WICKEDedge Field & sport pro User manual

INSTRUCTION MANUAL
precision knife sharpeners
FIELD & SPORT PRO

WWW . W ICKEDEDGEUSA.C O M
YOU ARE MOMENTS AWAY
FROM USING THE FINEST
KNIFE SHARPENER IN THE
WORLD. MADE OF TOP QUALITY
MATERIALS AND STATE OF THE
ART MANUFACTURING, THE
WICKED EDGE PRECISION
KNIFE SHARPENER WILL CHANGE
THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT
SHARPENING KNIVES. IT IS THE
CHOICE OF PROFESSIONALS.
YOU ARE MOMENTS AWAY
FROM USING THE FINEST
KNIFE SHARPENER IN THE
WORLD. MADE OF TOP QUALITY
MATERIALS AND STATE OF THE
ART MANUFACTURING, THE
WICKED EDGE PRECISION
KNIFE SHARPENER WILL CHANGE
THE WAY YOU THINK ABOUT
SHARPENING KNIVES. IT IS THE
CHOICE OF PROFESSIONALS.
precision knife sharpeners

CONGRATULATIONS!
Hi, I’m Clay Allison, developer of the Wicked Edge Precision Sharpener, and I want to thank you for your purchase
and welcome you to the Wicked Edge community. I know you’ll enjoy what this fine machine can do for your knives
and I sincerely hope you, your kids and grandkids get many years of great results and enjoyment from it.
A lot of care has gone into the design and manufacturing of our sharpeners and we’ve been helped immensely by
feedback from within our community so that the machine is constantly evolving and getting better. Our team here
at Wicked Edge are entirely dedicated to ensuring the satisfaction of each and every customer. If there is something
you need, please let us know.
You’ll find that our website is a great resource with a thriving forum, a burgeoning Wiki and a quickly growing
database of knives and their Wicked Edge settings. The forum in particular is filled with thousands of passionate
sharpeners that know all kinds of great tips and tricks for the Wicked Edge. You’ll find the culture is very open and
welcoming, and people are sharing information and learning from each other constantly. I hope you’ll log on and
create an account so you can participate in the lively discussions happening daily. There are a large, and increasing,
number of videos under the Demo section where you can see the sharpener in action and learn about various,
sharpening specific, skills. Our tech support crew is available by phone and email and is very enthusiastic about
helping you get the most from your Wicked Edge.
wickededgeusa.com • congratulations • 03

A FEW POINTERS TO GET YOU STARTED
1. Choosing your angle - If you’re new to sharpening, it’s probably best to match the angles already ground onto your knife. You
can easily find what those are by coloring in the bevel with a marker and observing how much marker comes off when you’re using
the stones. Please see page 12 for detailed instructions on discovering your knife’s angle. Located in the website’s Instructions
section, you’ll find a complete tutorial on using a marker to find your angle.
2. Drawing and detecting a burr - In order for a knife to be truly sharp, both bevels’ planes need to intersect at a fine point or apex.
To verify that the bevels meet, it’s important to draw a burr from each side of the knife along the entire length of the blade. You
should do this when you’re first getting started with a knife while using the coarser grits. Please see page 18 for detailed instructions
for drawing and detecting a burr. Also in the website’s Instructions section is a complete tutorial on drawing and detecting a burr.
3. Letting your stones break in -Your new diamond plates will be very aggressive at first and will need to have a lot of the extra,
loose diamonds knocked off. The best way to do this is to work on a few inexpensive knives. As you perfect your technique, you’ll
also break in your stones and your results will continue to get better and better. I can’t really overstate the necessity of letting your
stones break in. The difference in edge quality you’ll achieve as your stones hit their stride is significant.
04 • congratulations • wickededgeusa.com

A FEW POINTERS TO GET YOU STARTED
4. Pressure -Don’t use too much! For most applications, you’ll want to use only the weight of the stones themselves against the
blade. There are exceptions, like when you want to remove a lot of metal and change the angles of the blade, but for the most part,
a light touch is your friend.
5. Safety -You’re knives will get very sharp with the Wicked Edge and extra care needs to be taken to prevent cuts. Don’t leave a
knife clamped in the machine when you’re not actively using it, and don’t reach across the machine when a knife is mounted.
Always pay attention to what you’re doing when operating the sharpener and don’t let yourself become distracted.
Thank you again for choosing Wicked Edge and please let me know if there is ever anything I can do for you.
Sincerely,
Clay Allison
wickededgeusa.com • congratulations • 05

