My sharpening partner and I spent 5 hours today setting up and figuring out the TS Profile K02 system and I have some personal observations and opinions. First let me say that both of us have mastered the Wicked Edge systems. I have a Gen 2 with upgraded Gen 3 clamp and he has a complete Gen 3 with every stone they sell as I. Let me say that value was a concern for both systems and they are both expensive which may put them out of reach for some hobby minded people. That being said and not to sound over confident but with the WE system and having used it for 8 months I can honestly say that with time and expense in my opinion you really can't get a sharper knife once you have all the stones and especially the diamond films. WE has been very attentive to what would make the system better, constantly coming out with new stones and films. Everybody has the personal method and by trial and error we both feel we've reached the pinnacle of not only knife sharpening but also mastered polishing. I'm 61 and really never knew it was even possible. I'm kind of partial to the big bevels with mirror finishes that will shock most people that have never seen what a stupid sharp, quality knife that also has a polished edge looks like, some are actually show off knives and others are working knives that look damn good. We're both big ZT fans but both have nice Hinderers, Chris Reeve's etc. He's a collector with a large number of high quality knives, nothing custom. So, what do you do when you've sharpened\polished every knife you own and for me, done all my friends knives? He had me order a loaded K02 system and these are some first day observations. First, these are only my opinions and observations. My friend now owns the two finest production sharpening systems available. Once more, MY opinion. We both had mastered the WE when the K02 arrived. First impression of the Russian system is the quality of machining and the way the thing looks when all set up. Not doing as much research as I should have when I ordered it for him, we went kind of overboard on the accessories, every clamp, every stone set etc. First a couple of small failures which are really no big deal. His did not come with the attached angle cube location on the stone arm I see on You Tube, we'll get one. Secondly the big aluminum block clamp needs two washers as spacers because the tightening knobs are a little short on threads, no big deal and the torx wrenches that come with the system seem to fit nothing, it's all metric allens and a 1 time 10 mm wrench. Performance, I love the rotating clamp systems and really like working with one stone. I also love the stops, the over machining of it and it's potential to sharpen almost anything.
The stones are almost from 2 different worlds, WE with their diamonds & the solid stones of the K02. There's little doubt that in time both systems will do the same thing, create scary sharp, polished edges. You will never hear me favor one over the other. If you can afford it, both systems are state of the art. There are numerous likes about both the WE & TSProf systems and very few dislikes. They're just different. I would appreciate any feedback from anyone that owns a K02 and look forward to mastering it.
(Just lay Holder and knife on a flat surface and tighten the clamp... and everything lines up. Works on almost all knives, once you get the hang of it).
