Edge Pro Apex for newbie

[neiltus]

Have about a dozen kitchen knives that need some work-as well as a few pocket blades. Also have a ton of family who would bum this off me. Seriously considering the edgepro apex.

1. Where is the cheapest place to buy?
2. What package do I really need? Are the polish tapes overkill?
3. How does this do with very small knives, ie pen blades?

or, should I just buy a couple stones and go to town?

 

[BladeChemist]

If it's worth the money to you. I can't say that's a whole lot of knives. How sharp do you want them? If you think there's a possibility of getting sucked into the world of sharpening you won't regret this purchase. The Apex 1 only goes up to 320 grit, but that will work fine if you like a toothier edge. If you want to upgrade, you can always buy the other stones at a later date.

1. Pick your poison:

Apex 1 from the source: $155 + shipping (ships from Oregon)
Apex 1 + free SAK: $149.95 + shipping (ships from Arizona)
Apex 1 + Free Shipping: $155 (ships from Wisconsin)

2. Again, depends on what you're looking for. Properly utilized, the 320 grit in the Apex 1 is capable of producing edges much sharpener than the average person is used to. The polish tapes are used after the 1000 grit (and now the 1200 grit) stones and work to give knives an unbelievably sharp edge..useful for hunting knives (IMHO), all Japanese cooking knives, and any knife you want air-splitting sharp. Overkill? What is the meaning of this word?

3. The E.P. can do pen blades, but they require a bit more skill and 'finesse' to keep the blade steady and sometimes it's difficult to sharpen the tip (there are workarounds for that problem that Ben covers in some of his E.P. videos).