TABLE OF CONTENTS
Anatomy of a Knife Pg. 7
In the Box - Numbered Parts List Pg. 8
Getting Started - Setting up your Generation 3 Pro Sharpener Pg. 9
Mounting Your Knife - Getting familiar with your new sharpener Pg. 10, 11
Setting the Angle - Matching the existing angle or choosing your own Pg. 12, 13
Correct Positioning - Knife placement and finding the "Sweet Spot." Pg. 14, 15
Recording Your Settings - 3 steps necessary for angle repeatability Pg. 16
Basic Sharpening - Sharpening your knife for the first time with the Wicked Edge Pg. 17
Creating and Detecting a Burr - Critical step for success Pg. 18
Progressing Through Your Stones - Sharpening motion and breaking in your stones Pg. 19
Removing Your Knife - Safely remove your knife from the sharpener Pg. 19
Touching Up Your Knife Pg. 20
Knife Sharpening Tables - Track your knives for fast touch-ups Pg. 21, 22
Knife Sharpener Warranty Pg. 23
06 • table of contents • wickededgeusa.com

ANATOMY OF A KNIFE
wickededgeusa.com • getting started • 07
Bevel Detail
Tip
Cutting Edge
Handle
Butt
Bolster
Heel Bevel
Edge
Spine Blade
Shoulder

08 • in the box • wickededgeusa.com
IN THE BOX
Please check to ensure you have all of the
components of your sharpener. You
should have each of the items listed here
in the quantity shown in parentheses.
1. Generation 3 Vise
2. Cam Shaft
3. Depth Key
4. Degree Bar
5. Vise Lever
6. Thumb Screw
7. Guide Rods (2)
8. C-clamp
9. 1/8” Allen Wrench
10. Alignment Guide
11. Coarse 100 Grit / Medium Coarse 200 Grit
Diamond Stones Pack
12. Medium 400 Grit / Fine 600 Grit Diamond
Stones Pack
13. Extra Fine 800 Grit / Ultra Fine 1000 Grit
Diamond Stones Pack
14. Permanent Marker
1.
2.
6. 9.
4.
11. 12. 13.
4.
14.
8.
3.
5.
7.
7.
10.

wickededgeusa.com • getting started • 09
GETTING STARTED
Step 1: Attach the #4 Vise Lever to the
sharpener by sliding the square hole on
the Vise Lever Block onto the #2 Cam Shaft
as shown in Figure 2. When attached the
lever should be to the right of the Vise
Jaw. Use the #5 Thumb Screw to fasten
the Vise Lever to the Cam Shaft.
Step 2: Slide the #7 Guide Rods onto the
#4 Degree Bar as shown is Figure 2. The
Ball Joints should be facing inward toward
the Vise.
Fig. 2

10 • mounting your knife • wickededgeusa.com
MOUNTING YOUR KNIFE
Attach the #10 Alignment Guide to the #3 Depth Key and insert the two prongs of the Depth Key into one of the two #2 Depth
Settings located at the top of the Vise Jaw, as shown in Figure 3. (Hint: if you are sharpening a larger knife, use the bottom settings. If
you are sharpening a smaller knife, use the top settings.)
Holding the knife so the tip is facing directly away from you and the edge is facing upward, mount the knife so it is approximately
centered in the Vise Jaw. The spine of the knife should make contact with both prongs of the Depth Key as shown in Figure 4. If your
knife does not have a flat spine, place it in the Vise Jaw so the tip and heal of the knife are level.
While firmly holding the knife with one hand, use your other hand to lift the Vise Lever up from its resting position, as shown in
Figure 5.
Push the Vise Lever all the way down, until the knife is secured in place, as shown in Figure 6.
On a scratch piece of paper, record the depth setting (top or bottom) and the alignment setting that is aligned with the tip of the
knife. Then remove the Depth Key and Alignment Guide. (Hint: your settings may change after you find the correct positioning for
your knife, which is why we recommend to use a scratch piece of paper during this step.

