KME? or Wicked Edge?

Depends on what you want to do — what steels you’re typically sharpening, how much money you want to spend, how serious you want to be about it, etc. I think we need more info.

I also find there are two ends of the spectrum when it comes to sharpening: on one end, guys who think that using anything other than the bottom of a ceramic coffee cup is unnecessary. On the other, guys who can’t imagine using anything less than the latest bonded diamond waterstones. It depends on you.

My primary opinion is this: they’re both good.

Past that, I think the wicked edge is unnecessarily expensive and somewhat limited. You’ll notice that you can only use Wicked Edge stones or stones that have been modified to fit their (very specific) blanks.

The KME is good. I owned it, but only very briefly. I had a hard time finding aftermarket stones for it, specifically high-grit diamond stones aside from the 1500 grit coated stones that come with it. In fact, there are currently none available. I really wanted to get to really high grits/low micron using only diamond stones due to the fact that I primarly sharpen steels at 3% vanadium content and higher. Granted, there are manufacturers like Practical Sharpening who are planning to release resin bonded diamond stones next year, but as of now, there are none. Nevertheless, you can get excellent results using the products available.

All of that said, I returned my KME and bought an Edge Pro. The amount of aftermarket stones that are currently available is mind boggling. The TSProf, Hapstone, and Edge Pro all use 6x1 stones, so I have found many more options available out there.
 
Their both good and will get you an extremely sharp edge. One of the biggest defining factors is which one do you you want to use as operation between them is quite different.
 
When I decided between the two, the biggest factor to me was that the WE used proprietary stones. You have to buy their stuff- as far as I could determine. It is pretty pricey, too.

There are other stones available for the KME
 
Your going to get a lot of opinions on which one to get or is why one is superior. Quite honestly their probably not wrong or right, but it's what's works for them. When the goal is a sharp knife there are countless ways to get there, so is there any special concerns or requirements you have to help narrow this down?

Oh and expect someone to say Sharpmaker and freehand on benchstones eventually.
 
If you have high dollar knifes want them as sharp as possible with dead even bevels nothing close to the wicked edge. I have cheap kitchen knifes and use my 1"x 42" belt sander to sharpen those. I have owned most if not all of the other "top" sharpening systems nothing comes close to the WE IMHO. Others will have different opinions.
 
i really appreciate all the responses!
I am a life long knife collector but just recently (passed 3-4 years) a higher end knife collector.
All my knifes as of now just mainly have their factory edges cause i have not pulled the trigger on any sharpening systems which is driving me nuts!
i am in no way a pro at sharpening which is why i like the idea of the KME and Wicked edge because you get the very keen mirror edge with just knowing the basics of sharpening and angles.

I would LOVE to get to the point where i can use a high end wet stones and just use the muscle memory to hit the angle i am going for but that takes a lot of practice and for now i would just like to put a killer edge on all the knifes i currently own!

I have always leaned towards the wicked edge, but i hear great reviews about the KME so its good to get all these opinions and i appreciate them very much
thanks guys!

- Bucco
 
Mirror edge isn't the pinnacle, it's just a highly polished edge.

When you finish at a coaser grit you have a more toothy edge that excels at slicing. When you move up to the higher grits you get a more polished edge that works better for push cutting.

If the wicked edge is the one that interests you the most get that one. There are a lot of good sharpening systems and that's one of them, it comes down to preference and individual skill with what their using that dictates the results.
 
Reading these pages for sharpening systems one repeated recommendation is the combination of a Spyderco Sharpmaker for maintenance and a WE130 based Wicked Edge model for reprofiling and general sharpening. KME is mentioned less often but is highly regarded.
 
I would go Wicked Edge. You can lock everything down and you can get perfect matching angles every time. Perfect!

Others mention the lack of aftermarket stones but the WE stones are simply outstanding and no mess. Run them dry and no water needed. I also think you can still get the Shapton Glass stones for WE?

While the WE is not cheap by any means, I personally think it's worth the price. Simple, 100% repeatable results every time you use it.

