there are 100$-200$ solutions out there that can sharpen any knife extremely well lol, an experienced person can do the same if not a better job with wet stones
What is a hair popping edge? You can shave a little hair off your arm? I can do that with a Lansky. My granddad, born in 1893, could do it with hands. He would sharpen a straight razor with a stone as smooth as ceramic tile and a strop made of an old belt well into his 70s. There were whittling contests back in the good old days, he and everyone else there could stop and sharpen their knives back to an edge sharp enough to shave wood and hold that edge for several minutes. While everyone used knives made of German steel, it isn't nearly as good as we have today.
I've used this system. I don't care for it for my needs. The tormek is a better all round sharpener. I don't just sharpen knives, I sharpen chisels, plane blades, lathe tools, drill bits, lawn mower blades, scissors, etc.... This system doesn't cover all those needs. The tormek with all the necessary accessories is much more expensive than this however. If you were just sharpening knives this system is perfectly fine.
I received my wicked edge for about two weeks ago, and I can definitely tell that it's worth the money. I'm a guy who loves high quality in every thing. For me it's an enormous pleasure to bring a totally dull knife to a scary sharp level.
When you can pick up the most expensive WorkSharp for $120 (including 5 belts). You are not killing anything. I can get every knife in my house "shaving sharp" in less then 10 minutes a piece.
I am a collector and have been for more than 30 years. I just bought the Gen 3 Wicked Edge. Yes , $899 is a lot. I bought a couple of strop and fine stones so I’m in it for about $1200.... However, if you are a collector with high-end knives, it is worth every penny. Best I’ve ever used. Nothing I’ve used is this precise yet forgiving. I was always afraid to sharpen my ultra-rare, high-end knives until now. I love this thing.
I have always used DMT stones with a leather strop and green compound. It took me quite a while to master that technique, and I was extremely happy with my results. With the stones and strop I can reliably profile my knives to whatever geometry I want, and get them razor sharp. I purchased the Work Sharp machine because I figured it might help me re-profile new knives faster; especially since I turn every edge into a convex grind. When I began working with the Work Sharp machine, I have to admit, it was bitter sweet. I am able to re-profile my knives very fast. It is a great machine. But I have still been unable to get any knife, made from any steel, hair popping sharp. It's strange... It will put a mirror finish on the steel, but the edge isn't really all that sharp!?!?!?! So now, I use the Work Sharp to start the process, and then I finish it with the stones and strop. This system is very satisfactory for me now... so satisfactory in fact that I don't think I will change this system. The only reason that I am posting this comment is to say that the Work Sharp machine is not a good all in one system. It will not, by itself, profile and sharpen your knives from dull to a razor sharp finish. You will still need other stones and a strop to finish it off if you want your edge to be extremely sharp. I have not used the device you feature in this video; but I can imagine that convex grinds would be a challenge for it.
I don't understand why everyone is so mad with this video. You get what you pay for, an easy way to sharpen your knives. The price tag is high, but if you're an enthusiast, or do this for work, it makes total sense.
I've been sharpening knives for years. People say they need safty glasses to look at my knives so they dont cut there eyes.😁 I have used all kinds of methods and stone configurations. The simplest thing that I can take anywhere and get excelent results is a Gatco sharpening system then finish with white sticks and I can do it n 10-15 minutes or less. 700.00 is somebody's pipe dream but not mine.
I can’t believe grown men don’t understand the concept. The wicked edge WORKS AND REMOVES THE LEARNING CURVE. Yes it’s expensive but so are guns, bows and lawn mowers. You can buy a MTD to cut your grass or a GRAVELY. Gravely will have thicker deck, better engine, better controls and feel. Both get the job done. Life is so simple don’t make it complicated. Stay with positive energy. You’ll live longer.
No, apparently you're not a real man unless you sharpen knives on rocks, mow your lawn with a scythe, grind your own coffee, make your own boots, and live in a cave. That you carved out of the side of mountain with your handmade shovel. It is amazing how many of these caves haves access to RUclips, though. 🤔
LOL no doubt, and the everyday guy can sharpen all his everyday $200-$300 LT Write Knives;) This everyday guy has a 15$ Lansky Turnbox sharpener that keeps his everyday Schrade,Mora's and his special Gerber Prodigy hair whittling sharp.
I started out working farmers markets in 2011 / 12 and I soon found out that the wicked edge is a great sharpener, I still use it now and then, but to keep up with the volume of knives in a 3 hours market I had to move to a kalamazoo. Now I have 3 and 1 more coming soon......markets and gun show sharpening locally in my area. I keep the WE on my table at all times and get many comments on it, but never seem to use it for the shows. Good vid.....have fun....see ya .
I have the basic model from several years ago. It really does work as advertised. Clay Allison is a great guy to deal with too. I did notice that you did not use the little ruler that you stick on to the dual pronged level key to ensure you always set the blade at the same spot
I'm by no means a fanboy, but I do use a ko wskt with blade grinding attachment. I get outstanding results with it, obviously the guy working the booth wasn't properly instructed on it's use. your obviously not gonna get as sharp of results with the work sharp and stock belts. the highest belt you get is 12k grit compared to the ultra give ceramics on this set up, however with the after market belts it probably would be close. that being said for $180 I can get a mirror polished hair whittling edge on any knife I own in about 10 minutes or less. that compared to $800 and an hour to sharpen a knife I'll stick with what I got. I don't need a knife to be capable of splitting atoms, plus I use my knives so that wicked sharp edge would last 2 seconds.
I'll stick with my Ken Onion Blade Grinder too. That plus my hard felt wheels on the buffer and I can cut space time. I say use whatever you are comfortable with that you can afford.
+PREPAREDMIND101 Hey Chris what are you doing here, did you read the title and thought it was a lie too? I honestly don't care if it works it works but there is no way in hell you are gonna make me pay 700+ for a sharpener. Especially if you still got to do all the work yourself, if you want something to hold you knife just put it in a vice.
Don't get me wrong...it does the trick for sure. Those edges are impressive. I can do damn near the same thing with my KO Blade Grinder and either my Durofelt wheels or leather wheels...in a few minutes. I don't have the time or the money for that thing. Maybe if I had a collection of hyper-expensive super steel folders....but I don't.
The difference between hair popping sharp and utility edge is your ego when showing the other guys at hunting camp how sharp your knife is. Once you actually use your knives for more than sharpening, that little extra sharpness you got, which is the most delicate part of your blade, is gone. Even for fine work, like gutting a deer the proper way and not dragging it through the hair, you will not notice the difference between what he considers hair popping sharp and utility sharp. I understand the build quality, precision, etc that this sharpener brings to the table and not discrediting the craftsmanship of the product nor how honest the review is. I am however discrediting the value you receive in real life applications in exchange for the huge price difference between a system like WS and WE. I don't need to pop hairs - I need to utilize the knife. If what gets you off is looking at and holding the sharpest knife you can get, this is probably a great investment. As a common man, I would rather spend that money on tools where the difference between a great product and amazing products makes a big difference in how well that tools performs the task, especially when talking about a tool for my tool (ie I need my knife to perform the task, and the sharpener is just upkeep for that tool). Especially considering the price tag on these bad boys has jumped considerably since this video was made, my money is better spent elsewhere.
Could not have said it better. Edges like that are selling, you can’t command a worthy price with just a good durable edge. It has to be dressed up for the yuppies and weekend warrior types.
I just bought the lansky kit you showed. I don't do it for a living and I get your comment. You look like a pro and seem to know your stuff. I really enjoyed your video.Thanks
5 minutes on my worksharp and i can have a mirror edge. I can also reprofile knives. I can also do recurve edges. It also gives your knife a convex edge rather than a v edge. So ill keep the extra $600 to buy more belts over time.
@hue ginvieny then you probably just suck at using it. A polished 15°-20° convex edge is very easily put on knives and is going to hold up very well. If you have enough belts, you could grind out a whole knife with that thing. Up to a mirror polish.
@potobserver9191 that's funny I sharpen knives every day. A belt is the fastest and for everyday knives it's what I use. For the expensive knives, I get I use the wicked edge. A mirrored edge can be archived by any sharpening system given the right sharpening medium is being used what the wicked edge does better than any other system Is keeps a very precise angle and gives you a very clean bevel that creates a perfect edge when I set up the wicked edge to 20° is keeps it exactly at 20 the whole time. The work sharp is not precise at all not even close the worksharp does not have the ability to make precise adjustments and there are plenty of videos showing the wicked edge achieves a more refined sharper edge. If a tool does a job faster and achieves better results no matter who is using the tool clearly the has a better design. The worksharp can get knives sharp but they are not even close to what the pro 3 can achieve
I had a lanski for about 10 years, the only knife it ever saw was a Gerber gator. The edge it held had no problem cutting to the bone, leg,arm... I am looking for a new model for home and I sure will keep in mind what ya has to say. Thank you.
I use to have the lansky, spent hours sharpening my blades, it does work if you put a lot of work into it, but now I am using electric sharpeners, no oil, no mess, and gets the job done in a fraction of time. I have to admit, there is something about sharpening a blade by hand, a sense of satisfaction? This wicked edge devise does look pretty cool.
I mean that mirror edge is nice and all if you are doing kitchen knives for cutting and slicing food but for an everyday working edge soon as you put that edge into some wood or something other than a tomato its gone
I understand the angle adjustment on the wicked edge serves as a starting point for the user's sharpening angle, but those numbers are going to vary depending on the overall height of the blade. Also, with this system, the angle is changing as you move the stone forward towards the tip of the knife.
I'm undecided on which sharpener will best meet my needs, but I've watch a ton of videos on youtube and few if any surpass the quality of this one. Very professional and enjoyable to watch video; nicely done. Thank you.
I am not a fan boy but $700 to $850 for wicked edge vs a $250 to $300 edge pro apex 4 and I can get a extremely sharp fine mirror polished edge on most of my folders and fixed blades
Ja, I always saw the edge pro apex a better deal than the wicked edge. but this is my opinion and I won't bash anyone for preferring the Wicked Edge over any other method of sharpening.
