New sharpener??

Monofletch

Monofletch

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Jan 14, 2010
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I am about to buy a Wicked Edge GO. Before I take the plunge is there something else I should consider instead? I currently use a Worksharp Guided system (bench stone type) and a Sharpmaker.
Any advice would be wonderful
 
Personally, I would recommend the KME sharpener depending upon the length of blades that you'll regularely be sharpening. I have found it to be awesome and because of the cost difference, you can get more attachments and add-ons for the KME.
 
I had a Sharpmaker with UF ceramic stones and boron nitride rods at first, then I bought some sharpening Stones and a Worksharp Guided Sharpening System with the upgrade pack. In summer I finally bought a KME Sharpening System. It wasn't an easy decision because it is rather rare and expensive here in Europe but I haven't looked back. It isn't cheap but it is a very good system and you can get great results after a short time and it is small enough to store it in my desk's drawer.

I was recommended to go for the diamond stones and add some lapping films to the set (I got 3, 6 and 9 micron) and that's pretty much what I'd recommend now. I also got some Jende stropping compounds in the 1-0.5 micron range but I feel like it is better to just go for one thing: Lapping films or stropping compound and strops. Buying both isn't worth it.
 
I've used the workshop since it first came out. belted model .I found it to be easy to use once you get accustomed to it. Now I don't even use the guides. I just do it free hand. The newer ken onion model looks great too
 
I have the Go Deluxe (adds some extra strops, and maybe the coarse diamond paddles).

Love it!

I would add the 1200 / 1600 grit ceramic hones if I were you (they make an awesome final edge) and skip the strops if I did it again.
 
I've had a KME for years and it is a great system. When I was searching out systems, Wicked Edge didn't have the "lower" cost models they do now so that certainly played into my decision. That said, even with their introduction, I'd still opt for a KME. That's in no way a disparagement on the WE system as it is well proven. The WE will give you the convenience of not flipping the blade, but you need to buy two of everything.

The KME is so slick and easy to use once you get used to it that flipping the blade becomes, at least for me, a non-issue. I rarely go above the 300 or 600 stones so not a lot of swapping and once you're comfortable with the process, you can skip the base and sharpen your living room chair if you really want to.

All that said,why are you committed to a system? What about freehanding turns you off? I absolutely would not use the Work Sharp "guided" bench stone setup as a gauge of freehand sharpening! If you're talking about the one with the angled wedges at both ends, forget that thing. The only thing those wedges do is give you some idea of what the rough angle looks like. That is it. You still have to control the angle through the strokes and you're stuck trying to match that specific angle and in my opinion it all can just lead to frustration because you're not getting the edges you want and this is "supposed" to be a simplified system.

I don't know if that resonates with you, but if so, you can freehand sharpen. A red permanent marker for marking the edge bevel and a course Norton Crystolon stone will get you started. Stick to at least 8" long as they give a lot more surface area. You can sharpen even the high alloy steels on a course Silicon Carbide stone but if you really want a diamond, I'd suggest an Ultra Sharp 300 or 400/1200 grit combo stone.

You can produce very sharp knives for not a lot of money if you're open to it and want to learn.

There is nothing at all wrong with using a system, especially if you have physical limitations and such. Just tossing out that basic freehanding is not the mystery it is often made out to be.
 
Get a TSProf K03 before the wicked edge,the wicked edge has been know to have problems with the jaws not holding knifes very well and also when you want to buy new stones for it you have to buy 2 stones at a time.

I had the KME but the stone selection really sucks when compared to edge pro format stones and I never cared for the 3 inch stones.

The TSProf however has a great selection of clamps and accessories to choose from and thing is built like a tank and is very accurate if you take the time to set it up right,everything about the TSProf operate's butter smooth as well,I have had many different guided system's over the years and TSProf is by far the best in my opnion.
 
One of these days I'm going to have to get a WE . . . if nothing else to prove to myself that I was right and that the Edge Pro is a better system when it comes to maintaining the same angle when changing from one stone to the next to the next. Stones wear and are just plain different thicknesses from one grit to another. The Edge Pro easily compensates for this and takes these variables in stride. As far as I can tell the WE trips and fumbles it's way to the finish line.