I tried a buddy's KME and while it was a good sharpener, I just never felt it was 100% "slop" free and was not perfectly consistent like the WE. I have never tried to EdgePro but I just don't like the fact you have to hand hold the knife? To me that introduces possible inconsistency. But others might be able to debate that better than me.

If you do go with the WE, do spend the money and get the 130. It has the Cam Lock which will handle full flat ground blades with ease. No trick needed. Just lock down the blade and start sharpening. Also be sure to get a angle cube. WE, KME and Edgepro all have degree markings but they are not always 100% perfect. You can a cube for about $20 to $25. With the WE, you can then use the micro adjustment to hit angles dead on.
 
I have owned the KME and stone selection sucks big time when compare to a system that use's edge pro stones,also the rubber pad's that glued onto the KME tend to come off a lot.

What I would do is decide how low of angle you want to go to when sharpening and then send a message to Wicked Edge because their main down fall is that they can not sharpen knives at really low angles,that being said how ever I would most likely choose a Wicked Edge over the KME.

Right now I have 2 TSprof systems and they are the best systems I have ever owned to date by far and I would not think about selling them for any amount of money ,if set up properly they work extremely well and the clamp's hold better then anyone could ever want.
 
I have just started using a W.E. - their new "GO Deluxe" system. In addition to the diamond stones it comes with, I added a set of 1200/1600 grit ceramic hones. I have previously only owned a Sharpmaker. No experience with a KME. I have had the W.E. for about 3 weeks. I have sharpened 6 knives now.

All of the above is intended to describe my very limited experience. I am a mechanical engineer, and mechanical things make sense to me. I am a woodworker, and I make custom knife handles as a hobby, so I have fairly decent fine motor skills, and I know my way around a knife. That's it.

So after 6 knives, I picked up my Spyderco Mule in Maxamet steel. Full flat grind blade. Super premium steel, hard(!), prone to chipped edge. From setup to completion, and putting the whole kit back away in the travel bag, and getting nicely polished edge was 44 minutes (I timed it). This was putting a brand new bevel at 19 degrees per side, through all the stones, and stropping to polish the bevel to a near mirror polish for the heck of it.

Not bad at all in my estimation. Easy to use. Easy to get great results (the mule is a laser beam now). I am easily confident enough, and have now sharpened my Shirogorov with great result. Knowing full well a bad sharpening job can absolutely ruin the value of a top shelf knife, I used it on my (previously unsharpened) Shiro without concern.

Doesn't get much easier, or confidence building than that.
 
I used a KME for years and never had an issue with the hardware, including the rubber pads. The KME is has a ton of options and if you want to go down the crazy, polished, super-duper edge path, then there's Chosera's, strops, and lapping films. KME's diamonds run up to 1500 grit and in my experience produce a very nice edge on most steels, at least the steels I used it on, which include S90V.

The stones are shorter than other some other systems. The only time I ever noticed this was doing a full re-profile on a stubborn steel or knife. Even then, I'm not sure how much more two inches of stone would mitigate that.

I also rarely had trouble clamping blades, including FFG, but some of the more unique blade shapes can cause issues because they just don't have a place to clamp onto. This is going to be true of many clamp systems. A roll of fabric tape like hockey tape can be a great thing to have around.

You can sharpen larger knives but much past 8" and it becomes challenging. And very narrow knives like SAK's are best done using the pen jaws. The KME really shines with pocket knives.

Yes you do have to flip it back and forth but that only becomes noticeable at the end of each stone when doing single strokes and is not that big of a deal.

Like most clamp systems, the KME offers excellent precision and is the primary selling point of all of them.

I try not to sharpen each individual knife a whole lot. I like to get it sharp and then maintain it as best as possible. So you have to think about much you're actually going to be using the system, not matter what system it is. Now that I'm back to free hand sharpening I do touch up on stones more often because it is so easy and convenient but with a system, my primary EDC might only go in the clamp four or five times a year. My main kitchen knife would see more time than that but those steels are typically so receptive to sharpening that it doesn't take much and you can typically start at a pretty high grit so it doesn't take long.

