This is the wrap-up instalment of the microscopic progressions of the Wicked Edge Precision Sharpener (WEPS) stock diamond and ceramic plates, WEPS Chosera, and the WEPS Shapton stones.
If you’re joining us for the first time, please read about the Stock Diamond and Ceramic plates, the Choseras and the Shaptons.
Putting all the WEPS options in a side-by-side-by-side microscopic comparison has been a great learning experience. It’s one thing to see the series individually, but the differences really come to light when they are compared like this. Rather than attempt to declare any sort of victor between the WEPS options, I’d like to discuss some of the little details that I learned in this portion of my sharpening journey.
Technique
Basically, results in comparisons like this will vary from user to user depending on their technique and their level of OCD. You definitely need a high level of OCD to get the microscope pictures as clean as they are because anything less than perfect just looks bad! 😀 You can certainly get a scary sharp edge with some imperfections and leftover scratches, but you also need a certain level of confidence, experience and knowledge to be able to squeeze the most out of your stones/plates. As always, practice makes perfect.
As many of you know, I am a long-time Shapton Pro user (since 2004), and if there is one thing I (think I) know about sharpening, it’s how to use the Shaptons to their fullest potential. If there is one thing Clay Alison knows as the designer of the WEPS, it’s how to use his WEPS stock diamond and ceramic paddles to their fullest potential. The Choseras are sort of middle ground between us 🙂
A perfect example is with the WEPS 14, 10, 5, and 3.5 micron diamond pastes. Since I don’t use them much, I perfectly duplicated a problem another WEPS user was having, while Clay’s very experienced hands made the problem seem like child’s play! Here’s the thread on the Wicked Edge Forum, you may need to log in, but it’s an amazing read – complete with several microscopic progressions – that shows just how much Clay’s technique comes into play.