I really like how you make it a point to note how common it is for a factory bevel to be uneven. I've noticed a lot of other fixed angle sharpeners seem to gloss right over that fact, which can make the whole sharpening process a bit more frustrating than it needs to be.
Thanks Clay, I've enjoyed almost every one of your videos, at least once, just waiting for my Wicked Edge GO order to arrive so I can develop and master these 'Wicked' knife sharpening techniques.
Thank you, THAT was useful in finding the angle of your own knife. But you need a tool like this--and I have no problem with that as an inducement to get one. Win for you, win for me, that's good business.
I was missing one important key concept of what you do in this video. My earlier comment was wrong and you are correct and I did not understand. Starting at a high number angle and working down, once you reach the bottom of the original edge, that is your angle, zero reason to remark the angle and keep checking. It’s important to use a fine grit stone to check the angle so your marker is removed cleanly without changing the angle while checking the angle. 1500 or 2200 seems to work well but I think a glass platen with a 60,000 grit lapping sheet would be ideal along with a cordless wifi microscope on a large tablet. This would allow you to see exactly what is happening in a nondestructive way. I must tell you your G3Pro is like a fine intricate tool by Snap-On while every other system I have tried is like a crescent wrench made in Taiwan. I own TSPROF Blitz360, no comparison, yours is much better. I own Hapstone, and while the M2 is far superior to the plastic and dime store suction cups Apex, your technology far outweighs the Hapstone in every way. The SharpMaker TriStone system is useful but limited in its application of pulling back something that was good. The Ken Onion Blade Grinder is my second favorite system next to yours and I do rely on it often but it cannot duplicate or replace what your machine can do. My one complaint about the G3Pro is the built in storage dimensions. Why sell us something that just barely misses holding 18 platens? Please send me a upper and lower horizontal base with shelves with holes drilled in the proper spacing or replacement sides that are milled down on the insides so I can quit grimacing whenever I look at the storage compartment that only holds 15 platens. Currently with two shelves it holds four platens on three shelves with enough extra leftover space to park several 747s in there but not quite enough room for 6 platens per shelf.
I’m learning and you are the company owner. However, erasing the apex marker at 25, 20, 17 and then 15, does not guarantee the apex is covered at 15 as you had previously erased the mark. I would to this more than once and on several places on the blade to ensure you have it perfectly dialed in and are sitting on what some would call the sweet spot for the clamp heal to toe. I have a new Gen 3 Pro kit coming and anxious to try out what I’ve seen on CZcams videos. Thanks for a nice product line.
@@ClayAllisonNM I’ve ordered a UV marker and a UV microscope attachment for a cellphone. I’m hoping the UV pigment is a scream in a library rather than the whisper in a noisy room, which is the equivalent of a sharpie mark. Any experience trying UV marker?
hey clay , just wondering which additional stones and strops would be best to add to this WE Go model ?? I would mostly be sharpening globals, kai knives, mac knives and some western knives. thanks for all the informative videos they are very easy to watch.
miriah fogarty the next step are the 800/1000 stones. After that, you can go straight to a set of strops, or go the route of the 1500/glass and diamond lapping films if you want a mirror finish.
how can you assure the knife is really close to vertical after tightening the vise? some of my pocket knives have tapered blade and it seems to be leaning to one side.
If the knives have tapered (fully flat ground or ffg) blades, they can lean to the side in our standard jaws. Thankfully, there is a very easy technique for ensuring they're vertical. Please check out this article to see how to do it: support.wickededgeusa.com/portal/kb/articles/can-the-wicked-edge-sharpen-fully-flat-ground-blades
is it possible to sharpen a knife with a double edge such as a dagger .i currently own a Tormek and the clamping system won't grip the blade thanks John
I just bought he Wicked Edge Pro. I have a large set of Shun knives. I believe that they were originally set at 16 degrees. For convenience, over the years I've had them sharpened by Sur La Table and Williams Sonoma. I know they use a machine that is set at 15 degrees. How do I get it back to 16 degrees? Should I leave it at 15 degrees? Thanks
Thanks for writing. You're correct that the knives were probably originally set at 16 degrees, but if they've been done at 15 over the years, there is no harm in leaving them there and just matching the existing angle.
Thanks, Clay. One more question: For years i just sent the knives back to Shun for sharpening. I never loved the result. It thought that they should be sharper. It's just recently that I have been taking them to kitchen stores for sharpening ( last 18 months 2x). Should I try to get them back to 16 degrees? And how would I do this? Secondly, since the knives are regularly sharpened, with what grit should I begin? Thanks again. love your videos. Excited about my purchase.
