I wanted to update all on my WE journey since my last post. Unfortunately, I had to cancel my first order a couple of months ago before it was filled due to some family stuff that came up. I have been married for 32 years, and I doubt if I would have seen 33 had I not canceled it. I will not get into if this would be good or bad. Then, I have been sucessful at justifying the price of a good knife sharpening system for my work (don't ask). So I was able to order a ProII with case (the case is great buy the way, albiet very pricy) as transporting this to various locations and to the field will be required. Well my WE arrived last Friday, and I got to practicing on Saturday. First up was a 1980 vintage Gerber folding lockblade. I should add that the ceramic stones were back ordered, so these were not supplied in the case. I also got an email confirmation last Friday that these have been shipped. I put a 20 degree edge on the Gerber that was so-so, but the stones were brand new and very aggressive. I then sharpened about 5 junk kitchen knives also at 20 degrees. All came out with an OK edge, and all were similar. I then took a half serrated Browning (junk) pocket knife that I had carried years ago, and put a 20 degree on the plain half of this blade (I use this to cut my paracord on my bench. I had this blade very sharp freehand through Spyderco ultrafine ceramic stone). This blade came to a bur pretty quickly as I must have been very close to 20 degrees freehand. After going through the progression and stropping with 1 and 0.5 micron after the 1K grit diamond,this blade was extremely sharp. I sharpened this paying particular attention to the amount of pressure I was using, trying to apply only as much as is required to control the stones and the strop. I did this from 200 grit on up, and I could not be happier with the results.

Next up was a Benchmade Griptillian that I had very sharp freehand through Spyderco UF ceramic with a tanto blade (I can freehand tantos very well as there are only two fixed angles to deal with. curved changing angles has always been my weakness). This is an EDC everything cutter that I carry left handed. I carry an EDC tactical in my RH pocket that I never use except for an emergancy (I hope I only have to sharpen this one once). I was extremely pleased with the 19 degree edge that I got on the Grip. Probably due to the more obtuse angle than factory, but this knife came out very sharp

A friend of mine gave me his old Shrade fixed blade hunter that he said he could not get an edge on to save his life freehand. This knife is probably circa 1975, and has probably field dressed hundreds of whitetails. The knife had been freehand sharpened since new, and was very convex and thick at the apex (hence no edge). This is a 4" blade that I mounted about a half inch forward on the WE vise. I wanted an acute edge towards the tip for fine cutting and skinning shores, but a more obtuse edge towards the handle for pelvis splitting duty. I put a 19 degree bevel until a bur formed the length of the knife (removed a bunch of steel). Then sharpened it completely through 0.5 micron strop (extremely sharp heel to tip). Then I put a 22 degree micro bevel on it hoping that the edge would hold up better for him. I will see how this setup will work for him. I may have to increase the angle a bit for edge retention purposes on subsequent sharpenings, but I thought that I would give this a try.

The only problem I had was that the fixed jaw of the vised came loose. I had to remove the WE from the base and tighten this. Since I purchased the WE with the case, Clay's shop had assembled everything and packed it in the case (again this is a very nice case). I suggest that WE put a little locktight on the screw that holds the fixed jaw of the vise for all units that they assemble. This was not a huge deal, but it did come loose on the hunting knife I described above while working on the secondary bevel. I fixed it and remounted the knife for the application of the tertiary bevel, so no harm done.

All and all, I could not be happier with the results so far. And I would like to give a great big thank you to Keith Parker for the spreadsheet. This makes tracking the settings on the computer very easy. I do not think that I would have spent this much of my own money on this system (ProPacII, I know this is all relative), but since I am a born again knife nut (in three months I have been able to aquire 14 new knives). I am very happy to have this system available to me. I look forward to improving mys skills with it and improving my results. I was able to get 9 knives sharpened over the weekend.

I do have one question for mark76. My son (married and expecting a baby) is really into cooking and has a number of very good cooking knives. One is a cleaver with convex edge. Since you have a cleaver on your avitar locked and loaded, I was wondering what type of edge you sharpen this? Do you put a 3 or 4 angle (18, 19, 20,...) sharpening and strop the edges to convex, or do you go with a straight bevel? If you go with the former, at what angle(s) do you strop the finished edge? I really want to learn how to master the convex on the WE as I think that this is the best edge for survival knives, of which I have a few. Did I mention that the case is very nice?

Thanks for the suggestions Clay. I have been looking through the Wiki and I did come accross that page. Really good stuff.

By the way, I bought the Strider as I wanted at least one knife that cost more than my sharpener. I'm not sure what I would have gotten had I opted for the PPII.

Can't wait to get started.

Thank you Clay, this is exactly what I thought. But I thought I should ask the question.

I'm looking forward to receiving my WE and getting started.

Ordered two additional knives in preparation of my new tool:

Picked up a used Strider SnG nib condition and a Kershaw Camp 10 monster.

Hey, thanks for the update. This is exactly as I had suspected, except I have no way of knowing how much NOS of the thinner rods they had on hand.

Thank you very much for running this down for me.

Walt

I think that I will call and inquire about the rod diameter. When I placed my order, I was told that the standard arms were all being modified with washers to take out the play, and that the ball joint option was an upcharge.

I seriously doubt if the arm diameter is any different than the original, as I suspect they are trying to move the existing inventory by modifying the pivots with washers. It probably depends on when they run out of the original parts. I will call them and post what I find here.

The PP1 does not come with the ball joint modification, but with the old style pivot arms with modifications to remove the play (washers, etc.). At least according to my understanding. I was wondering if these old style arms had been increased in diameter?

Thanks,

Walt

Thank you Mark. By the way, I have a Walther PPK, but my name is Walter. Must have been some sort of Freudian slip LOL.

Thanks again,

Walt

Thanks Phil, that is exactly what I am asking. Thanks for the information.

I have plenty of old and some cheap knives to practice on and break in the stones. I am asking about the modified standard arms where mods have been made to take the play out, not the new design. Are the rods on these 0.250"?

MicroTech Socom Elite, Olive Drab
Kershaw Diskin Hunter
Kershaw Blur with cf and 154 cpm blade
Benchmade mini Griptillian

Got a cheap Chinese tactical fixed blade that I returned. I'm sure the WE could sharpen it, but the edge was a chisel grind, and very dull. No thanks.

I looked at the DB. Excellent resource.

I tried posting this yesterday, to no avail. I placed my order for the ProI a couple of days ago, and I truly cannot wait for it to arrive. I got pretty good at sharpening knives freehand decades ago, but frankly I have not kept the art active. It took me a long time to achieve a really sharp edge. Additionally, variations in angle prohibited getting a truly sharpened edge, and I know it would take almost daily practice for years to master the art. I knew people who could do it, but I also know people who can play the trumpet well enough to perform at Carnegie Hall. I have played trumpet for 48 years, and I will never play at Carnegie Hall.

This tool will allow me to learn to sharpen knives at the "Carnegie Hall" level. I am so excited, I bought 5 more knives to add to my collection, and I intend to join the knife a month club for the next year (assuming that my wife does not cut off my fingers with one of my hair whittling edges before the year is out).

I have a question. Do people still place the Subway straw on the rods of the modified standard rods, or has the rod diameter been increased to 0.250" to remove some slop to the stones?

I look forward to working with this system, and I thank all of you for a great forum with very good information. I would also like to thank jdavis882 for all of his very informative videos on this system and his contributions to what is by almost all accounts an excellent system. Lastly, I would like to thank Clay and the rest of the WE family for being committed to providing an exceptional sharpening system. Now all I have to do is learn how to drive it.

Walt