Does this sharpener seem any good? (Picture heavy)

[AnthonyHelmsley]

I stumbled across this site from watching a youtube video and found this. I know its not WE or Edgepro quality but i wanted some opinions on it.

 

[T. Erdelyi]

EdgePro Apex by Ben Dale, one of the best sharpeners out there with some of the best customer service to boot, I've owned the Apex for about 6 years short of a 2X72 inch belt grinder ya can't do any better.

 

[FCM415]

That there is a blatant knock-off of an awesome product the Edge Pro Apex. Not only is it a knock-off it is also a certified POS.

 

[T. Erdelyi]

My bad, I looked quickly, only the real deal will do, contact Ben directly and buy a real EdgePro.

 

[Razorsharp-Travis]

idk i have a chat friend with one, the stones are kinda crap, but he said he got perfectl flat bevels on it so it must work good (with different stones)

 

[singularity35]

idk i have a chat friend with one, the stones are kinda crap, but he said he got perfectl flat bevels on it so it must work good (with different stones)

Heard that too.

 

[stitchawl]

I'll tell you what... Except for that blue front on the platform, that is the EXACT same thing I bought from Ben Dale about 12-15 years ago. Same EVERYTHING including the carry bag! Only the names on the stones are different. I bought the EdgePro Apex directly from Ben. The only difference I notice is that this one didn't come with a plastic water bottle or polishing tapes, but it did include a Sharpie and a towel. Other than that, absolutely the same thing that I've been using for years.


Stitchawl

 

[singularity35]

It's cheaper on ebay by almost $10 bucks.

 

[aread]

Blatant rip-off of Ben's design.

Buy it if you want to play your part in destroying a great American business.

I don't see how it can be a quality product at about one quarter the price as the original. Every tool purchase I've ever regretted was because I chose price over quality.

JMHO,
Allen

 

[stitchawl]

I'm curious about why you guys think this is a knock-off, other than the price?
I took out my EdgePro Apex, and everything is the same...
Perhaps what Ben is selling these days is different, but when I bought my Apex from him, this is what I received. If today's Apex is somehow different, perhaps Ben sold off his old stock when he made changes. But this is the same base, same stone arm, same stone attachment system, same vertical adjuster, even the same suction cups and legs.
What is it that you see that's different beside the stone grit numbers?


Stitchawl

 

[Komitadjie]

It is nowhere near as good, from reports. Apparently the quality suffers, the molding is much flimsier (which kinda defeats the purpose of the whole thing) and it's something like 2/3 size. It doesn't run anywhere near as solid, either, with a lot more wobble in the stone arm.

I detest cheap chinese knockoffs.

 

[J. Hoffman]

That is the cheap knock-off. The knobs are different, as is the stone tightening clamp. I would not buy it, I would spend the little extra and get a real Edge Pro. I'm not much for buy cheap Chinese knock-offs.

 

[grizzled gizzard]

That there is a blatant knock-off of an awesome product the Edge Pro Apex. Not only is it a knock-off it is also a certified POS.

+1

Should be obvious. Look at the stones.

Will it work? Probably. As well as a real Apex? Probably not. Service after the sale? Good luck sucka.

 

[stitchawl]

That is the cheap knock-off. The knobs are different, as is the stone tightening clamp. I would not buy it, I would spend the little extra and get a real Edge Pro. I'm not much for buy cheap Chinese knock-offs.

The knobs are exactly the same as is the stone tightening clamp on the one I bought directly from Ben Dale. PerAlthough I can't measure this one or feel it, the relative sizes appear to be exactly the same as the EdgePro Apex I bought many years ago from Ben. Oops! My apologies! I do see one difference. The knob on the blade stop on his new models is triangular. But that is the ONLY difference I can 'see.' And as anyone who has dealt with Ben over the years knows, he is frequently changing the stones that he offers, varying with his suppliers.

Besides looking at these pictures, which of you has actually taken this product in hand to feel its inferior quality? Anyone? Or are you basing your comments on the price and the seller? Do you KNOW, or are you just making an assumption because the supplier is from China? Those of you who are insisting that this is a knock-off... do you own an Apex from Ben Dale to compare it with? Or are you just looking a pictures? Mine is sitting in front of me. Judging from the pictures, they are the same. Do you think Ben makes the parts for the EdgePro in his basement? Or does he have them made for him by a third party? The real question is; is the Third Party selling those part to someone else?

Don't get me wrong, the EdgePro Apex is the very best manual sharpener you can get, only rivaled by the Wicked Edge (according to those who have actually used both.) I've used my EdgePro successfully and happily for many, many years, since it first came on the market. I just wonder how you can be so sure that this is such an inferior product when it is identical with the 'original' Apex.