If you want to restore them to 16 degrees, you can do it very precisely using the digital angle gauge to help set the angles. Otherwise, you can just use the settings on the sharpener and know that there will be some slight variation based on the different widths of knives (spine to edge measurement) but that it won't be very different than the angle indicated on the sharpener. If it were me, I'd probably go that route. I'd put the wider knives in with the Depth Key at the lower setting and the more narrow ones on the top setting and sharpener set to 16. It will be very consistent each time you resharpen and will give you a great edge. It'll be important to color the bevels with a marker when first resetting the angles and to ensure all the marker is removed with the coarse stones. Next, you'd want to be sure you draw a burr from both sides of the blade before moving on to the finer grits.
You're probably okay starting at 600 or 400 if you're just matching the existing bevel but will probably want to go to a lower grit if you decide to change the angle.
Actually, I'm starting to think for those of us who cook professionally or semi-professionally, that's a financially viable solution: get a Wicked Edge sharpener and use something like the Victorinox or Mercer stamped-steel kitchen knives, as once in a while, one will drop one etc. and want to have it replaced, or in in the case of cooking classes, the handles suffer from having them put in the (professional, no abrasives!) dishwasher. Sharpened to perfection, those knives come awfully close in performance and edge retention to a high-end Japanese kitchen knife, not to mention more comparable blades (in design, not necessarily feel) such as carbon steel Herder, Sabatier, Kramer etc.
So really, the left side of this knife is sharpened at 15 degrees, and the right side is sharpened at 14.x degrees because the clamp opens to the right. Correct? Wouldn’t you want to find the true degree measurement on any given knife with an angle cube rather than go off of the degrees on the arms?
Josh Ruud the system is calibrated so far the angles on each side are the same for a knife that is 1/8" thick. Of the knife is thicker, then the angle on the side with the movable jaw will be smaller, but you'd need another 1/8" thick to be a full degree off. So, you're right that using an angle cube makes it much easier to be dead on for both sides regardless of the thickness of the blade.
I really like how you make it a point to note how common it is for a factory bevel to be uneven. I've noticed a lot of other fixed angle sharpeners seem to gloss right over that fact, which can make the whole sharpening process a bit more frustrating than it needs to be.
Thanks Clay, I've enjoyed almost every one of your videos, at least once, just waiting for my Wicked Edge GO order to arrive so I can develop and master these 'Wicked' knife sharpening techniques.
Had one for over 5 years now..Love it...just spend the money
Excellent video
Thank you, THAT was useful in finding the angle of your own knife. But you need a tool like this--and I have no problem with that as an inducement to get one. Win for you, win for me, that's good business.
Jmichael Isbell yea just wait till you see that price tag, don’t let it scare you I got the pro pack 3 best money I spent!
Thanks Clay! What is the best way to achieve perfect (no scratches) mirror edge? 14.5 deg. custom knife, S35VN steel?
I was missing one important key concept of what you do in this video. My earlier comment was wrong and you are correct and I did not understand. Starting at a high number angle and working down, once you reach the bottom of the original edge, that is your angle, zero reason to remark the angle and keep checking. It’s important to use a fine grit stone to check the angle so your marker is removed cleanly without changing the angle while checking the angle. 1500 or 2200 seems to work well but I think a glass platen with a 60,000 grit lapping sheet would be ideal along with a cordless wifi microscope on a large tablet. This would allow you to see exactly what is happening in a nondestructive way.
I must tell you your G3Pro is like a fine intricate tool by Snap-On while every other system I have tried is like a crescent wrench made in Taiwan. I own TSPROF Blitz360, no comparison, yours is much better. I own Hapstone, and while the M2 is far superior to the plastic and dime store suction cups Apex, your technology far outweighs the Hapstone in every way. The SharpMaker TriStone system is useful but limited in its application of pulling back something that was good. The Ken Onion Blade Grinder is my second favorite system next to yours and I do rely on it often but it cannot duplicate or replace what your machine can do.
My one complaint about the G3Pro is the built in storage dimensions. Why sell us something that just barely misses holding 18 platens? Please send me a upper and lower horizontal base with shelves with holes drilled in the proper spacing or replacement sides that are milled down on the insides so I can quit grimacing whenever I look at the storage compartment that only holds 15 platens. Currently with two shelves it holds four platens on three shelves with enough extra leftover space to park several 747s in there but not quite enough room for 6 platens per shelf.
I’m learning and you are the company owner. However, erasing the apex marker at 25, 20, 17 and then 15, does not guarantee the apex is covered at 15 as you had previously erased the mark. I would to this more than once and on several places on the blade to ensure you have it perfectly dialed in and are sitting on what some would call the sweet spot for the clamp heal to toe.
I have a new Gen 3 Pro kit coming and anxious to try out what I’ve seen on CZcams videos.
Thanks for a nice product line.
That's totally true. I may mark the edge multiple times to ensure I'm finding the correct angle and sweet spot.
@@ClayAllisonNM I’ve ordered a UV marker and a UV microscope attachment for a cellphone. I’m hoping the UV pigment is a scream in a library rather than the whisper in a noisy room, which is the equivalent of a sharpie mark.