I can not afford this unit, but if I were to be able to get myself a nice sharpening unit this would be the one for sure. I agree it takes the imperfections out adds perfection to the element of keeping everything equally even. I've also used a quite a bit of stones and I'm constantly trying to keep the sides even w/each other and it's almost impossible to do. I really like this and everything makes good logical sense:)
I understand the issue on price - price will always be the sour point when it comes to anything. But really, how many people who are complaining about the price are typing their comments on their $700 iphone / ipad / android etc? And will not blink an eye to replace that phone (that is undamaged and works fine) in 12 months time when a new model comes out (even more expensive)? So $700 for a sharpener that will last years and sharpen thousands of knives over and over is not that much compared to all the other items you spend and waste money on every single day.
Hatch while I understand where your comeing from, a phone can do alot more than a knife sharpener. obviously for some people I knife sharpener is faaaaarr more important than a phone. and even a hunter a good knife sharpener is more "needed" than a phone, but there are great knife sharpeners that are $130 and not $700 and for most people that's enough. I'm on my phone right now and yes I am going to replace it when my contract ends, but still a phone is alot more versatile than a knife sharpener. and no hate bro, I'm just adding my opinion, nothing against you or anyone :)
Hatch well, at least on the phone i can do payment plans. i would get this if i could do monthly installments because im not gonna dish out 700 flat at one time
Pro sharpener here. I love my wicked edge system. I have used about every kind of system and stone you can think of and I now use this exclusively for my sharpening. The exception being straight razors, the hollow grind does not clamp well in the cam jaws
All of these systems are completely unnecessary. A 1000/3000 grit whetstone can get your knife just as sharp. And if your too lazy to use a whetstone just run your knife across a buffing wheel with some white diamond compound.
I use medium whetstones and water stones to freehand an angle, then I might use a ceramic stone or a Spyderco Sharpmaker for the finishing touches. As sharp or sharper than the knife in this vid, but without the mirror edge. I think a lot of these systems are nice but they're for people obsessed with the edge so much that they forget it's a tool.
Jesse James it's true that you can get it just as sharp with freehand sharpening, but some people are really ocd about their bevel angles. You can never get truly flat bevels with freehand.
I'm not a fanboy of any system but I've got some smith stones that I've had for as long as I can remember and a leather strop and always get hair popping sharp cutting edge. What I learned at a young age is that it takes time and patience. I also say that if you can't get a proper edge by hand then you should keep trying till you do and not limit yourself with this kind of setup until you can. A sharpie will definitely help out when starting out. But I do see a use for this setup in a business since. As in you can put a lot of sharp knives out in a short time and charge out the but for the service lol. Just a reminder as well, if you have a sharp knife and use it a couple times a week for light cutting task then you can always use a strop to bring back a hair popping edge. Stay safe and have fun.
I don't even think a commercial person would own one. If you're doing knives for a living or even a heavy side hustle, the Wicked Edge takes to long and would wear your arms out with the constant motion. That being said, I do have a Gen 1 I bought when they first came out. Cost me $400, love it, and it still gets the correct angles I need. But like anything with a niche' they can charge more than you think it should cost because there are very few choices.
I have the WorkSharp, and the Ken Onion WorkSharp also.. The money you spend on this unit, should surpass every sharpening system out there, because you payed for it.. Every knife I own is hair popping sharp, I never knew that was ever another option than that.. Everyone has to defend their purchases, I don't. I knew what I was getting, and more importantly I know what I've got when I purchased both WorkSharps, a simple way to sharpen my knives, axes, and hachets without breaking the bank, nothing more than that... Thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinion on this controversial topic, I appreciate it sir.
Just took a 60-80 year old Taylor Scout Knife (Sheffield Steel), that I played at sharpening as a kid out of a box of old stuff that came from my dad's house. Watched a few sharpening guides on the tube and set to it. A bit of polishing with wet and dry down to 1000 grit (I'll take it to my polishing wheel later), then proper use of a two sided stone, and a final stropping on a nylon web strap, and it is now slicing paper and shaving, but not quite hair popping. Probably the first time in 50+ years. Also sharpened up a few other Knives with varying degrees of success from kitchen knives that cut a ripe tomato without holding the fruit, to a really cheap knock off Victorinox that won't hold an edge. But it's not about how sharp the knife is to use (kitchen knives are the most used) but the satisfaction I get of getting it sharp by my own hand, and skill. So much more satisfactory then using a machine, even if not "amazingly" sharp.
Here comes a worksharp fanboy. That product is fucking garb...... Nah i am kidding. I am actually kinda liking it. Still think it's a little too expensive, but i can see it works, and it works very well. The field model is pretty cool too. However i prefer a convex edge over a flat. Unfortunately It takes time to convert a flat grind to a convex if you want to avoid taking more metal than necessarily off the blade. That might be one reason that guy at the workharp booth had trouble sharpening it. It takes time if you want it done perfectly, and there are people around looking at him. It can be stressing. Once you have the convex edge, it's fast and easy to sharpen again. You can also buy an attachment that's good for re-profiling and fix damaged blades, and also gives you more freehand options (if you prefer not using the guides). That attachment is only 70 bucks (the unit itself is 130. so that's 200 total) So my money is still on the worksharp. But i can see why people would love that product.
I'll like to add after having owned the work sharp for 6 month now (when i wrote the original message i had only had it for 3 weeks) i can say, i don't understand why the guy in the booth had trouble sharpening your knife. It literally takes me 10 minutes at best to make any knife scary sharp. The only complaint i have is the stropping belt. It dulls way to quickly and it's thinner than the rest of the belts for some odd reason. But i find using stropping compound on the belt works great. So just buy some green stropping compound and reuse the stropping belt. It really is a great device. I can still understand this wicked edge device if you are paid to sharpen blades. Most blades don't have a convex edge at factory. So it really works great for that. And if you have a high budget for a sharpening for yourself, It's fantastic. But if it's just your own knifes, you are not rich and you are ok (or prefer) convex edges, the work sharp is still an amazing tool.
You might benefit by lowering your angle a degree or two when going to the strop. I use the WE to keep a razor edge on all my knives. I added ceramic stones and use mid-range sandpaper 5000, 6500 grit on the glass stones (wet) to put a mirror finish edge. This is the best system out there. It will take time to learn your technique, but you will have amazing sharp knives.
I actually use whatever sharpening system is at hand. Wet stones, Lansky, self built guided construction and I can get the same degree of sharpness on all of them. It DID take some time to LEARN and some systems are easier to work with but in the end it's about skill and skill takes practice.
this looks like a tool that cost 7 times as much as other tools for about a 20% Sharper Edge that you don't really need in order to use your Knives. It is all so freaking awesome but not for the price.
It is not 20% sharper. For a goof last week my friend dulled his M390 on a stone with 5 swipes. He used his arm device for well over an hour to make it shaving, hair popping sharp. Was it sharp? YES . Did it take about 1.5 hours YES. Dulled knife again 5 swipes on a stone.Rather then a quick job I usually do, I spent the full 2 mins Shaving,hair popping sharp. Literally it just takes MUCH longer on these devices.Some people are just hung up on them, even if not the best. People are funny like that. I think most/all that bash WS, have never owned or even used one...or had no idea how to use it. I have never "blunted" a tip or had a single problem. Touch-ups take seconds. With my 6000-8000 grit belt, I can make a reflective / mirror look in seconds.
It looks like the angle of the stone is going to vary based on the height of the blade. If you take the same knife and mount it higher or lower the sharpening angle is goong to change. I dont know if thats a big deal or not.
you are correct. However that's the case with just about any sharpening system that clamps the blade in place. Those presets get you in the ballpark. I then use a digital angle gauge on the stone-arms, to make sure my angle is exactly what i want it to be. There are micro adjustment screws on the arms so you can fine-tune it.
Lame. Couldn't watch past about 7 minutes. Your repeated "fan boy" comments got to me. The fact is the Wicked Edge is over-priced and overrated. It's a gimmick. Maybe it produces a nice edge and a consistent angle, but those things can be achieved by other methods that don't involve the shyster price tag. Two thumbs down👎👎
I've used a Lanskey for years and have never had a problem getting a razor sharp edge. Having said that, I can see how this system is an improvement and would be something I'd like to upgrade to in the future.
Haters gonna hate man but I completely agree with everything you said in this video. Looks like a great system. Question? I always thought it mattered the direction you sharpen meaning towards or away from the edge. Obviously with a strop it matters but it must not matter much with stones eh?
I'm not sure what the difference would be honestly. i'm still learning all the intricacies, but from what i understand, you get the sharpest edge when you push the metal toward the edge. In doing so, you get that "burr" that forms on the opposite side. Then when you run the stone over that side, and remove the burr, it gives you the sharpest results. Just what I've heard...could be wrong.
HarleyWood23 I sharpen in a circular pattern on a axe or hatchet. Just got me thinking. I have a portable DMT system similar to the field system from wicked edge. I might try to sharpen towards instead of away to see if it makes a difference.
yeah, you can do the circular pattern on this too. I wouldn't do it with the strops, or you'll likely slice into them. i did it with the ceramic stones and some oil, and got a nice slurry going.
+Living Survival hey bro, this might answer your question regarding the patterns on the WE. They have a video of several of them using it, and you can see all kinds of various techniques. facebook.com/WickedEdge/videos/10153528361377731
+Living Survival I have a DMT system as well, and when I first started using it, I would do circular strokes on the low grits because I felt it expedited the process. While it does take metal off faster, it also leaves scratches on the edge that are difficult to remove because when you change to higher grit stones, performing a circular stroke isn't as productive and in some cases will cause the edge to be not as sharp as it could with the "towards" stroke. It has something to do with the molecular structure of the alloy in the blade. And once you move to a sub micron strop or lapping film, those scratches that were made from the low grit circular strokes are nearly impossible to remove. Also, let me clarify, this is all from my experience and I'm in no way claiming I'm a pro. I just do this for a hobby and a service to my close friends and family.
Thanks for the video. I have been looking at the TSPROF sharpening system. The difference is that it sharpens one side at a time and then the knife is rotated. I see a definite advantage to sharpening both sides at once. One thing you didn’t mention was the maximum blade length the Wicked Edge would sharpen. I don’t know if I missed it but, how many of the attachments that you used were optional attachments and supplies ? Would you mind giving a ballpark on how much extra it would be to have everything that you used in this video ? If you do I’ll just research it. Thanks again for the demo. The 893
To me, sharpening a knife by hand is therapeutic. Taking out the human element out of it is a big no no for me. And I am too poor to buy any of the sharpening systems. I love to do it by hand with Japanese water stones.
