Freehand sharpening pros: Is Wicked Edge Go worth it?

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maximus83

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I have a Spyderco sharpmaker and a freehand setup with DMT stones. And get pretty good results with those.

But I'm interested in the new Wicked Edge Go system, a lightweight and more affordable take on their guided sharpening system.

What is your feedback on this system, for a non-professional freehand sharpener who's looking for ways to get more refined edges? Is this worth it? Or am I better off just sticking with freehand and continuing to refine my technique on the DMT stones plus my strop paddle?
 
maximus83 said:
I have a Spyderco sharpmaker and a freehand setup with DMT stones. And get pretty good results with those.

But I'm interested in the new Wicked Edge Go system, a lightweight and more affordable take on their guided sharpening system.

What is your feedback on this system, for a non-professional freehand sharpener who's looking for ways to get more refined edges? Is this worth it? Or am I better off just sticking with freehand and continuing to refine my technique on the DMT stones plus my strop paddle?
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Well... I don't think the W.E. Go, has shipped yet... so you probably won't get much feedback on it. Keep in mind the "Go" model just ships with 200g and 600g stones... so if you're seeking a more refined edge... you may want to compare with the other models... that offer more stones/strops/etc.

If you're good at freehand... I'd stick with it. If you're seeking the "ultimate edge"... a guided system will more than likely get you there... but will probably require more abrasives than the Go model comes with.

BTW,,, the webpage is sorta confusing... but originally the special priced ended the end of the month. (I can't tell if that is extended, or just the shipping date).
 
Yep, I'm a little conflicted on this one. A local professional knife maker and sharpener whose opinion I really value (http://bronksknifeworks.com/) told me that these quality guided systems like WE and Edge Pro can be useful in getting a super refined, perfect edge. He even encourages non-professional sharpeners who want to get awesome edges to go with the Edge Pro (I wouldn't get the EP for various reasons, but the general point here is the same: getting a quality guided sharpening system be it EP or WE, versus going totally freehand).

My issue is this: I enjoy manual sharpening, it's a nice diversion from my office job. No plans to try and make a living at it. But not getting awesome results on my setup, I just get "good" results that I would classify as "slightly better than factory edges." I'm still a mediocre freehand sharpener, and cannot figure out how to get over the hump. I don't know if the best approach is to go to a quality guided sharpening system like WE, or if it's the materials/setup I'm using that I need to improve, or mainly my technique. I think the problem is my technique, in all honesty. The local knifemaker that I know actually has a knife making and sharpening school, and for a fee, he'll give lessons. I'm also wondering if a few sessions with him to mentor me on freehand techniques would help take it to the next level so I can get beyond merely "good" edges.
 
I had the WE130 (2016). Gifted away a couple of months ago. My thought was that it definitely created a more consistent edge, but not necessarily a sharper one (defined as the distance between the apex/edge bevels). I don't particularly see the value in the Go as a portable kit as it needs to be secured to a base. I would much prefer the F&S for such needs. For use in the home, $150 for what you get is reasonable enough. Though you could pick up a couple of good stones that would last for far longer than the Spyderco diamond plates offered with WE systems.
 
maximus83 said:
I'm also wondering if a few sessions with him to mentor me on freehand techniques would help take it to the next level...
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Sharpening lessons from local maker? Cool :cool:. Trying to hold a consistent angle across multiple stones was most difficult part for me when I first started on stones (Norton). Listening to and feeling for feedback. Tip work too. There was no YouTube back then. I would definitely attend, if not just to scope out the scene.
 
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We now have a more budget friendly system. But in no way is the full setup worth it unless you sharpen for a living. And even then, a kme, edge pro or hapstone will be just as good at a huge price reduction.

I like touching up on bench stones. But not reprofiling.
 
If you can already get better-than-factory edges, I doubt that the Go system with just 200/400 grit stones will do you much good.

The Wicked Edge system is really expensive, but it's the best guided system that I know of, with the Edge Pro being close. But to make it work to its full potential, you'll want to have a full range of diamond stones, ceramic stones and stops. Maybe even water stones. You'll probably also want various additional accessories, such as a special adaptor for blades a quarter inch thick that don't fit in the regular clamp.

You might also want an adaptor for thin blades and another to cut edges less than 15 dps. All these stones and adaptors really add up. I've had to buy mine over many years, but I now have a system that can establish super sharp, crisp and even edges.

The system's weakness, in my opinion, is that it was poorly engineered from the standpoint that it has to rely on all these extras to accommodate a full range of knives and edges. It should be able to do all these things without the user having to buy so many extras and spend so much money.
 
The go system is just a guided system, you can get more stones just like the other systems. It helps get a consistent edge and apex where some people struggle with benchstones.