wickededgeusa.com • mounting your knife • 11
Fig. 3 Fig. 4
Fig. 5 Fig. 6

Page 10
Edge
Shoulder
1.
3
Angle is too narrow
move collar out.
Edge
Shoulder
4
Angle is too wide
move collar in
Shoulder
Marker Ink on Edge
1Edge
Edge
Marker
Shoulder
2
Blade Detail - (Not to Scale) Fine Stone
12 • setting the angle • wickededgeusa.com
SETTING THE ANGLE
There are three ways to find your angle.
1. Consult the manufacturers documentation
2. Use a laser goniometer available from CATRA at
www.catra.org
3. Use a marker to color in the bevel and observe how
the stones remove the marker (recommended)
You may also refer to the Knife Database located on
our website to see if someone with a similar knife has
recorded their settings.
This is the procedure for using a marker to find your
angle:
Color in your bevel as shown in Figure 7-1.
Set a fine stone on the Guide Rod and lay it up against
the bevel of the knife. Move your Guide Rod until the
stone appears to lay flat against the bevel. Then
tighten the bottom thumbscrew to fasten the Guide
Rod to the Degree Bar. Make a pass or two with the
stone, as shown in Figure 8 on the next page, and
observe where the marker is removed. If the marker is
removed from the bottom of the bevel, as shown in
Figure 7-3, then the angle is too narrow. Move your
Guide Rod until the stone appears to lay flat against
the bevel, as shown in Figure 9 on the next page. If the
marker is removed at the top of the bevel, as shown in
Figure 7-4, the angle is too wide. Move the guide arm
to the next lowest setting and try again. When you
find the angle that allows the stone to remove the
marker from the entire bevel with one pass, that is the
angle of your edge.
Fig. 7-1 Fig. 7-2
Fig. 7-3 Fig. 7-4

wickededgeusa.com • setting the angle • 13
Fig. 8
Fig. 9

14 • correct positioning • wickededgeusa.com
CORRECT POSITIONING
The curvature of a knife is an important factor to consider when sharpening because it can effect the sharpening geometry, so it is important to
position the knife correctly in the clamp. Doing so will let you keep your bevels even, from the heal of the knife to the tip.
The easiest way to to find the optimal front-to-back positioning for a given knife is to, again, use a marker. Color in the entire bevel, on both sides.
Then, lightly swipe a fine stone down the entire length of the blade to see where the marker is removed. Look closely to see how the stone effects
the coloring on the edge. If the stone is removing the marker from the edge along the straight portion but dipping down along into the shoulder
toward the tip, as shown in Figure 10-2 on the next page, reposition the knife with the tip closer to the clamp. If the opposite happens – that the
stone removes the marker at the shoulder of the bevel along the straight portion and then moves to the edge along the curve, as shown in
Figure 10-3 on the next page, then the knife should be repositioned with the tip further from the Vise Jaw. Once you find the position where the
marker is removed evenly from the entire bevel, as shown in Figure 10-4 on the next page, you have found the optimum positioning for your knife.
Any time you reposition your knife, it is important to re-insert the Depth Key and Alignment Guide and re-record your settings.

wickededgeusa.com • correct positioning • 15
Bevel is colored in
from Shoulder to
Edge with marker.
Marker is removed at
Edge at the Heel and
on the Shoulder at the
Tip - Knife is too far
forward: reposition with
tip closer to clamp.
Marker is removed at
Shoulder at the Heel
and on the Edge at
the Tip - Knife is too far
back: reposition with tip
further from clamp.
Marker is removed
parallel to the Edge
and Shoulder along
the length of the
Blade - Knife is
correctly positioned.
Heel
1.
3 4
12
Edge
Belly
Tip
Shoulder
Heel Edge
Belly
Tip
Shoulder
Heel Edge
Belly
Tip
Shoulder
Heel Edge
Belly
Tip
Shoulder
Fig. 10-1
Fig. 10-3
Fig. 10-2
Fig. 10-4

16 • recording your settings • wickededgeusa.com
RECORDING
YOUR SETTINGS
Recording your angle, alignment, and
depth settings is a crucial step in the
sharpening process. If your settings are
recorded correctly you will be able to
touch up your knives in less than a minute
and remove virtually no metal. To record
your angle settings, record the angle on
the Degree Bar that is closest to the inside
corner of the L-bracket. To record the
depth, write that you have used either the
top or bottom depth setting. For the
alignment, look at the tip of the knife and
compare it to the alignment guide. You
can record your settings in the Knife
Sharpening Table located on pages 21
and 22. You may also record your settings
in the Knife Database on our website so
others may use your settings. Once you
have recorded your settings, remove the
Depth Key and Alignment Guide from the
Vise Jaw.
Fig. 11