Thank you for doing this review. I have a few questions I'm hoping you can answer as I am wanting to buy a system to sharpen everything. Some examples would be: 6", 7" 9" & 10" filleting knives. Hunting knives from 3-1/2" - 6", a pocket knife that is only 2-3/4" as well as a wide range of kitchen knives. First, when stropping is the precise angle really necessary? It would seem to me that as you're not removing metal and the strops surface is pliable that you'd achieve the same result in a whole lot less time using a more traditional strop, no? Second, when setting the angle, I assume it is measured to the top of the clamping mechanism or some other point a certain distance above the mechanism. How do you account for the fact that as you move the stones away from this point that this angle is progressively getting shallower? I would think it makes it important to clamp blades at the middle of their spin to minimize this effect, especially longer blades. I won't dork out on you as this is just trig. Is it recommended that you oil these stones? I'd appreciate your opinion on oiling stones period. How much oil, etc? This leads me to my last question. How are blades typically sharpened by their manufactures? I've been sharpening my knives since I was given my first buck as a 14 year old, using a few flat stones, and admit that it is impossible to maintain the exact angle with every pass. However, I've convinced myself that I feel/hear the difference when I'm running the knife right on its edge. I am not a proponent of any one system over another, just genuinely trying to learn and take my sharpening to the next level. Thanks for your time.
+myhuckleberries this system can easily handle all those filleting knives you mentioned. The 10" might be stretching it a bit, but they also sell extension arms for larger blades. Link here: www.oldawan.com/sharpening-system-accessories/wicked-edge-accessories/wicked-edge-pro-pack-ii-and-gen-3-extension-arms/ When stropping, Wicked Edge recommends you reduce the angle by 1-2 degrees...to account for the pliable nature of the leather. Does that answer your question? For the angle, i'm not really sure where it's measured from. What i did is bought an angle device (link below). That helps me make sure the angle is precise at the edge of the blade. However once you find whatever angle works for a specific knife, you just make a note of it and always use that to touch that knife up in the future. Angle finder link: www.amazon.com/AccuRemote-Digital-Electronic-Magnetic-Protractor/dp/B006JR8XBG I believe most manufacturers use a belt system...mostly for the sake of time. This is why you'll sometimes find variances in the angles for the same type of knife. For example, my ESEE 4 had a 14 degree angle on one side, and a 15 on the other. My buddy's ESEE has a 15 degree on both sides. Thanks for watching and posing some great questions.
I’m not a “fan boi” but I can tell you I have gotten knives “hair popping” sharp on my lansky. I shaved the hair off my chest with my Spyderco lol. They all have a drawback. Knives with weird angles and grinds won’t sit in the clamp without shifting. (edit to add that you addressed this after my comment)
I see the benefit for pocket knives although as you mentioned, a very expensive option. I use the Tormek T-7, which is almost the same price as this unit. This is fine for pocket knives which have a perfectly uniform width at the (spine) opposite edge to the sharp edge. How do you handle chef knives that are wedge shaped all the way to the spine of the blade.
This looks like a great system and we appreciate your review, however... I am not knocking the WE system or even arguing that it is or isn't better than any other system, but for you to say YOU cannot get as good of an edge using a Worksharp or Lansky must mean that those systems aren't as good, is simply BS. I have used another systems and have had no problem getting a hair shaving edge. My point is that just because you cannot get another system to work as good as your system doesn't mean your system is better and that goes for everything, not just knife sharpening. Without question it is the best system for YOU, but not necessarily the best for everyone. But again thanks for the review.
There's tons of videos out there proving you don't need to spend a ton of money to make a knife "hair popping" sharp. A 20 dollar wet stone and a little stropping would produce pretty similar results, that's definitely not a mirror finish. A youtuber named Burrfection directly compares this knife sharpening system to using wet stones and proves price doesn't guarantee perfomance.
I can't help but notice from your own video that all the wear on your stones is taking place within the centre third of its length. The EP does the same but to a much lesser extent, probably because stroke speed is fastest in the middle. I feel that the running costs of this jig must be much higher than the EP, although this one looks to be faster. I have to say, as well, that your idea of a mirror finish is not mine. Thanks for posting.
I also think it should be pointed out that the Wicked Edge system allows touch-ups to be super fast and repeatable since you can just write down what the settings were for any particular knife you reprofiled on it. I have a Gen 2 that doesn't have the micro adjusting arms, but it's still plenty good enough for me. Just be careful not to slice off your strops! I hand-strop right now because my WE strops are all cut up, might eventually get a new set.
No. If you watch my first video, where I covered the WE at Shot Show 2015, the WorkSharp fanboys blasted off in the comments about how superior it was. They drew that initial comparison, not me. My commentary in this video is for those fanboys who would inevitably do the same here
100% agree. I love my wicked edge, I’m into mine for over $1000 Aussie dollars so far and I will continue to keep spending more on it. I use to use a variety of stones and Japanese wetstones but could never get any blade as sharp as I can get with my wicked edge. Totally worth every dollar.!
To be completely honest, I personally don't have any experience with the Wicked Edge. I have no doubt that it will give you a better edge than a Worksharp will, but a Worksharp costs 7 times less (about 5, if we're talking about the Ken Onion) and will that tool truly put an edge on a knife 7 times better that a Worksharp? If you couldn't manage to put a hair popping edge on a knife with a Worksharp, that seems like your personal error, or the error of the guy at the Worksharp booth (don't believe me? Check out Chris Tanner's RUclips channel, Prepared Mind 101, which has many videos of a Worksharp putting a hair popping edge on a knife). I have put a razor edge on my knives with a Worksharp, even the $60 combo sharpener, in about 5 to 10 minutes. Another problem with the Wicked Edge is that you're very limited with what you can sharpen. With a Worksharp you can sharpen folders, neck knives, skinning knives, axes, large fixed blades, machetes, swords, and I've even managed to sharpen a butter knife with it. With the Wicked Edge, you're pretty much limited to folders and small fixed blades. (Seriously, try to sharpen a sword, or even a large fixed blade or axe with that thing) And what you can't do with the Worksharp, you can do with some fine grit sandpaper. I'm not going to bring up the fact that Worksharp puts a convex edge on your blades, because we can argue about grinds all day without getting anywhere. What Wicked Edge is doing is trying to make you over pay for something you could easily build for $50. I am not a Worksharp fanboy. I am simply open minded, and just because you payed $700 for "the ultimate sharpener" doesn't mean that you are automatically better than everyone else, and get to call people in the comments who are stating their opinion "fanboys". I use other sharpening systems, and I don't immediately reject them because they're not made by Worksharp. So stop calling people fanboys because they're not as close minded as you, and because they have a different opinion. Also, people in the comments, stop attacking Wicked Edge. They do make good sharpeners, but they also make some bad ones. So does Worksharp! Everyone makes mistakes, and when you post comments like that, it just makes you look close minded. Personally, I don't like this sharpener, that may just be because I don't have $700 lying around, but if I did, I probably wouldn't spend it on this. I would use it to get a better belt grinder, or a better forge, or some S30V, but that's just me. No sharpener is the jack of all trades. This sharpener has its pros and cons, and a Worksharp has its pros and cons. So please, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM ONLY!! STOP INSULTING EACH OTHER LIKE A PACK OF WOLVES!! Grow up, and accept that there's never going to be a "best sharpener"!
Probably ought to store your stones with the platens facing up and down, rather than having unlike grits touching each other. Just a matter of good practice, not really a big deal. I see someone has already commented on it. If you look closely at the Gen 3 vise, you'll see that it only makes contact with the blade at two points, so it will clamp full-flat-grind blades without a problem.
This vid is a little old now, but very well done, very informative. Will I buy one? No, but not because of the price. My old shoulder is not so great these days, and a tool like the Work Sharp saves me from days of discomfort. I would love to be able to try this WE though...
Thank you for posting this video. My uncle works for wicked edge. And I'll say this after getting my set up I throw out all my old stones and hand sharpeners. The wicked edge pays for its self. There are things you go cheap on, then there are things you drop money on.
I have a workshop you can never keep the angle that you can with the wicked edge it’s impossible that’s the best sharpening system in the world by far that’s why it’s $800
When I was in the military they gave us one two sided stone. I am a bug out guy so what would you recommend for field sharpening? I need something that doesn't take long, everything is in a case, and is relatively quick. I am using the lansky right now
a couple hundreds for a knife another 700 for a sharpener, 30 minutes of self gratifying masturbation to get your knife so sharp that it will truly impress... yourself. 15 minutes of using the tool as a tool and its back to being as sharp as an effortless $20 Wal-Mart knife.
I went to my first Blade Show today. The Wicked Edge guys sharpened my benchmade to a mirror immage, my blade was pretty good and didn't take long. I have the Apex and this two sided sharpening is the way to go. Sorry for committing on an old video, the lower end model was improved. Good video.
@@HarleyWood23 two knife pokes that bled and two small slices. Not to mention the deep thumb bruises from the Microtech knives. I couldn't handle three days.
Im with you bro. I have both systems. The WSK sits on my bench and use it more for a mini belt sander than knife work. It hasn't seen a knife blade in two years, even my junk cheap blades won't see it. WE is where its at if you have any level of money invested in good blades..
I agree with you, if you intend to make a living with it or have the income to justify it, perhaps an obsessive need to keep razor sharp go for it do you man. I made the mistake of having one of my expensive blades sharpened at a farmers market ( have no idea what I was thinking) he killed the edge. Purchased the work sharp and was able to re establish the edge and get it to "hair popping" sharp. I'm good with it but if I had the cash I would lean this way it looks like a really accurate system.
An expensive solution for people who lack the discipline to learn how to do something well, by hand. How sharp does an edge need to be? How useful is a 15 degree edge, in any kind of real-world application? The WorkSharp system is effective and dead simple...anybody can use it to get a very good edge, very quickly. Any chance you got this unit in exchange for this review, because if anyone sounds like a fan-boy...
That’s like saying a self-propelled lawnmower is an expensive solution to the “do it by hand” alternative. Some folks value speed and efficiency over the old ways of doing things. I don’t begrudge those who do either.
I agree with Jason. I don't dislike Wicked Edge but I don't have 45 minutes to sharpen a knife. plus all that loot to sharpen a knife? Even the cheap one is 300 bucks, that's too rich for my blood especially for how often it would gets used. My Work Sharp. which costs 70 bucks, literally takes longer to take the unit out of the storage bag then to put razor edge on my filet knife. The fish I filet jump off of the fish.