Any experience trying UV marker?
hey clay , just wondering which additional stones and strops would be best to add to this WE Go model ?? I would mostly be sharpening globals, kai knives, mac knives and some western knives. thanks for all the informative videos they are very easy to watch.
miriah fogarty the next step are the 800/1000 stones. After that, you can go straight to a set of strops, or go the route of the 1500/glass and diamond lapping films if you want a mirror finish.
Thanks for reply clay
Which model is this Wicked edge?
This is the Wicked Edge GO or WE50
Clay, so you are saying get the angle first before you try to get a burr?
Yes exactly, get the angle set and be sure you're getting all the marker off all the way to the edge before trying to get the burr.
Clay Allison And with the burr, are you saying work up the burr fully on one side before the other? Thank you
how can you assure the knife is really close to vertical after tightening the vise? some of my pocket knives have tapered blade and it seems to be leaning to one side.
If the knives have tapered (fully flat ground or ffg) blades, they can lean to the side in our standard jaws. Thankfully, there is a very easy technique for ensuring they're vertical. Please check out this article to see how to do it: support.wickededgeusa.com/portal/kb/articles/can-the-wicked-edge-sharpen-fully-flat-ground-blades
is it possible to sharpen a knife with a double edge such as a dagger .i currently own a Tormek and the clamping system won't grip the blade
thanks John
It really depends on the blade. If it has any parallel surfaces then it's possible.
will sharpening and having different angle help in food release when cutting?
Yes. But you can also get great food release by keeping the angle the same but doing more strokes on the release side to create a wider bevel there.
I just bought he Wicked Edge Pro. I have a large set of Shun knives. I believe that they were originally set at 16 degrees. For convenience, over the years I've had them sharpened by Sur La Table and Williams Sonoma. I know they use a machine that is set at 15 degrees. How do I get it back to 16 degrees? Should I leave it at 15 degrees? Thanks
Thanks for writing. You're correct that the knives were probably originally set at 16 degrees, but if they've been done at 15 over the years, there is no harm in leaving them there and just matching the existing angle.
Thanks, Clay. One more question: For years i just sent the knives back to Shun for sharpening. I never loved the result. It thought that they should be sharper. It's just recently that I have been taking them to kitchen stores for sharpening ( last 18 months 2x). Should I try to get them back to 16 degrees? And how would I do this? Secondly, since the knives are regularly sharpened, with what grit should I begin? Thanks again. love your videos. Excited about my purchase.
If you want to restore them to 16 degrees, you can do it very precisely using the digital angle gauge to help set the angles. Otherwise, you can just use the settings on the sharpener and know that there will be some slight variation based on the different widths of knives (spine to edge measurement) but that it won't be very different than the angle indicated on the sharpener. If it were me, I'd probably go that route. I'd put the wider knives in with the Depth Key at the lower setting and the more narrow ones on the top setting and sharpener set to 16. It will be very consistent each time you resharpen and will give you a great edge. It'll be important to color the bevels with a marker when first resetting the angles and to ensure all the marker is removed with the coarse stones. Next, you'd want to be sure you draw a burr from both sides of the blade before moving on to the finer grits.
Thanks again, Clay. When doing this, should I start with the 200 grit, or something finer because that have recently been sharpened?
You're probably okay starting at 600 or 400 if you're just matching the existing bevel but will probably want to go to a lower grit if you decide to change the angle.
This may be a silly question but how does the wicked edge systems work with inexpensive knives like the Victorinox chef knives and boning knives?
Not silly at all. It works great with those knives. We've got a couple of Victorinox 8" chef knives here that take a razor sharp edge.
Actually, I'm starting to think for those of us who cook professionally or semi-professionally, that's a financially viable solution: get a Wicked Edge sharpener and use something like the Victorinox or Mercer stamped-steel kitchen knives, as once in a while, one will drop one etc. and want to have it replaced, or in in the case of cooking classes, the handles suffer from having them put in the (professional, no abrasives!) dishwasher. Sharpened to perfection, those knives come awfully close in performance and edge retention to a high-end Japanese kitchen knife, not to mention more comparable blades (in design, not necessarily feel) such as carbon steel Herder, Sabatier, Kramer etc.
So really, the left side of this knife is sharpened at 15 degrees, and the right side is sharpened at 14.x degrees because the clamp opens to the right. Correct? Wouldn’t you want to find the true degree measurement on any given knife with an angle cube rather than go off of the degrees on the arms?
Josh Ruud the system is calibrated so far the angles on each side are the same for a knife that is 1/8" thick. Of the knife is thicker, then the angle on the side with the movable jaw will be smaller, but you'd need another 1/8" thick to be a full degree off. So, you're right that using an angle cube makes it much easier to be dead on for both sides regardless of the thickness of the blade.
Clay Allison thanks, I just got one of the older WE100s and I’m still working through figuring out how it all works.
Ww