Which is preferred Wicked Edge or EdgePro, and why?

[Jestersinthemoon]

Well, its time to bite the bullet and get a sharpening system.

I've gotten to the point now that I have too many knives and use too many of them to be able to spend the time sharpening them all by hand. Not to mention, I've been really impressed with some of the edges that I've seen these two products put onto some knives. Obviously they are also especially good for accurately resetting a horribly thick factory bevel.

So, the question is which do I go for.....EdgePro or Wicked Edge. I know that both have their proponents, but what do you like about one and/or dislike about the other?

Thanks for any advice that you can offer!

W

 

[Tsujigiri]

The Edgepro is preferred by most here. Part of it has to do with it being more established, part of it due to features. It is more difficult to use since you have to adjust the angle for each stone, and your stones may not wear evenly. Also you have to hold the knife down, and you'll get scratches on the blade if you don't use tape. But the stones are less expensive than the diamond sharpeners on the Wicked Edge, and you have the option of things like Chosera stones as well. Also, the Edgepro is more flexible, and can sharpen to a lower angle for those really thin slicing blades. Overall, the Edgepro is more difficult to use but can produce better results. Also, I don't know about Wicked Edge, but I can attest from experience that Edgepro's customer service is top notch.

 

[Allen R.]

Love my edge pro, even though i didn't use tape on my brand new cqc-7 or para 2 and got some scratches , I still love it, lesson learned, tape your knives and youll be good to go . I actually had a WE in my cart and was fixing to buy it but for the cash you can get an edge pro with a ton of aftermarket goodies for the price of a stock wicked edge. Also having the option to call Ben Dale ( the edge pro inventor) and ask him questions is great, he coached me through the learning curve and now I'm getting results I never thought possible , and i only have the stock stones up to 1,000 grit and the 2,000 and 3,000 grit tapes. Also you wanna change the tape on your blade table often too, I change mine after each use , as the slurry gets on the tape and can also scratch your blades. also to note they make edge pro stones that go up to 30,000 grit, after i wear out my stock stones i will buying those stones, also I'm not a big fan of diamond sharpeners as they remove a lot of metal, yea the edge pro is a little more difficult , a little more messy since you haft to use water and wipe the excess off your blade and flip the knife, but overall i love the system and wouldn't use anything else. Just my opinion though.

 

[Sonnydaze]

I have chosen to spend a bunch of bucks on a sharpener and there is no sense in going overboard with the WE. The EP is a good system, and if I had a brain, I'd learn to sharpen free-hand and sell all this stuff.

 

[tomsch]

I own and EP and it is great for reprofile work. I've thought on and off about picking up a WE but I hear about problems with play in the arms that scares me off a little.

 

[rycen]

There's a specific forum for this type of question. Here's a thread from yesterday discussing the same topic

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...what-do-you-recommend?p=11667411#post11667411

 

[Jessekf]

I spend a long time looking at both and I went with the WickedEdge. I am sure the EP is great, but I know the WE is awesome. After practicing with some cheaper knives, I havent found a knife yet that I cant get to shave my arm.

One down side to both systems is you will have funny stubble on your arms for a loooong time.

 

[TotalDbag]

Love my edge pro, even though i didn't use tape on my brand new cqc-7 or para 2 and got some scratches , I still love it, lesson learned, tape your knives and youll be good to go . I actually had a WE in my cart and was fixing to buy it but for the cash you can get an edge pro with a ton of aftermarket goodies for the price of a stock wicked edge. Also having the option to call Ben Dale ( the edge pro inventor) and ask him questions is great, he coached me through the learning curve and now I'm getting results I never thought possible , and i only have the stock stones up to 1,000 grit and the 2,000 and 3,000 grit tapes. Also you wanna change the tape on your blade table often too, I change mine after each use , as the slurry gets on the tape and can also scratch your blades. also to note they make edge pro stones that go up to 30,000 grit, after i wear out my stock stones i will buying those stones, also I'm not a big fan of diamond sharpeners as they remove a lot of metal, yea the edge pro is a little more difficult , a little more messy since you haft to use water and wipe the excess off your blade and flip the knife, but overall i love the system and wouldn't use anything else. Just my opinion though.

Have*
Sorry that was bothering me.