AceJams The 45 minutes was to redo a mismatched grind. Vastly different than just sharpening a dulled knife. That can be done in a fraction of the time. If it’s too expensive, I get it. Look, I think a a Ferrari is too expensive. I can’t justify that shit, but I certainly don’t go through YT videos talking shit to Ferrari owners.
You shouldn’t just be calling anyone who thinks the Work Sharp is better a “fanboy”; your only reasoning is that you “can’t be precise enough”, which is complete bs. Maybe YOU aren’t precise enough on it, but that doesn’t mean anyone who says that they are is wrong and a fanboy. There are people who create hair whittling edges FREE HAND, so one can definitely be “precise enough”
oh, you're missing the context. In my first video of the WE, i didn't even mention the WS, yet the WS fans jumped all over the comments about how it was superior. So my reference here was just dishing it back to them...which as you can see from the comments infuriates them. Yeah, people can hand-sharpen to razor edges too. Good for them. I can also mow my grass with scissors, but it's not the fastest and most efficient method. That said, neither is the WE. There are other products like the Tormek that i've reviewed multiple times, that are even better...and more expensive. There are solutions out there to meet everyone's needs and financial limitations.
What he said about being perfect each time isn't bs. It is physically impossible if you don't have an angle locking mechanism to have the mirrored edge that is perfectly constant all the way. I know people who can freehand sharpen on a belt grinder, their knives are razor sharp, but the secondary bevel is inconsistent if you look closely. The WE is one of the only mechanism that allows you to have that perfect secondary bevel
I can give a totally unbiased comment here because I own both a WickedEdge Pro gen 2 with every stone/strop available & a KenOnion WS with the blade grinding attachment. If I'm not in a hurry & I want a shiny scalpel sharp edge, I use the WE & find it's the best hands down (I threw out all the Lansky garbage years ago). It takes a long time to reprofile an edge & work all the way up to the strops. On the other hand, I can free hand an edge that is just as shiny & 95% as sharp with the WS in 10 minutes. I find that most of the time I reach for the KO unit first. I already owned the WE & all the extras before the WS was released. Then, I bought the WS for a present for my brother but when I tried it I liked it so much I bought a 2nd one.
Not really a "fanboy" of any system. I'm honestly quite impressed with it. I grew up sharpening my tools with a set of stones over a water tub though... I'm not sure I could enjoy these fast and expensive machines. I'm proud of the edge I get with 15 years of sitting in front of my bucket.
Using waterstones, I can get a knife blade razor sharp, without jigs. Figure around $120 for good quality water stones. I have been a woodworker for 30 years, and after trying all of the systems, including scary sharp, waterstones, oil stones, Tormek, Belt sanders, you really just need to practice with a hand techique. This isn't rocket science, with a little practice, you can do it manually without a problem. 5 Minutes at most to sharpen a blade.
I know this comment is 2 years old but your exactly rite all it takes is getting a feel for the exact angle and pressure on both sides of the blade using your course medium fine and leather strap and you got it made people now days are lazy and if it takes 45 minutes to sharpen one knife I can sharpen ten in that time and shave with them all
hummm... the grind is much wider at the tip. Not that impressive for such an expensive machine. Nope my money is on the Ken Onion Worksharp its much less expensive and yeilds very impressive results in a fraction of the time required with the Wicked Edge. You couple the stock Ken Onion and use a worn out 6000 grit belt and load it up with flitz or simichrome and you'll get a mirror polished razor sharp edge in 10 minutes... and all for less than $150. Oh... and to ice the cake... you get a convex edge..... stronger by geometry... stronger and will stay sharp longer than the edge from the wicked edge. I just saved your viewers a lot of money and time. Thanks. You were right about one thing the Work Sharp Ken Onion has its fanboys.
Good video. I now own the field model and I'm very happy with it. Thanks. Why did you go from a 1000 grit (instead of moving onto the 1200-1600 grit) to 1.4 -.6 micron grit. Also as a noob how do you know when to move up to the next grit? Thanks again!
unfortunately i don't have the 1200/1600 stones. I think it's a gap in my lineup for sure. I move up to the next grit when the current set is no longer reducing the scratches from the previous grit. Check out the latest sharpening video i just released last night: ruclips.net/video/2VFCNxqVR3Q/видео.html
It's a cool system but man it's pricey. I guess I just like my Japanese whetstone. Yea it takes practice and skill to use them but that's part of the hobby. I can get hair splitting edges literally with my whetstone's. The wicked edge stones are crazy money for a set, I can buy a very high end Japanese whetstone that will last a lifetime for the price of a new set of stones for the wicked edge. It's definitely cool, but I just take more gratification out of the skill I've learned over the years. The work sharp which i own also is good for certain things, long knives machetes, axes, mower blades and works wonders doing it. But if you want a stupid sharp blade you need stones.
The WS KO for me is that you can't get a convex edge out of these type of angle-defining sharpeners, and my Fallkniven locks me into it. Sure, I could re-grind it, but part of the appeal is the unique profile.
I’m sure that this is mentioned somewhere in the comments, but you never mention that this machine is specifically putting a V edge on the blade. Whereas it’s well known that a slightly convex edge, is tougher and more durable. Maybe not much, but it’s a thing. Nice system,though.
You need to quit being so hard on the lansky! It was the original guided stone sharpener! And honestly you must not know how to use one well because I've gotten knives scary sharp off a lansky, shave, cut phone books in half without effort, etc. this is just a faster more commercial version of a lansky.
My hobby is sharpening knives. I currently use the Lansky kit. I have used NUMEROUS sharpeners from stone to electric. In my honest opinion, the Wicked Edge system is the best way to get a real quality edge. This will be my next purchase.
I never knew people could be so anal retentive about a knife and how sharp it can be. I have always used the two sided sharp stone that you submerse under water for 15 minutes, sharpen with one side first, and then the other. Has always worked for me, my knives are super sharp, and I believe I only paid 8.99 at WalMart. These guys are starting at the wrong end. Start with a good knife, and the rest is simple. To much ado 'bout nothing...lol
Im almost at the point of getting this. All of my knives are users. And they range from a Kershaw Blur to my Norseman. I dont like sending blades out to be resharpened, especially a hard to replace blade. Its usually gone for a couple weeks and there is no guarantee its going to come back. Plus, after having a few blades done Im well on my way to paying for the starter kit (Pro Pack 1). Thanks for the vid
These comments are great. I comeback every few months to get a laugh and read the new comments. I have never seen people hate something so much without ever using it. I sharpen professionally with this system and it really is the best on the market, if it wasn’t then everyone wouldn’t compare their favorite sharpeners to it. You don’t get this amount of hate by being mediocre, it has to be really good to touch some of these guys where it touched them. It won’t do everything ,but everything it does ,it does well. The guys at wicked edge are great too. Thanks for not disabling the comments, I’ll be back in a few months to read the new wicked edge hate mail. I think a 4 year update would be a great way to get the fanboys fired up again, just thinking out loud. Keep trollin ‘em , and keep up the good work.
You know what I find funny? It’s never Tormek fans that attack in the comments. It’s always those who buy cheap garbage like a Lansky or WorkSharp. They get so butthurt that someone would dare spend more than they can afford or justify spending.
@@balla2172 the WE can get them SIGNIFICANTLY sharper AND can sharpen TWICE as many knives, if not more. Look, it's simple physics. the Lansky and WS just don't have the grit options. Also, what people fail to realize is that by the time you sharpen as many knives on a Lansky or WS, as you can on a WE or Tormek, you'll end up spending this much money anyways. You'll burn through many cheap lansky stones and WS belt kits, and probably have to replace a few WS motors, just to sharpen as many knives as you can on a Tormek or WE.
I really love this system and may purchase it someday. Some knives depending on their usage, you don't want them to be hair popping sharp. A knife used to cut rope will cut longer if the edge isn't hair popping sharp, just FYI.
The biggest thing I learned reading the comments is to never make a video showing any professional equipment or it will trigger people.
700$ is a joke honestly
What would you use to sharpen a $1,300.00 knife?
there are 100$-200$ solutions out there that can sharpen any knife extremely well lol, an experienced person can do the same if not a better job with wet stones
Are you an "experience person?"
***** Not quite, yet I still don't need a 700$ gizmo to properly sharpen a knife..
*$700
What is a hair popping edge? You can shave a little hair off your arm? I can do that with a Lansky. My granddad, born in 1893, could do it with hands. He would sharpen a straight razor with a stone as smooth as ceramic tile and a strop made of an old belt well into his 70s. There were whittling contests back in the good old days, he and everyone else there could stop and sharpen their knives back to an edge sharp enough to shave wood and hold that edge for several minutes. While everyone used knives made of German steel, it isn't nearly as good as we have today.
I've used this system. I don't care for it for my needs. The tormek is a better all round sharpener. I don't just sharpen knives, I sharpen chisels, plane blades, lathe tools, drill bits, lawn mower blades, scissors, etc.... This system doesn't cover all those needs. The tormek with all the necessary accessories is much more expensive than this however. If you were just sharpening knives this system is perfectly fine.
i have done many videos on the Tormek. Here's my entire playlist: ruclips.net/video/bQpcwE9_S8g/видео.html
I received my wicked edge for about two weeks ago, and I can definitely tell that it's worth the money. I'm a guy who loves high quality in every thing. For me it's an enormous pleasure to bring a totally dull knife to a scary sharp level.
Your the first reviewer to actually show how to apply and use the strop paste. Thank you. Great video.
When you can pick up the most expensive WorkSharp for $120 (including 5 belts). You are not killing anything. I can get every knife in my house "shaving sharp" in less then 10 minutes a piece.
I am a collector and have been for more than 30 years. I just bought the Gen 3 Wicked Edge. Yes , $899 is a lot. I bought a couple of strop and fine stones so I’m in it for about $1200.... However, if you are a collector with high-end knives, it is worth every penny. Best I’ve ever used. Nothing I’ve used is this precise yet forgiving. I was always afraid to sharpen my ultra-rare, high-end knives until now. I love this thing.