I know . . . !
Buy both and let us know what you find out. :D
 
wade7575 said:
I never cared for the 3 inch stones.
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Aren't they four inch ?
I know what you mean. The Edge Pro stones are six inch and the four inch stones, especially for larger knives and reprofiling just seem kind of Barbie Oven by comparison.

PS: Clamps ? With the Edge Pro we don't need no "Stinking Clamps".
 
There’s always a learning curve with any new sharpening system. What you have currently works for you, so keep that in mind while deciding what to get next. I went from a Lansky to now KME. Similar styles, the KME offers more and for me is better. The wider stones really made a difference.
Monofletch Monofletch , why do you want/need a different setup than what you’ve got ? If it works and you get the results you’re happy with, why change ?
I’ve realized that in the world of sharpening options, you can get in deep.
 
I have to agree with Ajack60 you can spend a lot of money really quick on knifes and sharpeners,what I say is this however if you have really nice knifes with steels that are like M4 M390 S90V S110V S35VN and S30V and you like them to be really sharp and you want a system that will last you a lifetime get a TSProf.

I thought the KME would be the last system I would ever buy but then I didn't find it to be the best choice for sharpening Japanese chef knives at lower angle's or knifes that are really long.
I have the TSProf's can sharpen anything you throw at them very well,and if you have those steels I mentioned above the Metallic CBN stones and Venev OCB stones last a long time and do a great job on those steels both in finishing and cutting them really quick.

At the end of the day you need to decide how much your going to sharpen and what steels your going to sharpen.
 
Ajack60 Ajack60 -
My Sharpmaker needs replaced and I am not the best at free hand ....yet. I will not put any of my higher value knives on the bench stone just yet. I can get them sharp, but mistakes are easier to make and I don’t want a bunch of scratches and mishaps on my Hoback.
 
Wowbagger said:
I know what you mean. The Edge Pro stones are six inch and the four inch stones, especially for larger knives and reprofiling just seem kind of Barbie Oven by comparison.
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Especially the Pro arm with the Blade Ramp allowing a true 6 inch stroke; a feature I haven't seen duplicated yet.
 
I have owned wicked edge, kme and now the tsprof. For me, the tsprof is the best. I would also choose the kme over the we. I have the kme listed on craigslist tampa
 
Have used pretty much all the higher end systems and they all have their pros / cons but will all basically produce very sharp and uniform edges overall. I say go with what looks good to you and if you end up not liking it sell and move on to something else, tying new things out is kind of the fun of it (least it has been for me). What I enjoy the most out of everything is freehand sharpening however it's also the hardest to master and I'm nowhere near that.
 
NORTHWEST_KNIFE_GUY said:
tying new things out is kind of the fun of it
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You said it !
wade7575 said:
I thought the KME would be the last system I would ever buy but then I didn't find it to be the best choice for sharpening Japanese chef knives at lower angle's
Click to expand...
Thanks for reminding me. The low angle thing is what has blocked my way to buying some of the CLAMP sharpeners, except for the first one I bought, which not only could not sharpen medium to small pocket knives because the stone would rub on the clamp before it hit the blade edge but could not sharpen low angles such as 10° to 12°.
Heck I drop below that fairly often with some of my knives I use at work for soft materials (even my wire tie eating knife ).

Low angles is what it is all about in a pocket knife FOR ME.

You want low angles on the WE ? ? ?
Better save up for lots of BS accessories. Special clamps / tower extender, longer rods and I don't recall what all.

At least I had a good laugh investigating it all.
Then I bought the small knife accessory for my Edge Pro ~$35 and forgot all about the WE for yet another year.

I'm running out of knives and knife stuff to buy so maybe next year I will get a WE.

I could be completely in error in judgment . . . hahaha . . . I hope.

PS: I was half way planning on seeing if I could go the whole year of 2020 without buying a knife.
Fooling around with WE just might be the distraction I need.
 
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