Have you been pulling a burr, even at the tip? Also pay close attention to how far you place the knife in the vice in relation to the tip. If you are too far forward in the vice, the tip ends up with a different angle and it's possible you might not be able to apex without removing a lot of metal. Most of my folders are at A or A.5 on the alignment guide.

not sure if the choseras are the same but I don't count strokes. I go by appearance and feel/sound. For me, it works better because I am prone to losing count while I sharpen.

When I say re-profile I mean I'm changing the bevel angle. Sometimes it's drastic, sometimes subtle but always only to my own blades unless someone specifically asks.
I follow the same regimen you do, Phil, or at least close. I'm not sure if it's a case of great minds think alike or we have the same level of OCD!

Double reed...??? I played trombone and a tiny little bit on the guitar...not sure I'm familiar with double reeds.

For me, if you can see the difference happening while on one side, I'll go ahead and swap even before I apex and work back and forth, not alternating, just keeping the bevel even, so I don't have to remove more than necessary. Then it's easier to get the burr and keep the bevels even and then work forward through the grits as normal.

I do plan on getting the 50/80's for faster re-profiling when it's needed, but the money is just too tight from the holidays...

It should, especially if you do a little stropping. I've always stropped even if I only went to 1000 so I'm not sure how comfortable it would be for shaving arm hair without stropping, but it should still work...
Of course, broken in stones will go a long way to help, as well.

I understood what you meant, since that is how I sharpen as well. If not identical techniques, they are very similar. I am still in the experimental stage as well so I also try other techniques as time allows, of course. In this way I can see what works best for me and my setup. So far, what seems to work best, and since we are talking about steel conservation, is apexing (pulling that first burr) with the lowest grit I start with. [For me it's the 100's if it's a new, or new to my WEPS, since I don't have the 60/80 stones. 600/800 if it's trashed touch up and 1000/1200 for normal touch ups that have no major problems. Usually it's just stropping though for upkeep and only going to the stones for those times that the strops don't/can't take care of the edge.] Once the first burr is consistent along the length, then it's on to the higher grits with alternating strokes to both remove the scratches from the stone before and remove the burr as we go. Progress through the grits as needed and strop at the end. I'm also watching the edge for refinement as the grits progress. This is what works for me and it does not seem to be removing a huge amount of metal even after a few rounds on the beater testbed Gerber that I have reprofilled a few times. You cant even tell any change in the blade shape. I'm sure if I continue for a few years with this testing on the same knife I can get significant steel reduction in the blade, but for normal wear and tear, unless you're abusing the blade daily, I do not see it as an issue.

My first thought when you brought up power buffer is a trip to the emergency room to get the sword removed! I first thought you meant something like a D/A buffer, like you'd use on your car or boat! lol
I am subscribed though, I want to see what others thoughts are on this as well...

FredHermann wrote:

+1 to that Fred! We are nothing if not imaginative! I used 2 thicknesses of 3/4" MDF left over from cutting speaker rings, so I have a nice round base with a little step in it. If I make another I would like a little more weight to it but this one does keep me reminded to stay light on the pressure!

No, there wasn't an official response but people had ways they used to get around it. I just can't find it now...it was a topic on the upgrade but I didn't see it on quick search. Here it is. I just missed before.

That's more like the customer service we're all used to! You'll find this is not a typical company in how much they believe in and stand behind the product and are always willing to help. And to be honest, the crew here on the forum are some of the most helpful and just great all around group I've ever had the privilege to meet on any forum. The whole Wicked Edge experience has been an unexpectedly pleasant one all around. This probably just sounds like fanboy stuff but I welcome any corrections if I'm wrong here...

Actually, it has been discussed but there is nothing available yet. I can't find the topic though. Does anyone remember what topic it was?

I'm thinking the difference of opinions here is differences in thinking. Pulling a burr at low grits results in a larger burr which results in more steel being removed...which seems right but still pretty insignificant unless you're doing it each and every time you sharpen, then I can see how that will quickly get out of hand. In that case, yeah I would be worried about steel conservation.
Does that make sense?

I will have to check that out for sure! All I need is somewhere to put it. Now if I can just convince the wife she doesn't really need that table in that room. I mean it's just the dining room, right?

Looks good! I have a few of the Leek's and one of Kens CRKT blades. I like his designs. Looks like Curtis does too!

Yes, it does! It's actually how I first learned to do my own Sebenza back to "factory" edge. I love the look that convex gives you!

TriciaMenendez wrote:
Some people have flipped the silver rod (the part used for the adjustment) so it is backwards and the "divots" are on the backside. Then you just set with your cube and have at it! Keep in mind that if you don't make sure to tighten well, there is nothing to keep it from slipping if it does loosen up a little. Nothing to worry about but good to keep in mind for super happy good time results! (sorry about that, been stuck reading a lot of bad translations today)

KevinCoughlin wrote:
Well, first thing is, keep those little piggies behind the stones! Sorry, I'm a smarta$$ by nature, please don't take offense! But, as you know firsthand, it's real easy to cut yourself if you are not careful, especially with the edges you'll be getting with this system. That said, let's move on to the strop issue. it's just a matter of technique. Never move the strop down when it's touching the blade, obvious I know but it's really easy to nick it if you're not lifting before the end of your stroke. Use lighter pressure, one of the main things to do, and try to keep your strokes just a bit more vertical. Any time the strop is moving along the blade with no upward sweep, you risk another nick.
I hope this helps!

Geocyclist wrote:
Yup! lot's of new faces! Hope The K's are feeling better, or if not yet, soon.

Without going through a hosting site, like Photobucket for example, I don't think so.