You still had a small burr which is why the 1000 grit wasn’t slicing perfectly. A 1000 grit finish can pop hair easily when done right
I have always used DMT stones with a leather strop and green compound. It took me quite a while to master that technique, and I was extremely happy with my results. With the stones and strop I can reliably profile my knives to whatever geometry I want, and get them razor sharp. I purchased the Work Sharp machine because I figured it might help me re-profile new knives faster; especially since I turn every edge into a convex grind. When I began working with the Work Sharp machine, I have to admit, it was bitter sweet. I am able to re-profile my knives very fast. It is a great machine. But I have still been unable to get any knife, made from any steel, hair popping sharp. It's strange... It will put a mirror finish on the steel, but the edge isn't really all that sharp!?!?!?! So now, I use the Work Sharp to start the process, and then I finish it with the stones and strop. This system is very satisfactory for me now... so satisfactory in fact that I don't think I will change this system. The only reason that I am posting this comment is to say that the Work Sharp machine is not a good all in one system. It will not, by itself, profile and sharpen your knives from dull to a razor sharp finish. You will still need other stones and a strop to finish it off if you want your edge to be extremely sharp. I have not used the device you feature in this video; but I can imagine that convex grinds would be a challenge for it.
I don't understand why everyone is so mad with this video. You get what you pay for, an easy way to sharpen your knives. The price tag is high, but if you're an enthusiast, or do this for work, it makes total sense.
The reason is because that Lansky really can do the exact same thing.. I've gotten mirror polish hair whittling edges on it.
I've been sharpening knives for years. People say they need safty glasses to look at my knives so they dont cut there eyes.😁 I have used all kinds of methods and stone configurations. The simplest thing that I can take anywhere and get excelent results is a Gatco sharpening system then finish with white sticks and I can do it n 10-15 minutes or less. 700.00 is somebody's pipe dream but not mine.
we said
If you can't afford it that's fine but WE is by far the best system out there. By Far.
I can’t believe grown men don’t understand the concept. The wicked edge WORKS AND REMOVES THE LEARNING CURVE. Yes it’s expensive but so are guns, bows and lawn mowers. You can buy a MTD to cut your grass or a GRAVELY. Gravely will have thicker deck, better engine, better controls and feel. Both get the job done. Life is so simple don’t make it complicated. Stay with positive energy. You’ll live longer.
No, apparently you're not a real man unless you sharpen knives on rocks, mow your lawn with a scythe, grind your own coffee, make your own boots, and live in a cave. That you carved out of the side of mountain with your handmade shovel.
It is amazing how many of these caves haves access to RUclips, though. 🤔
I can’t believe grown men can’t understand a better product…cheaper…and quicker! Nice try Joe.
Thank you.
You jealous bro? I also run a business from my cave so I can make money in my sleep. Suck it.
@@James_T_Kirk_1701 Is that the name of your business? Suck-it?
$300 for the everyday person version? give me a break.
LOL no doubt, and the everyday guy can sharpen all his everyday $200-$300 LT Write Knives;)
This everyday guy has a 15$ Lansky Turnbox sharpener that keeps his everyday Schrade,Mora's and his special Gerber Prodigy hair whittling sharp.
I started out working farmers markets in 2011 / 12 and I soon found out that the wicked edge is a great sharpener, I still use it now and then, but to keep up with the volume of knives in a 3 hours market I had to move to a kalamazoo. Now I have 3 and 1 more coming soon......markets and gun show sharpening locally in my area.
I keep the WE on my table at all times and get many comments on it, but never seem to use it for the shows.
Good vid.....have fun....see ya .
I have the basic model from several years ago. It really does work as advertised. Clay Allison is a great guy to deal with too. I did notice that you did not use the little ruler that you stick on to the dual pronged level key to ensure you always set the blade at the same spot
I'm by no means a fanboy, but I do use a ko wskt with blade grinding attachment. I get outstanding results with it, obviously the guy working the booth wasn't properly instructed on it's use.
your obviously not gonna get as sharp of results with the work sharp and stock belts. the highest belt you get is 12k grit compared to the ultra give ceramics on this set up, however with the after market belts it probably would be close.
that being said for $180 I can get a mirror polished hair whittling edge on any knife I own in about 10 minutes or less. that compared to $800 and an hour to sharpen a knife I'll stick with what I got. I don't need a knife to be capable of splitting atoms, plus I use my knives so that wicked sharp edge would last 2 seconds.
I'll stick with my Ken Onion Blade Grinder too. That plus my hard felt wheels on the buffer and I can cut space time. I say use whatever you are comfortable with that you can afford.
+PREPAREDMIND101 Hey Chris what are you doing here, did you read the title and thought it was a lie too? I honestly don't care if it works it works but there is no way in hell you are gonna make me pay 700+ for a sharpener. Especially if you still got to do all the work yourself, if you want something to hold you knife just put it in a vice.
Don't get me wrong...it does the trick for sure. Those edges are impressive. I can do damn near the same thing with my KO Blade Grinder and either my Durofelt wheels or leather wheels...in a few minutes. I don't have the time or the money for that thing. Maybe if I had a collection of hyper-expensive super steel folders....but I don't.
+PREPAREDMIND101 Hey man. thanks for chiming in. Been sub'd to you for a long time. Love your channel.
I just put PSA abrasive films on the ceramic stone of my Work Sharp Precision Adjust. I can get films down to 0.5 micron.
The difference between hair popping sharp and utility edge is your ego when showing the other guys at hunting camp how sharp your knife is. Once you actually use your knives for more than sharpening, that little extra sharpness you got, which is the most delicate part of your blade, is gone. Even for fine work, like gutting a deer the proper way and not dragging it through the hair, you will not notice the difference between what he considers hair popping sharp and utility sharp.
I understand the build quality, precision, etc that this sharpener brings to the table and not discrediting the craftsmanship of the product nor how honest the review is. I am however discrediting the value you receive in real life applications in exchange for the huge price difference between a system like WS and WE. I don't need to pop hairs - I need to utilize the knife.
If what gets you off is looking at and holding the sharpest knife you can get, this is probably a great investment. As a common man, I would rather spend that money on tools where the difference between a great product and amazing products makes a big difference in how well that tools performs the task, especially when talking about a tool for my tool (ie I need my knife to perform the task, and the sharpener is just upkeep for that tool). Especially considering the price tag on these bad boys has jumped considerably since this video was made, my money is better spent elsewhere.
Could not have said it better. Edges like that are selling, you can’t command a worthy price with just a good durable edge. It has to be dressed up for the yuppies and weekend warrior types.
I just bought the lansky kit you showed. I don't do it for a living and I get your comment. You look like a pro and seem to know your stuff. I really enjoyed your video.Thanks
5 minutes on my worksharp and i can have a mirror edge. I can also reprofile knives. I can also do recurve edges. It also gives your knife a convex edge rather than a v edge. So ill keep the extra $600 to buy more belts over time.
It's not the same I have both the work sharp doesn't come close 9j maintaining a perfect edge
@hue ginvieny then you probably just suck at using it. A polished 15°-20° convex edge is very easily put on knives and is going to hold up very well. If you have enough belts, you could grind out a whole knife with that thing. Up to a mirror polish.
@potobserver9191 that's funny I sharpen knives every day. A belt is the fastest and for everyday knives it's what I use. For the expensive knives, I get I use the wicked edge. A mirrored edge can be archived by any sharpening system given the right sharpening medium is being used what the wicked edge does better than any other system Is keeps a very precise angle and gives you a very clean bevel that creates a perfect edge when I set up the wicked edge to 20° is keeps it exactly at 20 the whole time. The work sharp is not precise at all not even close the worksharp does not have the ability to make precise adjustments and there are plenty of videos showing the wicked edge achieves a more refined sharper edge. If a tool does a job faster and achieves better results no matter who is using the tool clearly the has a better design. The worksharp can get knives sharp but they are not even close to what the pro 3 can achieve
I had a lanski for about 10 years, the only knife it ever saw was a Gerber gator. The edge it held had no problem cutting to the bone, leg,arm... I am looking for a new model for home and I sure will keep in mind what ya has to say. Thank you.
They are 1000 dollars now LOL, makes me realize how old I am hell when I was in my teens, I could buy a car (running) for 300 bucks.
Love the informative and in-depth reviews. I've watched two videos, and I would definitely agree with your opinions. Well spoken.
you shouldnt store your stones and strops touching each other, your grits will mix and the result wont be that perfect!
From what I just saw... I don't thing he needs to worry about it.
LUL
I use to have the lansky, spent hours sharpening my blades, it does work if you put a lot of work into it, but now I am using electric sharpeners, no oil, no mess, and gets the job done in a fraction of time. I have to admit, there is something about sharpening a blade by hand, a sense of satisfaction? This wicked edge devise does look pretty cool.
I mean that mirror edge is nice and all if you are doing kitchen knives for cutting and slicing food but for an everyday working edge soon as you put that edge into some wood or something other than a tomato its gone
I understand the angle adjustment on the wicked edge serves as a starting point for the user's sharpening angle, but those numbers are going to vary depending on the overall height of the blade. Also, with this system, the angle is changing as you move the stone forward towards the tip of the knife.
The price only hurts once and when i'm on a 34 hour reset or laid over it pays for itself, many times over!
I'm undecided on which sharpener will best meet my needs, but I've watch a ton of videos on youtube and few if any surpass the quality of this one. Very professional and enjoyable to watch video; nicely done. Thank you.
I am not a fan boy but $700 to $850 for wicked edge vs a $250 to $300 edge pro apex 4 and I can get a extremely sharp fine mirror polished edge on most of my folders and fixed blades
Ja, I always saw the edge pro apex a better deal than the wicked edge.
but this is my opinion and I won't bash anyone for preferring the Wicked Edge over any other method of sharpening.
Jawad Ibrahim I do not bash wicked edge users if it was not so damn expensive I would buy one
AxleKlown I know right.
Jawad Ibrahim I like getting a super sharp polished edge and on my edge pro I can do that even on cpm 10v from a reprofile to 15dps
I DO put a razer hair popping edgy on all my knifes with the work sharp. Not just utility edges. Just saying.
For $700, get a Tormek and be done with this sillyness
Chris Scutt
I’ve reviewed the Tormeks as well. ruclips.net/p/PL9IS7xPfI3_JQlM0Nr3MzoxyUtxPKhuoT
I can not afford this unit, but if I were to be able to get myself a nice sharpening unit this would be the one for sure. I agree it takes the imperfections out adds perfection to the element of keeping everything equally even. I've also used a quite a bit of stones and I'm constantly trying to keep the sides even w/each other and it's almost impossible to do. I really like this and everything makes good logical sense:)
I understand the issue on price - price will always be the sour point when it comes to anything. But really, how many people who are complaining about the price are typing their comments on their $700 iphone / ipad / android etc? And will not blink an eye to replace that phone (that is undamaged and works fine) in 12 months time when a new model comes out (even more expensive)?
