Wicked Edge Precision Sharpener2009 Blade Show and International Cutlery Fair 'Accessory of the Year' |
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In the images below, you'll see the results of sharpening by various machines and methods. The study was conducted by using a group of identical new knives, sharpened one at a time on the different devices according to the manufacturers' instructions. The edges were photographed at 230x magnification. |
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Wicked Edge  |
Other Knife Sharpeners |
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Factory Edge This is a mid-range utility knife, one of the set that we used for our comparison sharpening. The edge is about what you'd expect from a factory grind - not overly sharp but functional -quick to dull. |
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Wicked Edge This is Wicked Edge after the 1000 grit stones. We didn't use the high grit ceramics or the strops so that the comparison would be more fair. The scratches at this level are very uniform and small, measuring just 0.0001" in width. The edge itself is very even and well formed, providing an excellent degree of sharpness and durability.
The image above shows the edge taken from a vertical perspective and demonstrates why the edge is so durable. The minute wire edge is only 0.00005" wide and is well supported by perfectly formed bevels on both sides.
To showcase the polishing abilities of the high grit stones and the strops, we included this image of the knife with a human hair for comparison after finishing the edge with the 3.5 micron strops. |
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Pull-Through Device There are a large variety of these types of devices incorporating crossed sharpening media like carbide steel and ceramic rods. The results speak for themselves. With a little understanding of what makes a knife sharp and what helps it to stay sharp, it's easy to see why these types of devices can be so frustrating. They remove a large amount of metal at every sharpening, shortening the lifespan of the knife. It is very difficult to make any improvement to the heel and tip of the knife with this kind of device. |
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Electric Sharpener There are a several electric knife sharpeners available which are really motorized pull-through sharpeners. They create a very rough edge and remove a large amount of metal at every sharpening, shortening the lifespan of the knife. An additional drawback is that the first and last inch of the blade are not sharpened. |
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Spring-Loaded Pull-Through Devices This knife was sharpened on a spring-loaded pull-through device that has become pretty popular. This edge took about 1/2 hour to create, cycling through the diamond phase and then the honing rod phase. The edge is very rough and in places, almost serrated looking. As with all pull through devices the first and last inch of the blade are not sharpened. |
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Pull-Through Device - Crossed Carbide Rollers Amazingly, this knife was not serrated when we started. It was sharpened on a fairly common pull-through device that features fluted crossed carbide rollers. As with all pull through devices the first and last inch of the blade are not sharpened. |
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Angle Guided, Clamp-Type Sharpener This edge was produced on a popular angle-guided system. The edge is nice and crisp but the bevel shows the tell-tale faceting that occurs using the majority of these systems with weaker clamps and flexible rods. The biggest issue with these types of systems is repeatability between sharpening sessions. Touch-ups are most often very difficult and require the bevel to be entirely recreated consuming lots of time and metal and shortening the lifespan of the knife. |
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