The Wicked Edge is an awesome system. The KME, like many others, is an excellent system. I never felt it was inadequate and have never regretted owning it. It still comes out once in a while for certain tasks.

There's a lot of good choices out there. Do your research, really think about what you want for results, the knives you'll be sharpening, cost-to-benefit ratios for you, and so on. It's a really good time to be a knife sharpener!

Then come back and let us know what you decide. :)
 
I purchased the KME deluxe kit last month. I’ve only done a few knives but found it very easy and intuitive to get screaming sharp edges.

With neophyte skills, I found stopping at the 1500 diamonds a bit toothier than I like. Following with the included hard arkansas stone and stropping brought things to where I was OK...but I wanted more!

I just bought the 9, 6, & 3 micron diamond films, used them for the first time last night, and am really happy.

4A210C67-7618-4130-996C-B9905E57D724.jpeg

I’m into my KME system $400; deluxe kit ($300) + three lapping films ($75) and the penknife jaws ($25 —I wanted to have them, just in case I need ‘em at some point).

Anyhow, there’s some input from a noob.
 
I have recently been experimenting with sharpening systems so ill add some of my thoughts, keep in mind I haven't used the KME, only the edge pro type system, and a wicked edge go. From my use and research I have concluded that if you want to sharpen high end knives without any fear and create even bevels with the highest precision then go with the wicked edge. If you want maximum versatility then go with edge pro or something similar. The KME is not as precise and clean as the wicked edge and not as versatile as the edge pro platform.

The KME is perfect for someone wanting to get a polished razor edge with little effort, and someone who wants the least amount of complications, additional purchases, and doesn't care about every little detail. If you only want to use the angle guide marks and you're not ocd about getting exact angles with an angle cube, the sharpener has some wobble and is probably the hardest to set consistent exact angles. Since you flip the knife and keep the arm set to one angle something like a FFG will be sharpened unevenly unless clamped perfectly straight. Many people have reported scratching their knives up with the KME because the diamond stones launch little pieces during use onto the side of the blade. Some say this goes away after the stones break in, some say doesn't. Regardless there is a concern with high end knives, you should tape everything up just like you would on the edge pro since the slurry can scratch the blade.
-

The Wicked Edge is for someone who wants professional level precision and repeatability that will look sexy laying on a table. The system is very well build and stable and with an angle cube you can get exact, even bevels on both sides of the knife. For FFG blades you can either makes sure you get the blade clamped straight using an angle cube or you can just account for the difference and adjust each arm independently and exactly. The whole system lends itself to be very repeatable if you record your exact setting with their grit guide. The stones do require break in but only to get a cleaner scratch pattern, haven't heard of scratching issues. I would still tape expensive knives on the clamping point but this system is the least likely to scratch any knife. The only downside to the WE is not being able to bring the stone right up to the plunge unless you modify the handles with a dremel or grind a sharpening notch in some knives like Spyderco.

The KME has an advantage if you plan to use water-stone because compensating for stone thickness is much easier on the kme. If you want to use something like shapton glass stones on the WE its more complicated since the thickness compensator for it is hard to find, expensive, and it is also more expensive/harder to find a pair of stones cut for the WE handles. Accessories and additional stones for the KME are much cheaper, I have no clue how the quality of the diamond plates of KME compares to WE.