So $700 for a sharpener that will last years and sharpen thousands of knives over and over is not that much compared to all the other items you spend and waste money on every single day.
Hatch while I understand where your comeing from, a phone can do alot more than a knife sharpener. obviously for some people I knife sharpener is faaaaarr more important than a phone. and even a hunter a good knife sharpener is more "needed" than a phone, but there are great knife sharpeners that are $130 and not $700 and for most people that's enough. I'm on my phone right now and yes I am going to replace it when my contract ends, but still a phone is alot more versatile than a knife sharpener.
and no hate bro, I'm just adding my opinion, nothing against you or anyone :)
Hatch well, at least on the phone i can do payment plans. i would get this if i could do monthly installments because im not gonna dish out 700 flat at one time
if you have paypal you can use paypal credit 6 mos same as cash.
Good point.
Pro sharpener here. I love my wicked edge system. I have used about every kind of system and stone you can think of and I now use this exclusively for my sharpening. The exception being straight razors, the hollow grind does not clamp well in the cam jaws
All of these systems are completely unnecessary. A 1000/3000 grit whetstone can get your knife just as sharp. And if your too lazy to use a whetstone just run your knife across a buffing wheel with some white diamond compound.
+Jesse James tell them bud
I use medium whetstones and water stones to freehand an angle, then I might use a ceramic stone or a Spyderco Sharpmaker for the finishing touches. As sharp or sharper than the knife in this vid, but without the mirror edge. I think a lot of these systems are nice but they're for people obsessed with the edge so much that they forget it's a tool.
Jesse James it's true that you can get it just as sharp with freehand sharpening, but some people are really ocd about their bevel angles. You can never get truly flat bevels with freehand.
I'm not a fanboy of any system but I've got some smith stones that I've had for as long as I can remember and a leather strop and always get hair popping sharp cutting edge. What I learned at a young age is that it takes time and patience. I also say that if you can't get a proper edge by hand then you should keep trying till you do and not limit yourself with this kind of setup until you can. A sharpie will definitely help out when starting out. But I do see a use for this setup in a business since. As in you can put a lot of sharp knives out in a short time and charge out the but for the service lol. Just a reminder as well, if you have a sharp knife and use it a couple times a week for light cutting task then you can always use a strop to bring back a hair popping edge. Stay safe and have fun.
I don’t think people understand that this is a commercial product meant for sharpening a shit ton of knives all the time.
good point!
I don't even think a commercial person would own one. If you're doing knives for a living or even a heavy side hustle, the Wicked Edge takes to long and would wear your arms out with the constant motion. That being said, I do have a Gen 1 I bought when they first came out. Cost me $400, love it, and it still gets the correct angles I need. But like anything with a niche' they can charge more than you think it should cost because there are very few choices.
Another problem on both the esee and the BM is you didn’t fully apex on the heel of the blade.
I have the WorkSharp, and the Ken Onion WorkSharp also.. The money you spend on this unit, should surpass every sharpening system out there, because you payed for it.. Every knife I own is hair popping sharp, I never knew that was ever another option than that.. Everyone has to defend their purchases, I don't. I knew what I was getting, and more importantly I know what I've got when I purchased both WorkSharps, a simple way to sharpen my knives, axes, and hachets without breaking the bank, nothing more than that... Thanks for sharing your thoughts and opinion on this controversial topic, I appreciate it sir.
Just took a 60-80 year old Taylor Scout Knife (Sheffield Steel), that I played at sharpening as a kid out of a box of old stuff that came from my dad's house.
Watched a few sharpening guides on the tube and set to it.
A bit of polishing with wet and dry down to 1000 grit (I'll take it to my polishing wheel later), then proper use of a two sided stone, and a final stropping on a nylon web strap, and it is now slicing paper and shaving, but not quite hair popping. Probably the first time in 50+ years.
Also sharpened up a few other Knives with varying degrees of success from kitchen knives that cut a ripe tomato without holding the fruit, to a really cheap knock off Victorinox that won't hold an edge.
But it's not about how sharp the knife is to use (kitchen knives are the most used) but the satisfaction I get of getting it sharp by my own hand, and skill.
So much more satisfactory then using a machine, even if not "amazingly" sharp.
Here comes a worksharp fanboy. That product is fucking garb......
Nah i am kidding. I am actually kinda liking it. Still think it's a little too expensive, but i can see it works, and it works very well.
The field model is pretty cool too.
However i prefer a convex edge over a flat. Unfortunately It takes time to convert a flat grind to a convex if you want to avoid taking more metal than necessarily off the blade. That might be one reason that guy at the workharp booth had trouble sharpening it. It takes time if you want it done perfectly, and there are people around looking at him. It can be stressing.
Once you have the convex edge, it's fast and easy to sharpen again.
You can also buy an attachment that's good for re-profiling and fix damaged blades, and also gives you more freehand options (if you prefer not using the guides). That attachment is only 70 bucks (the unit itself is 130. so that's 200 total)
So my money is still on the worksharp. But i can see why people would love that product.
converting to a full convex takes time. but putting a microvex on a scandi takes no time at all and is much stronger.
Well. it takes longer than sharpening a flat edge.
I'll like to add after having owned the work sharp for 6 month now (when i wrote the original message i had only had it for 3 weeks) i can say, i don't understand why the guy in the booth had trouble sharpening your knife.
It literally takes me 10 minutes at best to make any knife scary sharp.
The only complaint i have is the stropping belt. It dulls way to quickly and it's thinner than the rest of the belts for some odd reason. But i find using stropping compound on the belt works great. So just buy some green stropping compound and reuse the stropping belt. It really is a great device.
I can still understand this wicked edge device if you are paid to sharpen blades. Most blades don't have a convex edge at factory. So it really works great for that. And if you have a high budget for a sharpening for yourself, It's fantastic. But if it's just your own knifes, you are not rich and you are ok (or prefer) convex edges, the work sharp is still an amazing tool.
You might benefit by lowering your angle a degree or two when going to the strop. I use the WE to keep a razor edge on all my knives. I added ceramic stones and use mid-range sandpaper 5000, 6500 grit on the glass stones (wet) to put a mirror finish edge. This is the best system out there. It will take time to learn your technique, but you will have amazing sharp knives.
Good tips. Thanks.
Did anyone notice the black felt that was on the tip after he ran the stones over it?
I actually use whatever sharpening system is at hand. Wet stones, Lansky, self built guided construction and I can get the same degree of sharpness on all of them. It DID take some time to LEARN and some systems are easier to work with but in the end it's about skill and skill takes practice.
this looks like a tool that cost 7 times as much as other tools for about a 20% Sharper Edge that you don't really need in order to use your Knives. It is all so freaking awesome but not for the price.
It is not 20% sharper.
For a goof last week my friend dulled his M390 on a stone with 5 swipes.
He used his arm device for well over an hour to make it shaving, hair popping sharp.
Was it sharp? YES . Did it take about 1.5 hours YES.
Dulled knife again 5 swipes on a stone.Rather then a quick job I usually do, I spent the full 2 mins
Shaving,hair popping sharp.
Literally it just takes MUCH longer on these devices.Some people are just hung up on them, even if not the best. People are funny like that.
I think most/all that bash WS, have never owned or even used one...or had no idea how to use it.
I have never "blunted" a tip or had a single problem.
Touch-ups take seconds.
With my 6000-8000 grit belt, I can make a reflective / mirror look in seconds.
Love my WS. I have screwed up some tips. But that's because I was new to knives.
Yea simple trick. Go a bit slower and dont take tip off the belt. I stop just as it hits the belt.
It looks like the angle of the stone is going to vary based on the height of the blade. If you take the same knife and mount it higher or lower the sharpening angle is goong to change. I dont know if thats a big deal or not.
you are correct. However that's the case with just about any sharpening system that clamps the blade in place. Those presets get you in the ballpark. I then use a digital angle gauge on the stone-arms, to make sure my angle is exactly what i want it to be. There are micro adjustment screws on the arms so you can fine-tune it.
Lame. Couldn't watch past about 7 minutes. Your repeated "fan boy" comments got to me. The fact is the Wicked Edge is over-priced and overrated. It's a gimmick. Maybe it produces a nice edge and a consistent angle, but those things can be achieved by other methods that don't involve the shyster price tag. Two thumbs down👎👎
I've used a Lanskey for years and have never had a problem getting a razor sharp edge. Having said that, I can see how this system is an improvement and would be something I'd like to upgrade to in the future.
Haters gonna hate man but I completely agree with everything you said in this video. Looks like a great system. Question? I always thought it mattered the direction you sharpen meaning towards or away from the edge. Obviously with a strop it matters but it must not matter much with stones eh?
I'm not sure what the difference would be honestly. i'm still learning all the intricacies, but from what i understand, you get the sharpest edge when you push the metal toward the edge. In doing so, you get that "burr" that forms on the opposite side. Then when you run the stone over that side, and remove the burr, it gives you the sharpest results. Just what I've heard...could be wrong.
HarleyWood23 I sharpen in a circular pattern on a axe or hatchet. Just got me thinking. I have a portable DMT system similar to the field system from wicked edge. I might try to sharpen towards instead of away to see if it makes a difference.
yeah, you can do the circular pattern on this too. I wouldn't do it with the strops, or you'll likely slice into them. i did it with the ceramic stones and some oil, and got a nice slurry going.
+Living Survival hey bro, this might answer your question regarding the patterns on the WE. They have a video of several of them using it, and you can see all kinds of various techniques.
facebook.com/WickedEdge/videos/10153528361377731
+Living Survival I have a DMT system as well, and when I first started using it, I would do circular strokes on the low grits because I felt it expedited the process. While it does take metal off faster, it also leaves scratches on the edge that are difficult to remove because when you change to higher grit stones, performing a circular stroke isn't as productive and in some cases will cause the edge to be not as sharp as it could with the "towards" stroke. It has something to do with the molecular structure of the alloy in the blade. And once you move to a sub micron strop or lapping film, those scratches that were made from the low grit circular strokes are nearly impossible to remove. Also, let me clarify, this is all from my experience and I'm in no way claiming I'm a pro. I just do this for a hobby and a service to my close friends and family.