Tell me how a wicked edge is better than a kme or edge pro? Its just a different way of doing the same thing.

I completely agree that it's a money pit. But so can the other systems. It's just more crazy $$$
 
Twindog said:
The system's weakness, in my opinion, is that it was poorly engineered from the standpoint that it has to rely on all these extras to accommodate a full range of knives and edges. It should be able to do all these things without the user having to buy so many extras and spend so much money.
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And therein lies the issues, with all these contraptions. :confused: You can of course buy their new 2017 "Pro" system, which has everything you could want and runs $850. Honestly my better half would have heart failure if I told her I'm buying an $850 knife sharpener. Although again, for people doing tis for a living, maybe trying to put a cosmetically beautiful, perfect edge on knives that will be on display at a show or something, this would be well worth the expense. Certainly I'm open to the value of these systems, but to get everything you need, they are not cheap.

To me there's still an appeal in the simplicity of just sharpening something by hand, no power tools, and no extra gadgetry required. That is...if you can do it. I'm doing ok at freehand sharpening, but not great. I'd like to get to the next level but Youtube training isn't cutting it. ;)
 
So here's the question I think that really underlies everything in this thread, maybe I should just ask it directly.

Is it possible for an average hobbyist knife sharpener to get good enough at freehand sharpening to put seriously good edges on your knives that are MUCH better than factory, with just a set of good diamond or water stones, and a strop? Or are we kidding ourselves? I really don't know. Do I need to just practice harder with a bunch of cheap knives and put more time into it? Trying to figure out what it is that gets you to the next level. All things being equal, I'd still PREFER to get good at freehand sharpening, but it just isn't happening.
 
Spyderco puts out an excellent edge in general. I'm not the best freehandist, nor am I the worst. But I am not shy to say that I can put on an MUCH better edge to suit my needs versus what Spyderco releases to the market. No strop required. And you can go about experimenting with something along the lines of 10/15 bevels. Something that cannot be attained with the WE without raising the clamp.
 
Freehand sharpening isn't that complicated. Unfortunately there's a lot of bad info out there that makes people think they can't do it well themselves and that they need all kinds of crazy gizmos for routine sharpening. Mostly, it comes down to learning how to hold a consistent angle against your abrasive of choice, and how to assess your edge to actually find out what's going on with it so you can take the right steps to get it sharp.

I doubt any freehand sharpening pro would consider a guided sharpener worth the investment other than as a training tool. Once you have a good basic (101-level) understanding of sharpening it becomes extremely simple to get an edge at least back to "working sharp" and you can't really get faster than knowing how to freshen up a blade with a few quick swipes of a freehand stone.
 
Where most people fail is in not knowing how to assess their edge. On that front, I offer these tips:

•Hold the blade edge-up under bright light and look directly into the edge. Do you see any reflective spots? If so, those are dull points. A sharp edge looks like it vanishes into nothing.

•Rest the blade on your thumb under its own weight and rock the blade gently side to side. If it sticks in both directions, that spot is sharp. If it slides one way and sticks in the other, the edge is rolled or has a burr that's folded towards the sticky side. Give a couple of strokes on that spot and test again to see if it trues up the apex. If it slides both ways, it's totally dull in that spot and needs more work. Test several spots down the length of the blade in this way.

•An easy way to find the approximately correct angle to be sharpening at is to just imagine that you're trying to take thin slices off the stone. Instinctually, people usually end up with an appropriately low angle when using this method. The first time you sharpen a knife in this way, you may not be hitting the apex right away. Look at the scratches made by the stone and see if they're hitting the edge or not. If they aren't, keep sharpening at that angle on a coarse stone (so you aren't doing it forever and a day) until the scratches go to the edge. Future touchups will then be a snap. If you need to check your angle, just visually halve a 90° angle to 45°, then again to 22.5°, and so on and so forth. It'll help you identify what angle range you're roughly within.

•When working on building consistency in your stroke, think about locking as many of your joints as you can so you have as few parts of your body pivoting as possible. Use a second hand on the back of the knife blade and turn from the hips and work from the shoulders, not the fingers and wrists.
 
maximus83 said:
So here's the question I think that really underlies everything in this thread, maybe I should just ask it directly.

Is it possible for an average hobbyist knife sharpener to get good enough at freehand sharpening to put seriously good edges on your knives that are MUCH better than factory, with just a set of good diamond or water stones, and a strop?
Click to expand...

Absolutely.
 
