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The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details: https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is$300$250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
New Wicked Edge Pro $1600
- Thread starter NRA
- Start date
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I agree 100%. The basis is the wonderful wire edge that is created on the moving belts. Even @ 600 grit and the wire edge popped off; I finish with a cork belt at 1000 grit and then use the tried and true box strop technique. I use a Bubble Jig to control the desired sharpening angle. It produces a true flat ground edge. "Scary" sharp.
Fred
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- Dec 27, 2004
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They probably should have named it the Commercial Edition, as opposed to the Professional Edition, since I think most of the features are geared that way (in fact, in the brochure, they call it the "Industrial Sharpener")...
I think the goal was to have a sharpener avail. in a commercial/kitchen environment that would be fairly simple to use. Most of the features are geared toward this (locking cabinet, simplified clamp and angle adjustment etc.), that are actually probably less adjustable than the original model. In fact, I would have replaced the angle markings with letters so that a person could: put a knife in, set to position 'B', and sharpen or touch up. OTOH, the new clamp and angle adjustment, combined with an angle cube (not the markings), would make a fast and accurate setup.
pwet's comment interests me, since it was my impression a kitchen environment was what they were aiming for (they just won an award from the National Restaurant Assoc. for it, so I know they looked for a lot of input in this area). I'm not sure how many kitchens would allow a belt sander or set of wheels in a kitchen, so not sure if that's a viable alternative or not? Knowing the "target market" might change the perspective on this... whether or not a kitchen would actually use this is something I don't know anything about.
I think the goal was to have a sharpener avail. in a commercial/kitchen environment that would be fairly simple to use. Most of the features are geared toward this (locking cabinet, simplified clamp and angle adjustment etc.), that are actually probably less adjustable than the original model. In fact, I would have replaced the angle markings with letters so that a person could: put a knife in, set to position 'B', and sharpen or touch up. OTOH, the new clamp and angle adjustment, combined with an angle cube (not the markings), would make a fast and accurate setup.
pwet's comment interests me, since it was my impression a kitchen environment was what they were aiming for (they just won an award from the National Restaurant Assoc. for it, so I know they looked for a lot of input in this area). I'm not sure how many kitchens would allow a belt sander or set of wheels in a kitchen, so not sure if that's a viable alternative or not? Knowing the "target market" might change the perspective on this... whether or not a kitchen would actually use this is something I don't know anything about.
cbwx34 has a very valid point: kitchens probably wouldn't allow belts and wheels in the kitchen. That might be the niche for this Wicked Edge. The Burr King would probably be a lot better for professional sharpeners (a different market completely).
Good sharpening,
Dave
Good sharpening,
Dave
You'd never be able to use a belt grinder in a kitchen. You'd be scattering metal and abrasive particles everywhere. Definitely not something you'd want to do near food. That said I can't imagine many restaurants would invest in a $1600 knife sharpening device.
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doesn't look like $1600 to me. But what do I know...
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sure you wont get a belt grinder in the middle of a food processing zone, but i have belt grinder in the wine storage area, without any issue, no dust on the bottles or anything crazy. if this isnt possible , i'll get a tormek over this any day. not only it's cheaper it's also faster.
keep in mind that maybe 99% of the pros just dont care. I tried to teach my cooks what sharp is without much results ... i sharpen all their knives when i cant stand how dull they are, do you think i'd tolerate any speed loss when i have to sharpen 10 dull knives just to see them scraping cutting boards with the edge 5 mins later ?...
and for working some time in my father's butcher shop the same applies... and it´s even more critical on industrial meat processing facilities where they have machines that cost a bit more but that cut a primary and a steep secondary bevel in about 20sec just by dragging the knife in a couple slots .... and those edges arent pretty but they work, the machine eats knives but throwing knives away cost less that having every guy stuck on a wicked edge for 5min 10 times a shift...
most of you (and i guess the designer of the device) see the market with the eyes of a knife and sharpening nut. thats usually not how things are working in a busyness.
keep in mind that maybe 99% of the pros just dont care. I tried to teach my cooks what sharp is without much results ... i sharpen all their knives when i cant stand how dull they are, do you think i'd tolerate any speed loss when i have to sharpen 10 dull knives just to see them scraping cutting boards with the edge 5 mins later ?...
and for working some time in my father's butcher shop the same applies... and it´s even more critical on industrial meat processing facilities where they have machines that cost a bit more but that cut a primary and a steep secondary bevel in about 20sec just by dragging the knife in a couple slots .... and those edges arent pretty but they work, the machine eats knives but throwing knives away cost less that having every guy stuck on a wicked edge for 5min 10 times a shift...
most of you (and i guess the designer of the device) see the market with the eyes of a knife and sharpening nut. thats usually not how things are working in a busyness.
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- Sep 1, 2013
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A guy on this forum made a homemade Wicked Edge type of system for like.. what, 50$? He posted the parts, but the people who sold them didn't ship to Norway. Anyhow, how come no one sells those parts, the parts that make a Wicked Edge system, as a kit? As in, a rail with arms, and a centerpiece to mount the knife.
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- Dec 27, 2004
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Thanks for the reply... I know very little about the kitchen environment, and am kinda curious how it will play out.
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- Mar 22, 2013
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Now i'm lusting after a burr king 2x72 for the sheer possibilities it might provide. Started looking around at my $400 EP setup, spendy folders and other things that i don't use often and totaling things up...
The best machines are the variable speed ones, correct?
Got me thinking
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- May 2, 2004
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The lower the belt speed the better when sharpening. Sharp belts slow belt speed and a roomy work rest. Changing the belts takes the most time of all.
Fred
- Joined
- May 20, 2013
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- 655
I own the regular wicked edge system and really don't even see the value in it. The design is unique and effective and that's about it. It's a great system but honestly there's not $275 (base model/package) worth of physical material there. Actually kind of disappointed in the quality of the parts used. A lot of cheap aluminum and sloppy tolerances. It wouldn't take much to build essentially the same thing with better tolerances & materials for less money.
This pro thing really takes it to the extreme and I can't imagine that there's even a decent market for it. $1600 is too much for a hobbyist and the design isn't quick enough for a pro. That leaves only those who have money to blow and want the best, which is a large portion of the market for the regular system I believe.
This pro thing really takes it to the extreme and I can't imagine that there's even a decent market for it. $1600 is too much for a hobbyist and the design isn't quick enough for a pro. That leaves only those who have money to blow and want the best, which is a large portion of the market for the regular system I believe.
Jason B.
Knifemaker / Craftsman / Service Provider
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- Jun 13, 2007
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Most restaurants and professional cooks I have sharpened for describe a large red brick 1k waterstone as a "house stone" I would think the chef might just fire you if you suggest a $1600 "house stone"
As described by others, most don't want to learn proper sharpening and "get by" with edges we would scoff at. That's just the real world and I don't think it's going to change anytime soon.
As for this being a "professional tool"? IDK but I know it would be of little use to me.
As described by others, most don't want to learn proper sharpening and "get by" with edges we would scoff at. That's just the real world and I don't think it's going to change anytime soon.
As for this being a "professional tool"? IDK but I know it would be of little use to me.