Thanks for the video. I have been looking at the TSPROF sharpening system. The difference is that it sharpens one side at a time and then the knife is rotated. I see a definite advantage to sharpening both sides at once. One thing you didn’t mention was the maximum blade length the Wicked Edge would sharpen. I don’t know if I missed it but, how many of the attachments that you used were optional attachments and supplies ? Would you mind giving a ballpark on how much extra it would be to have everything that you used in this video ? If you do I’ll just research it. Thanks again for the demo. The 893
To me, sharpening a knife by hand is therapeutic. Taking out the human element out of it is a big no no for me. And I am too poor to buy any of the sharpening systems. I love to do it by hand with Japanese water stones.
Thank you for doing this review. I have a few questions I'm hoping you can answer as I am wanting to buy a system to sharpen everything. Some examples would be: 6", 7" 9" & 10" filleting knives. Hunting knives from 3-1/2" - 6", a pocket knife that is only 2-3/4" as well as a wide range of kitchen knives.
First, when stropping is the precise angle really necessary? It would seem to me that as you're not removing metal and the strops surface is pliable that you'd achieve the same result in a whole lot less time using a more traditional strop, no?
Second, when setting the angle, I assume it is measured to the top of the clamping mechanism or some other point a certain distance above the mechanism. How do you account for the fact that as you move the stones away from this point that this angle is progressively getting shallower? I would think it makes it important to clamp blades at the middle of their spin to minimize this effect, especially longer blades. I won't dork out on you as this is just trig.
Is it recommended that you oil these stones? I'd appreciate your opinion on oiling stones period. How much oil, etc?
This leads me to my last question. How are blades typically sharpened by their manufactures? I've been sharpening my knives since I was given my first buck as a 14 year old, using a few flat stones, and admit that it is impossible to maintain the exact angle with every pass. However, I've convinced myself that I feel/hear the difference when I'm running the knife right on its edge.
I am not a proponent of any one system over another, just genuinely trying to learn and take my sharpening to the next level.
Thanks for your time.
+myhuckleberries
this system can easily handle all those filleting knives you mentioned. The 10" might be stretching it a bit, but they also sell extension arms for larger blades. Link here: www.oldawan.com/sharpening-system-accessories/wicked-edge-accessories/wicked-edge-pro-pack-ii-and-gen-3-extension-arms/
When stropping, Wicked Edge recommends you reduce the angle by 1-2 degrees...to account for the pliable nature of the leather. Does that answer your question?
For the angle, i'm not really sure where it's measured from. What i did is bought an angle device (link below). That helps me make sure the angle is precise at the edge of the blade. However once you find whatever angle works for a specific knife, you just make a note of it and always use that to touch that knife up in the future. Angle finder link: www.amazon.com/AccuRemote-Digital-Electronic-Magnetic-Protractor/dp/B006JR8XBG
I believe most manufacturers use a belt system...mostly for the sake of time. This is why you'll sometimes find variances in the angles for the same type of knife. For example, my ESEE 4 had a 14 degree angle on one side, and a 15 on the other. My buddy's ESEE has a 15 degree on both sides.
Thanks for watching and posing some great questions.
It’s $900 now. I can’t justify that at all.
Get a job.
I’m not a “fan boi” but I can tell you I have gotten knives “hair popping” sharp on my lansky. I shaved the hair off my chest with my Spyderco lol. They all have a drawback. Knives with weird angles and grinds won’t sit in the clamp without shifting. (edit to add that you addressed this after my comment)
Did wicked edge give these to you for a video, because that would explain everything
i wish. shit's so expensive. Ha
I see the benefit for pocket knives although as you mentioned, a very expensive option. I use the Tormek T-7, which is almost the same price as this unit.
This is fine for pocket knives which have a perfectly uniform width at the (spine) opposite edge to the sharp edge. How do you handle chef knives that are wedge shaped all the way to the spine of the blade.
This looks like a great system and we appreciate your review, however...
I am not knocking the WE system or even arguing that it is or isn't better than any other system, but for you to say YOU cannot get as good of an edge using a Worksharp or Lansky must mean that those systems aren't as good, is simply BS. I have used another systems and have had no problem getting a hair shaving edge. My point is that just because you cannot get another system to work as good as your system doesn't mean your system is better and that goes for everything, not just knife sharpening. Without question it is the best system for YOU, but not necessarily the best for everyone.
But again thanks for the review.
There's tons of videos out there proving you don't need to spend a ton of money to make a knife "hair popping" sharp. A 20 dollar wet stone and a little stropping would produce pretty similar results, that's definitely not a mirror finish. A youtuber named Burrfection directly compares this knife sharpening system to using wet stones and proves price doesn't guarantee perfomance.
I can't help but notice from your own video that all the wear on your stones is taking place within the centre third of its length. The EP does the same but to a much lesser extent, probably because stroke speed is fastest in the middle. I feel that the running costs of this jig must be much higher than the EP, although this one looks to be faster. I have to say, as well, that your idea of a mirror finish is not mine. Thanks for posting.
You won't have to lap the diamond stones.
True, but they do wear out as the diamond coating chips over time.
I also think it should be pointed out that the Wicked Edge system allows touch-ups to be super fast and repeatable since you can just write down what the settings were for any particular knife you reprofiled on it. I have a Gen 2 that doesn't have the micro adjusting arms, but it's still plenty good enough for me. Just be careful not to slice off your strops! I hand-strop right now because my WE strops are all cut up, might eventually get a new set.
Im not a worksharp fan boy nor do i even own one but your comparing a 700$ wicked edge to a 100$ work sharp?
No. If you watch my first video, where I covered the WE at Shot Show 2015, the WorkSharp fanboys blasted off in the comments about how superior it was. They drew that initial comparison, not me. My commentary in this video is for those fanboys who would inevitably do the same here
+HarleyWood23 ahh okay I see. my bad!
+HarleyWood23 either way the WE may be better but the worksharp seems like a decent system for 100 bucks!
+dakotabaker98 yeah. I honestly don't have anything against the WS. For the money it does a good job.
+HarleyWood23 yeah I agree. nice review btw
100% agree. I love my wicked edge, I’m into mine for over $1000 Aussie dollars so far and I will continue to keep spending more on it. I use to use a variety of stones and Japanese wetstones but could never get any blade as sharp as I can get with my wicked edge. Totally worth every dollar.!
To be completely honest, I personally don't have any experience with the Wicked Edge. I have no doubt that it will give you a better edge than a Worksharp will, but a Worksharp costs 7 times less (about 5, if we're talking about the Ken Onion) and will that tool truly put an edge on a knife 7 times better that a Worksharp? If you couldn't manage to put a hair popping edge on a knife with a Worksharp, that seems like your personal error, or the error of the guy at the Worksharp booth (don't believe me? Check out Chris Tanner's RUclips channel, Prepared Mind 101, which has many videos of a Worksharp putting a hair popping edge on a knife). I have put a razor edge on my knives with a Worksharp, even the $60 combo sharpener, in about 5 to 10 minutes. Another problem with the Wicked Edge is that you're very limited with what you can sharpen. With a Worksharp you can sharpen folders, neck knives, skinning knives, axes, large fixed blades, machetes, swords, and I've even managed to sharpen a butter knife with it. With the Wicked Edge, you're pretty much limited to folders and small fixed blades. (Seriously, try to sharpen a sword, or even a large fixed blade or axe with that thing) And what you can't do with the Worksharp, you can do with some fine grit sandpaper. I'm not going to bring up the fact that Worksharp puts a convex edge on your blades, because we can argue about grinds all day without getting anywhere. What Wicked Edge is doing is trying to make you over pay for something you could easily build for $50. I am not a Worksharp fanboy. I am simply open minded, and just because you payed $700 for "the ultimate sharpener" doesn't mean that you are automatically better than everyone else, and get to call people in the comments who are stating their opinion "fanboys". I use other sharpening systems, and I don't immediately reject them because they're not made by Worksharp. So stop calling people fanboys because they're not as close minded as you, and because they have a different opinion. Also, people in the comments, stop attacking Wicked Edge. They do make good sharpeners, but they also make some bad ones. So does Worksharp! Everyone makes mistakes, and when you post comments like that, it just makes you look close minded. Personally, I don't like this sharpener, that may just be because I don't have $700 lying around, but if I did, I probably wouldn't spend it on this. I would use it to get a better belt grinder, or a better forge, or some S30V, but that's just me. No sharpener is the jack of all trades. This sharpener has its pros and cons, and a Worksharp has its pros and cons. So please, CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM ONLY!! STOP INSULTING EACH OTHER LIKE A PACK OF WOLVES!! Grow up, and accept that there's never going to be a "best sharpener"!
Probably ought to store your stones with the platens facing up and down, rather than having unlike grits touching each other. Just a matter of good practice, not really a big deal. I see someone has already commented on it.
If you look closely at the Gen 3 vise, you'll see that it only makes contact with the blade at two points, so it will clamp full-flat-grind blades without a problem.
The price is NOT justifiable, regardless of quality or functionality.
This vid is a little old now, but very well done, very informative. Will I buy one? No, but not because of the price. My old shoulder is not so great these days, and a tool like the Work Sharp saves me from days of discomfort. I would love to be able to try this WE though...
$700? Now it is $900. Outrageous!
Thank you for posting this video. My uncle works for wicked edge. And I'll say this after getting my set up I throw out all my old stones and hand sharpeners. The wicked edge pays for its self. There are things you go cheap on, then there are things you drop money on.
really? using that bullshit to make money? why do u not understand how inefficient that is?
Hello dude! Really nice system! What kind of chim did you use for FFG blades? Thx
I have a workshop you can never keep the angle that you can with the wicked edge it’s impossible that’s the best sharpening system in the world by far that’s why it’s $800
No.
When I was in the military they gave us one two sided stone. I am a bug out guy so what would you recommend for field sharpening? I need something that doesn't take long, everything is in a case, and is relatively quick. I am using the lansky right now
a couple hundreds for a knife another 700 for a sharpener, 30 minutes of self gratifying masturbation to get your knife so sharp that it will truly impress... yourself.
15 minutes of using the tool as a tool and its back to being as sharp as an effortless $20 Wal-Mart knife.