The last thing to consider is the position of how the knife sits and sharpening motion. On the KME you can't see how exactly the stone contacts the blade but you can watch the edge as you work on it, you can also use the same hand to do each side. On the WE you cant normally watch your edge unless you pause, but you can see how the stone contacts the edge. You also need to get used to using both hands to sharpen like you would with an edge pro. On the WE you can use whatever motion or technique you want but also have the ability to do alternating strokes if you prefer.
From experience I found The WE makes it easier to get even sharp tips, it is harder to comes off the knife in the same way when you have to flip it and when the tip points towards the left and then towards the right. On the KME It should be easier to use light even pressure as you glide the stone along the edge, based on my experience using an edge pro type sharpener. Since the stone is laying flat on the edge due to the gravity you can use light pressure to glide it across and gravity will allow it to contact the entire length of the bevel with even pressure unless you apply more. On the WE you have to be more mindful of keeping even pressure along the blade, especially during the last finishing light strokes.
 
ribeyemediumrare said:
I have recently been experimenting with sharpening systems so ill add some of my thoughts, keep in mind I haven't used the KME, only the edge pro type system, and a wicked edge go. From my use and research I have concluded that if you want to sharpen high end knives without any fear and create even bevels with the highest precision then go with the wicked edge. If you want maximum versatility then go with edge pro or something similar. The KME is not as precise and clean as the wicked edge and not as versatile as the edge pro platform.

The KME is perfect for someone wanting to get a polished razor edge with little effort, and someone who wants the least amount of complications, additional purchases, and doesn't care about every little detail. If you only want to use the angle guide marks and you're not ocd about getting exact angles with an angle cube, the sharpener has some wobble and is probably the hardest to set consistent exact angles. Since you flip the knife and keep the arm set to one angle something like a FFG will be sharpened unevenly unless clamped perfectly straight. Many people have reported scratching their knives up with the KME because the diamond stones launch little pieces during use onto the side of the blade. Some say this goes away after the stones break in, some say doesn't. Regardless there is a concern with high end knives, you should tape everything up just like you would on the edge pro since the slurry can scratch the blade.
-

The Wicked Edge is for someone who wants professional level precision and repeatability that will look sexy laying on a table. The system is very well build and stable and with an angle cube you can get exact, even bevels on both sides of the knife. For FFG blades you can either makes sure you get the blade clamped straight using an angle cube or you can just account for the difference and adjust each arm independently and exactly. The whole system lends itself to be very repeatable if you record your exact setting with their grit guide. The stones do require break in but only to get a cleaner scratch pattern, haven't heard of scratching issues. I would still tape expensive knives on the clamping point but this system is the least likely to scratch any knife. The only downside to the WE is not being able to bring the stone right up to the plunge unless you modify the handles with a dremel or grind a sharpening notch in some knives like Spyderco.

The KME has an advantage if you plan to use water-stone because compensating for stone thickness is much easier on the kme. If you want to use something like shapton glass stones on the WE its more complicated since the thickness compensator for it is hard to find, expensive, and it is also more expensive/harder to find a pair of stones cut for the WE handles. Accessories and additional stones for the KME are much cheaper, I have no clue how the quality of the diamond plates of KME compares to WE.

The last thing to consider is the position of how the knife sits and sharpening motion. On the KME you can't see how exactly the stone contacts the blade but you can watch the edge as you work on it, you can also use the same hand to do each side. On the WE you cant normally watch your edge unless you pause, but you can see how the stone contacts the edge. You also need to get used to using both hands to sharpen like you would with an edge pro. On the WE you can use whatever motion or technique you want but also have the ability to do alternating strokes if you prefer.
From experience I found The WE makes it easier to get even sharp tips, it is harder to comes off the knife in the same way when you have to flip it and when the tip points towards the left and then towards the right. On the KME It should be easier to use light even pressure as you glide the stone along the edge, based on my experience using an edge pro type sharpener. Since the stone is laying flat on the edge due to the gravity you can use light pressure to glide it across and gravity will allow it to contact the entire length of the bevel with even pressure unless you apply more. On the WE you have to be more mindful of keeping even pressure along the blade, especially during the last finishing light strokes.
Click to expand...

I don't know what research you're doing or where you're getting this information, but with all due respect, perhaps you should use a KME before discussing it with such absolutes.

I'm not going to go point by point on this but my experience could not be more opposite of what you describe and the KME is a highly capable product that is as precise as the user wants it to be.
 
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