The steels part of it is kind of a null subject since there are stones out there for both sharpeners to do all metals. So the issue would be more of a which one feels better to me? There are guys that sharpen for a living that use either one, so results are up to the user really.The Wicked edge has a huge fan club for a reason. Accurate and faster. No denying being able to do both edges at the same time is an advantage. And getting different grits on either side of the stone seems like a good idea. That being said, I use a Hapstone M2 and love it And while its knife holding process is great (magnets under the platform) I would love the actual blade holding of the R1 and easy rotation. I for one like to keep an eye on the edge as I move my stones and that is one area the wicked edge falls short. Yes you can flip your head around like a bobble head,but for me sharpening is not a hurried process that I need to get done quick. Its something I need/want to do and what I call a "Zen" thing. I like to zone out and get into it as I watch the metal change. Am I weird? Don't care....I also feel there are a better selection of stones available for the R1 since your using an EdgePro size platform. To each his own and neither one is wrong, but for a 4-5 hundred dollar difference, I dont see a hard decision in my eyes. I can buy lots of stones and a knife to boot for that!