I went to my first Blade Show today. The Wicked Edge guys sharpened my benchmade to a mirror immage, my blade was pretty good and didn't take long. I have the Apex and this two sided sharpening is the way to go. Sorry for committing on an old video, the lower end model was improved. Good video.
I was there as well. Another great show this year. Thanks for watching
@@HarleyWood23 two knife pokes that bled and two small slices. Not to mention the deep thumb bruises from the Microtech knives. I couldn't handle three days.
Im with you bro. I have both systems. The WSK sits on my bench and use it more for a mini belt sander than knife work. It hasn't seen a knife blade in two years, even my junk cheap blades won't see it. WE is where its at if you have any level of money invested in good blades..
I agree with you, if you intend to make a living with it or have the income to justify it, perhaps an obsessive need to keep razor sharp go for it do you man. I made the mistake of having one of my expensive blades sharpened at a farmers market ( have no idea what I was thinking) he killed the edge. Purchased the work sharp and was able to re establish the edge and get it to "hair popping" sharp. I'm good with it but if I had the cash I would lean this way it looks like a really accurate system.
An expensive solution for people who lack the discipline to learn how to do something well, by hand. How sharp does an edge need to be? How useful is a 15 degree edge, in any kind of real-world application? The WorkSharp system is effective and dead simple...anybody can use it to get a very good edge, very quickly. Any chance you got this unit in exchange for this review, because if anyone sounds like a fan-boy...
That’s like saying a self-propelled lawnmower is an expensive solution to the “do it by hand” alternative. Some folks value speed and efficiency over the old ways of doing things. I don’t begrudge those who do either.
I agree with Jason. I don't dislike Wicked Edge but I don't have 45 minutes to sharpen a knife. plus all that loot to sharpen a knife? Even the cheap one is 300 bucks, that's too rich for my blood especially for how often it would gets used. My Work Sharp. which costs 70 bucks, literally takes longer to take the unit out of the storage bag then to put razor edge on my filet knife. The fish I filet jump off of the fish.
@@AceJams got the wicked edge. And can get a crazy edge in 5-10 minutes. Only need too use 1000 grit, ceramic and strop
AceJams
The 45 minutes was to redo a mismatched grind. Vastly different than just sharpening a dulled knife. That can be done in a fraction of the time. If it’s too expensive, I get it. Look, I think a a Ferrari is too expensive. I can’t justify that shit, but I certainly don’t go through YT videos talking shit to Ferrari owners.
Also, clean your edge between different stones & strops with clean new cloth. Don't contaminate your edge or stones from one to the other.
You shouldn’t just be calling anyone who thinks the Work Sharp is better a “fanboy”; your only reasoning is that you “can’t be precise enough”, which is complete bs. Maybe YOU aren’t precise enough on it, but that doesn’t mean anyone who says that they are is wrong and a fanboy. There are people who create hair whittling edges FREE HAND, so one can definitely be “precise enough”
oh, you're missing the context. In my first video of the WE, i didn't even mention the WS, yet the WS fans jumped all over the comments about how it was superior. So my reference here was just dishing it back to them...which as you can see from the comments infuriates them.
Yeah, people can hand-sharpen to razor edges too. Good for them. I can also mow my grass with scissors, but it's not the fastest and most efficient method. That said, neither is the WE. There are other products like the Tormek that i've reviewed multiple times, that are even better...and more expensive. There are solutions out there to meet everyone's needs and financial limitations.
What he said about being perfect each time isn't bs. It is physically impossible if you don't have an angle locking mechanism to have the mirrored edge that is perfectly constant all the way. I know people who can freehand sharpen on a belt grinder, their knives are razor sharp, but the secondary bevel is inconsistent if you look closely. The WE is one of the only mechanism that allows you to have that perfect secondary bevel
I can give a totally unbiased comment here because I own both a WickedEdge Pro gen 2 with every stone/strop available & a KenOnion WS with the blade grinding attachment.
If I'm not in a hurry & I want a shiny scalpel sharp edge, I use the WE & find it's the best hands down (I threw out all the Lansky garbage years ago). It takes a long time to reprofile an edge & work all the way up to the strops.
On the other hand, I can free hand an edge that is just as shiny & 95% as sharp with the WS in 10 minutes. I find that most of the time I reach for the KO unit first.
I already owned the WE & all the extras before the WS was released. Then, I bought the WS for a present for my brother but when I tried it I liked it so much I bought a 2nd one.
It’s over 1000 uk pounds how’s this even comparable to any work sharp ? The price takes this out
Not really a "fanboy" of any system. I'm honestly quite impressed with it. I grew up sharpening my tools with a set of stones over a water tub though... I'm not sure I could enjoy these fast and expensive machines. I'm proud of the edge I get with 15 years of sitting in front of my bucket.
Using waterstones, I can get a knife blade razor sharp, without jigs. Figure around $120 for good quality water stones. I have been a woodworker for 30 years, and after trying all of the systems, including scary sharp, waterstones, oil stones, Tormek, Belt sanders, you really just need to practice with a hand techique. This isn't rocket science, with a little practice, you can do it manually without a problem. 5 Minutes at most to sharpen a blade.
I know this comment is 2 years old but your exactly rite all it takes is getting a feel for the exact angle and pressure on both sides of the blade using your course medium fine and leather strap and you got it made people now days are lazy and if it takes 45 minutes to sharpen one knife I can sharpen ten in that time and shave with them all
What stones are you useing? 600 up to 800 up to 1000 and then the leather strops with the diamond paste?
Try work sharp ken onion edition!
for similar money, i'd get the tormex t4, now that i have watched a few of your videos. great job educating a beginner like myself. thanks.
hummm... the grind is much wider at the tip. Not that impressive for such an expensive machine. Nope my money is on the Ken Onion Worksharp its much less expensive and yeilds very impressive results in a fraction of the time required with the Wicked Edge. You couple the stock Ken Onion and use a worn out 6000 grit belt and load it up with flitz or simichrome and you'll get a mirror polished razor sharp edge in 10 minutes... and all for less than $150. Oh... and to ice the cake... you get a convex edge..... stronger by geometry... stronger and will stay sharp longer than the edge from the wicked edge. I just saved your viewers a lot of money and time. Thanks. You were right about one thing the Work Sharp Ken Onion has its fanboys.
Good video. I now own the field model and I'm very happy with it. Thanks. Why did you go from a 1000 grit (instead of moving onto the 1200-1600 grit) to 1.4 -.6 micron grit. Also as a noob how do you know when to move up to the next grit? Thanks again!
unfortunately i don't have the 1200/1600 stones. I think it's a gap in my lineup for sure. I move up to the next grit when the current set is no longer reducing the scratches from the previous grit. Check out the latest sharpening video i just released last night: ruclips.net/video/2VFCNxqVR3Q/видео.html
It's a cool system but man it's pricey. I guess I just like my Japanese whetstone. Yea it takes practice and skill to use them but that's part of the hobby. I can get hair splitting edges literally with my whetstone's. The wicked edge stones are crazy money for a set, I can buy a very high end Japanese whetstone that will last a lifetime for the price of a new set of stones for the wicked edge. It's definitely cool, but I just take more gratification out of the skill I've learned over the years. The work sharp which i own also is good for certain things, long knives machetes, axes, mower blades and works wonders doing it. But if you want a stupid sharp blade you need stones.
The WS KO for me is that you can't get a convex edge out of these type of angle-defining sharpeners, and my Fallkniven locks me into it. Sure, I could re-grind it, but part of the appeal is the unique profile.
great video. thanks from a brit in Spain! subscribed too.
I’m sure that this is mentioned somewhere in the comments, but you never mention that this machine is specifically putting a V edge on the blade. Whereas it’s well known that a slightly convex edge, is tougher and more durable. Maybe not much, but it’s a thing. Nice system,though.
You need to quit being so hard on the lansky! It was the original guided stone sharpener! And honestly you must not know how to use one well because I've gotten knives scary sharp off a lansky, shave, cut phone books in half without effort, etc. this is just a faster more commercial version of a lansky.
Cut a phone book in half
My hobby is sharpening knives. I currently use the Lansky kit. I have used NUMEROUS sharpeners from stone to electric. In my honest opinion, the Wicked Edge system is the best way to get a real quality edge. This will be my next purchase.
I never knew people could be so anal retentive about a knife and how sharp it can be.
I have always used the two sided sharp stone that you submerse under water for 15 minutes, sharpen with one side first, and then the other.
Has always worked for me, my knives are super sharp, and I believe I only paid 8.99 at WalMart. These guys are starting at the wrong end. Start with a good knife, and the rest is simple. To much ado 'bout nothing...lol
Im almost at the point of getting this. All of my knives are users. And they range from a Kershaw Blur to my Norseman. I dont like sending blades out to be resharpened, especially a hard to replace blade. Its usually gone for a couple weeks and there is no guarantee its going to come back. Plus, after having a few blades done Im well on my way to paying for the starter kit (Pro Pack 1). Thanks for the vid
These comments are great. I comeback every few months to get a laugh and read the new comments. I have never seen people hate something so much without ever using it. I sharpen professionally with this system and it really is the best on the market, if it wasn’t then everyone wouldn’t compare their favorite sharpeners to it. You don’t get this amount of hate by being mediocre, it has to be really good to touch some of these guys where it touched them. It won’t do everything ,but everything it does ,it does well. The guys at wicked edge are great too. Thanks for not disabling the comments, I’ll be back in a few months to read the new wicked edge hate mail. I think a 4 year update would be a great way to get the fanboys fired up again, just thinking out loud. Keep trollin ‘em , and keep up the good work.
You know what I find funny? It’s never Tormek fans that attack in the comments. It’s always those who buy cheap garbage like a Lansky or WorkSharp. They get so butthurt that someone would dare spend more than they can afford or justify spending.
@@balla2172 the WE can get them SIGNIFICANTLY sharper AND can sharpen TWICE as many knives, if not more. Look, it's simple physics. the Lansky and WS just don't have the grit options. Also, what people fail to realize is that by the time you sharpen as many knives on a Lansky or WS, as you can on a WE or Tormek, you'll end up spending this much money anyways. You'll burn through many cheap lansky stones and WS belt kits, and probably have to replace a few WS motors, just to sharpen as many knives as you can on a Tormek or WE.
I really love this system and may purchase it someday. Some knives depending on their usage, you don't want them to be hair popping sharp. A knife used to cut rope will cut longer if the edge isn't hair popping sharp, just FYI.