration. Diamond dust may not be an issue for you nor am I advocating againt the use of diamond abrasives. It is a personal decision.
 
Thanks for the feedback everyone!

jalapeno: 2016 vs 2017 model, I am not 100% for sure. I get a discount through another site and it only lists the WE100, WE120 and WE130. I would assume since it ships from the manufacturer that it is the 2017 model.

adamlau: When you mention "1500/Blank", are you suggesting the 1500 diamond and the blank strop?
 
Why assume :) ? Contact the seller and obtain a definitive answer. Via email (in writing) if at all possible. The 1500 has a flat glass plate or platen mounted opposite the abrasive for use with lapping films. You could also tape alternative media such as sandpaper to the platen in lieu of the WE aluminum blanks at the expense of fragility.
 
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adamlau said:
Why assume :) ? Contact the seller and obtain a definitive answer. Via email (in writing) if at all possible. The 1500 has a flat glass plate or platen mounted opposite the abrasive for use with lapping films. You could also tape alternative media such as sandpaper to the platen in lieu of the WE aluminum blanks at the expense of fragility.
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I called, it appears to be the 2017 model.

jalapeno said:
Joe, do you mind sharing this site with a discount? Or if it's a members-only subscription site, what's their discounted price on the WE130?
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I am a Firefighter so I get a discount through this site. There are specific groups that they offer discounts to, Fire,EMS, Police, Military, Certain Store Employees, organizations, etc. If it helps anyone out and they qualify, awesome! There are tons of brands on the site, mostly outdoor type stuff. That wouldn't be ANYONE in here though... ;-)
http://www.experticity.com
 
adamlau said:
I do not like sharpening with diamonds due to the inherent health risks of diamond dust. Lubricate said plates with water? Good. Avoid diamonds and never create the hazard in the first place? Better. YMMV.
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In general I agree with your perspective on WE, and as you know, evaluated it myself recently here in forum and decided to stick with freehand sharpening. And delighted that I did, it not only works, it's a lot of fun and I like having more control over (and responsibility for :)) the sharpening results.

That said: educate me on the "inherent health risks" of working with diamonds. New to me. There are certainly moderate risks of working around ANY airborn abrasive that contains fine particles such as crystalline silica. This could include griding with materials like silicon carbide, and the risk would not (I would assume) be entirely unique to diamond abrasives, but could include SiC and potentially ceramic, or other stone types as well. True?
 
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True. The basis for my personal thoughts on the matter stem primarily from the use of diamond plates used dry and secondarily by the irregular wetting (beading) of said (higher grit) plates when used with water as a lubricant. If I do use diamonds as part of a progression, I will almost always use a bit of dish liquid as a surfactant to lower the surface tension of the water, or simply use oil. A tertiary factor is the lack of a publicly available study which contraindicates the potential fibrosis risk of diamond dust/powder respiration less a pre-existing condition as exists with silicon carbide (NIOSH). But then again, I am unaware of any systemic studies which correlate either way with respect to the specific act of sharpening edged tools across abrasive media. Hence, my comments should merely be taken in stride as a personal choice.
 
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