Used Wicked Edge vs New TSProf/Hapstone

[gnarly_Gnome]

This is a comparison that I don't think I've seen because usually the Wicked Edge is in a different price category than TSProf and Hapstone.

I'd be ~$500 in for a TSProf or Hapstone S2 with some stones but I've found a used Wicked Edge Precision Pro 3 with stones that I think I could talk down to that same price point. Would that be a better buy?

I have a buddy with the WE and he thinks the dual stones setup is a big advantage because you alternate which side is sharpened and minimize the burr. He has experience with the WE and could help me out while I learn which is a plus.

 

[Bdtry]

There are pros and cons to each system. As stated, a pro of the WE is the dual stone setup, but that is also a con since you need to buy 2 of each stone and they aren't cheap. Also, minimizing the burr as you sharpen isn't a big deal, you remove the burr at the end anyways, with the other systems it is as simple as a light stoke, flip, light stroke, flip, repeat a few times and then strop, which is a con of the other systems, you need to flip the blade.

A big con that I see most people complain about the WE system is the clamp. The system only has 1 and it does not like all blades. If you want to sharpen kitchen knives you can get flexing issues especially on longer or thinner blades. With the Tsprof/Hapstone you can buy other clamps for nearly any situation and use from 1 to 5 clamps at the same time or even use a magnetic table accessory to sharpen nearly anything.

Talk to your buddy about what he likes and dislikes about it, any issues he has, maybe see if you can visit and give it a test.

 

[maximus83]

I've used freehand, Sharpmaker, a WE Pro system, and Hapstone RS. I could have kept all of these, but here's what happened: I still do freehand, and still use the Hapstone RS for things where I want flawless bevels at a precise angle. The WE is gone.

The WE was nice, but had the cons that Bdtry mentioned, plus these:
* The Hapstone/TSProf/Edge-Pro type sharpeners use an approach for stones that you could call, "open source sharpening stones." They use stones of standard sizes that you can mix, match, and reuse among systems, so no matter which of these systems you get in the future, you can probably still use your stones that you invest in. But WE is completely, 100% proprietary, you can only use them with WE, and like Bdtry said, you always have to buy 2 of everything. And those aren't cheap! A related point is that at least when I still had my WE a couple years ago, they still were only offering a very limited selection of sharpening stone materials. Diamond only, no CBN, etc.
* The WE has a simple, fairly transparent safety flaw in its design (IMHO--I realize others disagree with this): you're always sharpening with the edge facing UP, and you're running both hands with the stone holder along that edge very quickly. One slip and...well...I hope you're using the stone-holder guards.
* The WE has nice hardware and a clever design for setting angles. But often, the hardware even on my costly heavy duty system would work loose and you'd have to keep adjusting it DURING sharpening sessions. Super annoying, WE had no answer for that.

I'd choose the TSProf or Hapstone type sharpeners any day of the week over WE. Not saying WE can't get things super sharp, just that I don't like its design as much and the way it works.

 

[gnarly_Gnome]

Thanks for the feedback so far. I really do like the open-source stones and only having to buy 1. I've got my eye on some used TSProf systems at the moment.

 

[Maximumbob54]

I asked years ago about the WE series and was warned the same about any of the ceramic rod systems. The worry is it's easy to round off the tip in a single slip up. Not sure that's a design flaw or not as it's up to you to keep up.

 

[Lone_Wolfe]

I've had both TSProf and Wicked Edge. After getting the TSProf, I sold the WE because I knew I'd never use it again. Took a big loss, but didn't care.

 

[toker]

Wicked Edge is coming out with another budget model, the Carbon (WE40) for $185. Some more food for thought.

 

[gnarly_Gnome]

I found a killer deal on a TSProf K03 on eBay. I wasn't originally looking at that model but jumped on the opportunity to get the big boi for less than the cost of the smaller ones new.

 

[vjb.knife]

I originally had a lower end model, but later sold it and got this one. It is expensive but when I got mine I was able to get a significant discount through a professional organization. With this WE system I have three different clamps for different thickness blades and an extended clamp for kitchen cutlery to get a very low angle. The only downside to this WE is cost in my opinion. You can sharpen both sides of the blade at once and the system is rock solid - there is no play and no flipping the blade which adds error. It is adjustable anywhere from 14 degrees to 27 in any subdivision to finer than a tenth of a degree. It can completely change the angle of any knife blade and can bring the edge to a mirror polish that you can see yourself in. When I worked for American Shear Knife company they had lapping machines that could do that to the slitter blades but they cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. I have been using the two WE sharpeners that I have had for over 8 years, and have not had a cut from it yet. As far as I am concerned, nothing else works as well as this. I will say that sometimes to save time if I just need a touch up, I freehand sharpen on ceramic stones from Spyderco.