 

[jeepin]

The knobs are exactly the same as is the stone tightening clamp on the one I bought directly from Ben Dale. PerAlthough I can't measure this one or feel it, the relative sizes appear to be exactly the same as the EdgePro Apex I bought many years ago from Ben. Oops! My apologies! I do see one difference. The knob on the blade stop on his new models is triangular. But that is the ONLY difference I can 'see.' And as anyone who has dealt with Ben over the years knows, he is frequently changing the stones that he offers, varying with his suppliers.

Besides looking at these pictures, which of you has actually taken this product in hand to feel its inferior quality? Anyone? Or are you basing your comments on the price and the seller? Do you KNOW, or are you just making an assumption because the supplier is from China? Those of you who are insisting that this is a knock-off... do you own an Apex from Ben Dale to compare it with? Or are you just looking a pictures? Mine is sitting in front of me. Judging from the pictures, they are the same. Do you think Ben makes the parts for the EdgePro in his basement? Or does he have them made for him by a third party? The real question is; is the Third Party selling those part to someone else?

Don't get me wrong, the EdgePro Apex is the very best manual sharpener you can get, only rivaled by the Wicked Edge (according to those who have actually used both.) I've used my EdgePro successfully and happily for many, many years, since it first came on the market. I just wonder how you can be so sure that this is such an inferior product when it is identical with the 'original' Apex.

I just looked on the edge pro website. It states that it is made in the USA.

 

[Komitadjie]

Real EdgePro is made in the US. These cheap knock-offs showed up a few years back on Ebay, from various importers out of china.

 

[rycen]

Just because it looks like it's the same doesn't mean it is.

 

[stitchawl]

I just looked on the edge pro website. It states that it is made in the USA.

So are most of the Japanese chop sticks... but the wood for them is shipped to the US from Japan, so the packages read 'made in Japan.'

Just because it looks like it's the same doesn't mean it is.

You're right. It doesn't. And with the same reasoning, it doesn't mean that it isn't.

Again, has anyone actually seen, used, touched, tried.... or is it all just assumption? Anyone at all?

If just one person can tell me that they, personally, have, I'll be more than ready to accept that it's a knock off. Is there even ONE PERSON who has personal knowledge of this product? Not knowledge that you've seen it for sale before somewhere else. Knowledge that comes from actually seeing or using the product.
Until then, well... you know what they say about the word 'assume.'

Hey, look... I bought my EdgePro from Ben Dale. He's a wonderful person with whom to do business, and I'm glad I was able to get the after-sales help from him when I needed it. But a rather large number of EdgePro users buy their stones from other sources, stones that are produced in China, Japan, Thailand, etc. We know that if there is a problem with these stones we will often not get after-sales help, but we purchase them anyway. There have been times when this board was full of complaints that Ben's 120grit stone didn't cut worth a damn, and even HE said he has problems with his sources. And all too often, sources sell to others when they shouldn't, because the dollar is mightier than then ethics.


Stitchawl

 

[grizzled gizzard]

Besides looking at these pictures, which of you has actually taken this product in hand to feel its inferior quality? Anyone? Or are you basing your comments on the price and the seller? Do you KNOW, or are you just making an assumption because the supplier is from China? Those of you who are insisting that this is a knock-off... do you own an Apex from Ben Dale to compare it with? Or are you just looking a pictures? Mine is sitting in front of me. Judging from the pictures, they are the same. Do you think Ben makes the parts for the EdgePro in his basement? Or does he have them made for him by a third party? The real question is; is the Third Party selling those part to someone else?

Don't get me wrong, the EdgePro Apex is the very best manual sharpener you can get, only rivaled by the Wicked Edge (according to those who have actually used both.) I've used my EdgePro successfully and happily for many, many years, since it first came on the market. I just wonder how you can be so sure that this is such an inferior product when it is identical with the 'original' Apex.

Does yours have the blue up front and dimples down the edge of the bed? Have you ever seen Chinese writing on his stones? You note dissimilarities as well.

I'm not home right now to compare it to my Apex, and I've been using a Pro for years, so I'm going from memory. The legs look wrong to me. I'm pretty sure Ben signed mine.

I had heard of this before, and it is about as blatant as patent infringement gets.

The knife world is ravaged with this.

Does this not trouble you?

What about the guy that gets a great idea that is patent able, but knows enforcing the patent would be impossible? Have you ever been faced with this?

Whether or not it works as well as an Apex is completely immaterial.

It's morally, ethically and in several other ways (without getting political) "Inferior to the Apex".

Sorry. Just sayin...

Sorry, I decided not to add anything.

 

[Chiller2]

The new Old Timer knifes are identical to the old ones in just about every way except the most important ones quality of materials, quality of construction and and quality control I don't buy them either.