 

[stitchawl]

EdgePro
1. Much less expensive with virtually same results
2. Greater option in stones
3. Stones are much cheaper to replace
4. Easily portable.
5. Seems to be easier to use for longer blades.

Longer learning curve, but not significantly. Can scratch blades, but personally I don't worry about a tool getting scratched. If I did, it's a simple matter to tape it off. A bit messy, but a dish towel solves that problem.


Stitchawl

 

[awh]

I just got an edge pro...heard it was much easier to do polished edges with it, as well as longer blades

 

[REK Knives]

EdgePro
1. Much less expensive with virtually same results
2. Greater option in stones
3. Stones are much cheaper to replace
4. Easily portable.
5. Seems to be easier to use for longer blades.

Longer learning curve, but not significantly. Can scratch blades, but personally I don't worry about a tool getting scratched. If I did, it's a simple matter to tape it off. A bit messy, but a dish towel solves that problem.


Stitchawl

I have and love the WEPS and could never see myself going back to the Edge Pro. And yes, I have had an EP apex and the upgraded pro model as well. This is the way I see it...

1. The reason it's more expensive is because you get more stones which allows for faster sharpening (because you are sharpening the two sides of the edge almost simultaneously), so you get what you pay for
2. What greater option in stones are you referring to? I haven't seen this at all and think this is a common misconception. I have the stock diamond stones, some 140 atomas, chosera 800/2000 & 5k/10k, leather strops, kangaroo strops, aluminum blanks with different lapping films on them, and balsa strops. Shaptons are easy to come by as well... So what are you referring to?
3. The stock diamond stones don't have to be replaced for a loooong time as far as I know.
4. WE now has a field and sport model that is easily transportable as well...
5. It is no easier believe me.... I've tried both. Trying to keep the blade steady on the blade table on the EP is quite difficult vs. The WEPS.
6. I sharpened a $3k custom knife on the WEPS. It was easy not to scratch due to using tape and no water on the stones. The EP is a whole different story. Even when you tape the blade, I always had trouble with water eventually getting under the tape and possibly scratching the blade.

Now, when I got my system a year ago I did think that the EP was better machined with better quality control, but I believe WE has gotten this worked out. Clay is always working on improvements for it and completely open to discussion and suggestions. He also purchased a 2000x metallograph microscope and frequently conducts studies of what the effects are at the edge of the blade from different angles and pastes/sprays, etc. Another benefit is that WEPS has its own forum unlike EP. You can reach clay via phone or forum. Hope this helps as I see the votes 50/50 and no WEPS users are weighing in

 

[mongolguy]

I have both the Edge Pro and Wicked Edge. Since getting the WE I have used the EP twice. I find the WE easier to use, faster and more accurate.

 

[Allen R.]

Have*
Sorry that was bothering me.

Really you actually posted correcting my typo ? really? Me's just a good ole counntry boy who dedn't get lurned much in that there grade skool bout spelling.

 

[whp]

After getting my Wicked Edge, I don t use my Edge Pro anymore.

 

[Jestersinthemoon]

I have chosen to spend a bunch of bucks on a sharpener and there is no sense in going overboard with the WE. The EP is a good system, and if I had a brain, I'd learn to sharpen free-hand and sell all this stuff.

Let me correct another apparent misconception. Not all people buy a sharpening system because they can't sharpen by hand. I used to be the type who would spend hours sharpening a knife and in the end, an aluminum baseball bat could outslice my results. After much practice, however, I have gotten to where I can put a razor edge on anything. I generally don't even use stones anymore. I use nothing but wet/dry sand/emory paper. I used it on a flat glass surface for standard beveling and honing, or I tape one end and use it like a slack belt to make convex bevels. It also helps that I learned to use canvas/linen/balsa/felt/and leather strops, diamond slurry, and chromium oxide.

However, as I stated in my initial post. I have many more knives than I used to, and, more importantly, I use many more of them and just don't have the free time to hand sharpen all of them. I've been impressed with the results that I've seen from EdgePro and Wicked Edge systems, so I'm going to go ahead and get one.

I have plenty of strops and plenty of Chromium Oxide and 1.0, 0.5, and 0.25 Micron Diamond Slurry, so I will probably only need stones in the 220-2000 range ( this is the range of sandpapers that I use [220,320,400,600,800,1000,2000] for basic honing/reprofiling before I move on to cleaning up and polishing the edge with all of the additional accessories.

