Generation 4 Pro

I've owned the gen4 pro for just a week, so it is too early to discuss effectiveness. Having said that, the general quality of the product is what I would expect. I also purchased the edge kit 4 that includes additional stones which don't quite fit in the shelving on their sides - a very slight increase in cabinet size would have solved this problem. With the additional stones, the gen4 solution investment is $2k+ and it seems to me that the WE flagship product should have come standard with the hard back hand carry case.

An easy way to get match grade bevels every time. Follow the many instructional videos put out by Wicked ; and with a little practice it's possible to produce exceptional sharpness.
The Generation 4 Pro may be overkill and pricey but it sure is a pleasure to use.

I have had the Gen 4 for nearly 2 years and have added several accessories to round out it's capabilities. I regularly bring it to work and sharpen anyone's knife that is interested. I bring it to my church's monthly men's breakfast and take care of anyone's pocket knife or kitchen knives. My mom is an avid quilter and I have sharpened all of her quilting club's members scissors. I do all of this for free because everyone should have a safe and sharp knife!
I like the consistency of angle and ease of use. I especially like to see people's reaction when I show them just how sharp it is!

5-stars and the new Gen 4 Pro deserves every one of them. It is a dream, a vast improvement over my original Wicked Edge unit. It's like driving a smooth, quiet, comfortable Mercedes instead of an old balloon-tire bicycle. Both will get you there, but one is a pleasure to drive.

Here's what I especially like. First and foremost, setting the bevel angle is vastly improved. On the old version, you usually needed a magnifying lens to read the angle markers and you also frequently had to re-tighten the set screws. It was a tedious and finicky system. On the new Gen 4, all you need do is depress the button and slide to an easily-readable angle marker. All set, no sweat.

My old base was a clunky and heavy marble slab, difficult to pick up, hard to store. The new unit has a (very nicely-machined) metal plate, easy to carry and store, yet sturdy enough to keep the sharpener steady when using.

I also like the accessory extender for small knives. The old unit did not have that capability and I truly missed the ability to sharpen my pocket knife. Potential buyers should note that this accessory renders the bevel angle indicator significantly off, so the Digital Angle Gauge option is extremely useful.

I'm not crazy about the new plastic grid that's designed to replicate the placement of knives with a pronounced curve, because most of my knives are straight kitchen knives for which that is not an issue. Boning, paring, carving, steak and chef's knives do not have the curve and are typically too long for that grid to be useful.

Any way you slice it, the new Gen 4 Pro is a wonderful unit and a vast improvement on the old system. 5 stars for sure.

As a novice knife sharpener I wanted a good, easy to use sharpener that lets you create a sharp blade. I had tried several other much cheaper sharpeners but wasn’t happy with the results so invested in this. I’m very happy with the results. Plus great videos on how to use it. Worth the cost.