Precision Adjust Elite – A Closer look at Edge Results
What is the difference between the edge created on the Original Precision Adjust, and the edge you can create with the Precision Adjust Elite? Let's take a closer look using a digital microscope.
First off, what are we working with?
- 2 Kershaw Leek's. These were two brand new knives that we sharpened on each system. They are a relatively soft steel, so they sharpen easily.
- For the sharpening method, we use the "push" technique, where you only push the stone into the knife moving along the edge slightly, this would ensure an even scratch pattern and replicate a factory edge.
- Lastly, we tried to spend the same amount of time on each grit in the progression to be as consistent as possible between each stage.
Before we get to sharpening, here is the factory edge on each Kershaw Leek. The edge looks consistent and if you look very closely you can see small burrs still remaining. Unless you are stropping a knife you will likely always see a small burr left after sharpening if you look using magnification. This typically falls off quickly after light use.
Let's look at the knife sharpened with the original Precision Adjust First.
320
As you can see there is some deep striations and a rough overall finish but consistent reveal along the bevel. The burr is easily identifiable on the back side of the blade – you can see the image on the left shows a much smoother blade edge than the image on the right.
600
The striations are becoming finer but we still have a noticeable burr. Moving on to the next stage will remove the burr and refine the striations.
1000
You can see the striations are even finer and the burr is still present. This is where the progression ends with the Original Precision Adjust unless you add the Ultra Fine Diamond stone.
Now let's look at the Precision Adjust Elite.
320
You can see the striations on the Elite are much more consistent and refined. This is due to the Elite guiding the stone along the edge consistently.
600
The striations are becoming finer. The burr on the back of the blade is much less defined on the Elite vs the Original Precision Adjust.
1000
At 1000 grit we can really start to see the difference. The Elite's edge is much more refined and the burr is minimal compared to the original. On the back of the blade, the Elite has very little burr remaining in comparison to the Original.
6000
What a difference! The 6000 grit stone takes the edge to a whole different level, the striations become much finer, and almost mirror-like. There is still a minimal burr present but it is barely visible even with 200x magnification. This would be removed with the leather strop.
Leather Strop
The strop removes the burr and polishes the edge to a mirror finish. You can see the edge is now very clean and consistent. This is the finished edge on the Elite.
So what does this tell us? The Precision Adjust Elite creates a much more consistent and refined edge compared to the Original Precision Adjust. The Elite's guided abrasive system ensures that the stone is always at the correct angle and consistent pressure, resulting in a more refined edge at each stage of the progression.
The Precision Adjust Elite is not just about getting sharper knives and more about creating exactly the edge YOU want to create. You can choose exactly where to begin sharpening, and how far you want to take the edge. You can also just come back and touch up with leather or get into some light repair with the fine diamonds.
Stay Sharp and let us know what your thoughts are below, or check out our YouTube Series where we turn content like this into videos.