Thanks for all the recommendations so far. Any more info is always welcomed.

 

[Maprik]

I had the Edge Pro. I couldn't learn how to use it and destroyed a couple of edges (later fixed with the WE). My difficulty was that I just couldn't hold the knife steady on the platform. I wished for a way to clamp down the blade. Also, I found it messy with the water. Most of my knives have blades 3.5" and less. Holding a small knife steady on the Edge Pro was very difficult. I don't know why people say you can get a better edge with the Edge Pro. On the WE I can touch up a knife in about 10 minutes to a perfectly wicked edge. I can re-profile a knife with a new angle in about 30 minutes with a mirror finish and I can put on a perfect microbevel as well. For me the WE minimizes the human error out of the process once the blade is positioned correctly.

 

[Steel130]

I don't have either. But the thing that makes me consider buying an Edge Pro over the Wicked Edge is that for a $300 dollar system, the lowest the WE will go is 30* inclusive. Right now just about all my edges are at 12-14*. I like having the option to put 12* edges on these new super steels. Hopefully WE will do something to increase how low an edge you can put on.

 

[cbwx34]

I don't have either. But the thing that makes me consider buying an Edge Pro over the Wicked Edge is that for a $300 dollar system, the lowest the WE will go is 30* inclusive. Right now just about all my edges are at 12-14*. I like having the option to put 12* edges on these new super steels. Hopefully WE will do something to increase how low an edge you can put on.

The new "Pro-pack II" goes from 13 deg. per side, so 26 deg. inclusive. Also, it depends on the knife... the angles are "calibrated" based on an edge that is 5/8" above the clamp, so on some knives, you can mount the knife higher and achieve a lower angle. You can also set the arm a bit closer than the markings (again depending on the knife). You then just need to use an alternate way to measure the angle, like an angle gauge. This also applies to the original model, so you could, (again depending on the knife) at least come pretty close to the angles you desire. On some knives, even with the original model, it's possible to hit 10 deg. per side.

 

[stitchawl]

1. The reason it's more expensive is because you get more stones which allows for faster sharpening (because you are sharpening the two sides of the edge almost simultaneously), so you get what you pay for

If speed is needed, that certainly is a consideration. For an extra $300 one can save 10 minutes.

2. What greater option in stones are you referring to? I haven't seen this at all and think this is a common misconception. I have the stock diamond stones, some 140 atomas, chosera 800/2000 & 5k/10k, leather strops, kangaroo strops, aluminum blanks with different lapping films on them, and balsa strops. Shaptons are easy to come by as well... So what are you referring to?

Sounds as if all your stones were produced specifically for the EdgePro. Many EP users mod our own stones. There were several threads here a few years ago, with pictures of the stone collections that various folks had made. Some guys had upwards of 40-50 different stones, and at the time, nobody was selling EP-specific stones except Ben Dale. When we find a bench stone we'd like to use, we take it to a local lapidary shop and have them cut a few slices to fit the EP-size blanks, and glue them on. Cheap as dirt if you use the right shop. One bench stone makes a LOT of EP stones, and if you pay $60 for the bench stone and cut 10 EP stones from it, that's $6 a stone... I go north of Arashiyama on Rt.162 outside of Kyoto, and buy stones from the families that owned the old mines. Although the mines have shut down large-scale commercial cutting, the families are still selling odd-shaped stones out their back doors. They put hand-painted signs along the road when they have stones to sell. Again, cheap as dirt for good Arashiyama stone.

5. It is no easier believe me.... I've tried both. Trying to keep the blade steady on the blade table on the EP is quite difficult vs. The WEPS.

See $4 solution below...

I had the Edge Pro. I couldn't learn how to use it and destroyed a couple of edges (later fixed with the WE). My difficulty was that I just couldn't hold the knife steady on the platform. I wished for a way to clamp down the blade.

We all had that same wish. So a quick trip to the hardware store and our wish was granted.
These come in all sizes, are trigger-operated so fast, one-handed use, and keep even the smallest blades secure. About $3-$5 at most home centers.

Stitchawl

 

[Maprik]

Good solution! You still need to clamp and unclamp the blade every time you want to flip the knife. Also, where are you clamping onto especially on a small blade like a small Sebenza?