I like the WE for smaller blades say 5 or 6 in max. I have good results with it. But bigger blades like kitchen knives, big fixed blades I like sharpening them on a bench stone, better feed back and faster, plus I'm not trying to polish the edge on those like you do on your EDC's to impress your buddies who don't or can't sharpen a knife lol. On the WE I'll go thru several progressions, always feeling for the burr before you move to the next progression. It's all about the burr or the wire edge. And I always finish on a leather strop even if I take it all the way to glass platens and film. Hand sharpening kitchen knives is usually a 2 or 3 progression affair then finishing on a strop. You can make some real pretty bevels on a guided sharpening system, but you can get it just as sharp on a bench stone with some practice. Remember it's all about the burr! Obtw, buy one of those inexpensive magnifying loops with the light in it. You can really see if your getting all the way to apex on each side and you can see your scratch patterns real well with it.
Hope this helps.
 
FortyTwoBlades said:
Where most people fail is in not knowing how to assess their edge. On that front, I offer these tips:

•Hold the blade edge-up under bright light and look directly into the edge. Do you see any reflective spots? If so, those are dull points. A sharp edge looks like it vanishes into nothing.

•Rest the blade on your thumb under its own weight and rock the blade gently side to side. If it sticks in both directions, that spot is sharp. If it slides one way and sticks in the other, the edge is rolled or has a burr that's folded towards the sticky side. Give a couple of strokes on that spot and test again to see if it trues up the apex. If it slides both ways, it's totally dull in that spot and needs more work. Test several spots down the length of the blade in this way.

•An easy way to find the approximately correct angle to be sharpening at is to just imagine that you're trying to take thin slices off the stone. Instinctually, people usually end up with an appropriately low angle when using this method. The first time you sharpen a knife in this way, you may not be hitting the apex right away. Look at the scratches made by the stone and see if they're hitting the edge or not. If they aren't, keep sharpening at that angle on a coarse stone (so you aren't doing it forever and a day) until the scratches go to the edge. Future touchups will then be a snap. If you need to check your angle, just visually halve a 90° angle to 45°, then again to 22.5°, and so on and so forth. It'll help you identify what angle range you're roughly within.

•When working on building consistency in your stroke, think about locking as many of your joints as you can so you have as few parts of your body pivoting as possible. Use a second hand on the back of the knife blade and turn from the hips and work from the shoulders, not the fingers and wrists.
Click to expand...

Quick little sharpening advice summary - I like it!
 
maximus83 said:
So here's the question I think that really underlies everything in this thread, maybe I should just ask it directly.

Is it possible for an average hobbyist knife sharpener to get good enough at freehand sharpening to put seriously good edges on your knives that are MUCH better than factory, with just a set of good diamond or water stones, and a strop? Or are we kidding ourselves? I really don't know. Do I need to just practice harder with a bunch of cheap knives and put more time into it? Trying to figure out what it is that gets you to the next level. All things being equal, I'd still PREFER to get good at freehand sharpening, but it just isn't happening.
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YES, it's definitely possible. The reply from FortyTwoBlades (quoted below) sums it up nicely, and echoes precisely my own view on it.

FortyTwoBlades said:
Freehand sharpening isn't that complicated. Unfortunately there's a lot of bad info out there that makes people think they can't do it well themselves and that they need all kinds of crazy gizmos for routine sharpening. Mostly, it comes down to learning how to hold a consistent angle against your abrasive of choice, and how to assess your edge to actually find out what's going on with it so you can take the right steps to get it sharp.

I doubt any freehand sharpening pro would consider a guided sharpener worth the investment other than as a training tool. Once you have a good basic (101-level) understanding of sharpening it becomes extremely simple to get an edge at least back to "working sharp" and you can't really get faster than knowing how to freshen up a blade with a few quick swipes of a freehand stone.
Click to expand...

In particular, I used a guided system for a few years as the 'training tool' he mentions. If you initially let the guide handle the business of holding the angle, you can then focus on the other aspects like (1) pressure, (2) feeling the feedback from the edge-against-stone for flush contact, (3) detecting when the newly-formed apex 'bites' into the stone, and (4) forming and detecting the burr. That's about 99% of the learning curve. Once that 'feel' is developed for these aspects, holding and making on-the-fly adjustments for maintaining the angle become almost intuitive in nature, because that 'feel' will tell you when the angle's not right, and also when you've got it zoned in again. It gets a lot easier after that, and making your edges better-than-factory-sharp will become routine. And for me, once the feel developed for it, I abandoned my guided rigs because I literally felt like they were getting in the way of what had become my own natural and effective sharpening habits.


David
 
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I'm going to disagree with most of the posts. I think a guided system is the way to go. Although I can freehand fairly well, my results with the Wicked Edge or Edge Pro Apex will stomp my best freehand results. Also, my best freehand drawn line will lose to a ruler. Kinda the same thing!
 
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