wickededgeusa.com • basic sharpening • 17
BASIC SHARPENING
If this is the first time your knife has been sharpened
with a Wicked Edge Sharpener, or if you are changing
the angle of the knife's edge, you will need to use the
coarse stones to re-profile the edge. Again, mark the
entire bevel of the knife, on both sides, with a marker.
Slide the 100/200 Grit Diamond Stones Handles onto
the Guide Rods. Grasp the handles with your fingers
on the indentations, being careful to keep your
fingertips behind the finger guards. Place the top of
the Red – 100 Grit Coarse Stone flat against the heal of
the knife. Slide the stone up and away from you, along
the entire bevel of the knife. The stroke is done when
the bottom of the stone reaches the tip of the knife.
When the stone reaches the tip of the knife, be sure to
immediately pull the stone out and away and bring it
back to the heal of the knife for the next pass. Do not
let the stone slide off the tip of the knife while you are
applying pressure. Use alternating side-to-side strokes
so both sides of the knife are sharpened at the same
time. Sharpen until the marker is completely removed
from the bevels.
Fig. 12

18 • creating and detecting a burr • wickededgeusa.com
CREATING AND
DETECTING A BURR
When you’re first sharpening a blade, successfully drawing a burr from
each side of the knife is the most important step. It is very difficult to
know for certain without the presence of a burr if the bevels on each
side of the blade actually extend to the edge. If the bevels do not
extend all the way to the edge, the edge of the knife will be blunt and
the knife will not be sharp. A burr, also called a wire edge, is created as
a result of sharpening metal. The burr forms on the edge of a knife
where the planes of bevels intersect. The diagram to the right shows
the burr projecting from the edge of the knife:
Once all the marker has been removed from the bevel, try to create a
burr on one side of the knife by sharpening the opposite side only. Do
approximately 10 strokes on one side of your knife only and then check
the opposite side for a burr. You can do this by very carefully feeling
the side of the blade by rubbing your fingernail or a cotton ball up the
opposite side of the knife, from the spine toward the edge. If you feel it
snag on the edge, the burr has been properly formed. Make sure the
burr exists throughout the entire length of the knife. Different areas of
the knife may require more strokes to successfully form a burr. Do as
many strokes as necessary to detect a burr along the entire edge. Once
you’ve successfully created and detected a burr on one side of the
knife, repeat the procedure for the other side.
1.1
Face
Blade Detail - (Not to Scale)
Edge
Bevel
Burr
Side Just Sharpened
Fig. 13

wickededgeusa.com • removing your knife • 19
REMOVING
YOUR KNIFE
Be careful! Your knife is extremely sharp.
FIRMLY hold the handle of the knife with
one hand and use your other hand to
move the Vise Jaw Clamping Lever to its
up position to release the knife, as shown
in Figure 14.
Fig. 14
PROGRESSING THROUGH YOUR STONES
Once you’ve successfully created and detected a burr from both sides of the blade, sharpen your knife using alternating side-to-side
strokes. Progress through your grits until you achieve the level of polish desired. Note that your stones will need time to break in.
We recommend sharpening your inexpensive knives first to let your stones break in. As you spend time using your Wicked Edge
Sharpener your technique will become more fluid, your stones will break in, and your results will improve with every knife.
Congratulations, you now have a Wicked Edge on your knife!

20 • touching up your knife • wickededgeusa.com
TOUCHING UP YOUR KNIFE
When your knife starts to become dull, it's time for a touch-up. The amount of time between touch-ups can vary, depending on the
steel, angle, and usage. To bring your edge back to incredible sharpness we recommend starting your grit progression with your
finest diamond stone. Simply reference your recorded settings for that particular knife. Mount your knife so the depth, alignment,
and angle settings are identical to that which you set during that knife's previous sharpening session. Once everything is set, draw a
burr from one side. Then sharpen the opposite side and push the burr to the other direction. Once you have found the burr on both
sides, do approximately 20 strokes with your diamond stones, on each side of the knife. If you have purchased any additional fine
stones or strops, progress through them until you reach a level of sharpness and polish that you are happy with.
WE'RE HERE TO HELP!
If you have any questions please feel free to email or call us.
Here's our contact info:
Email: [email protected]
Toll Free:
[phone]
Hours: 9:00 A.M. To 5:00 P.M. Mountain Time