Edge Pro Apex III

[maskedman504]

Hi guys~

I am a novice when it comes to knife sharpening. Blades always seemed more dull after I got ahold of them and 'sharpened' them.

I did a little research and purchased an Edge Pro Apex III system. I have 120, 220, 320, 600 and 1000 grit stones and an 8" ceramin hone. So far, I have been getting mixed results with the system. Smaller knives seem easier; so do knives with a full flat grind. Multiple bevel grinds are tripping me up a little- I am having problems keep a consistent angle when rotating the knife to sharpen the curved end.

In case I have not described my difficulties clearly, I have included two pictures. The first knife I had no problem getting it very sharp. The second blade profile is giving me a problem. I cant even make it sharp enough that I am cautious when handling it.

Any advice for knives with multiple bevels?

 

[STR]

The second knife is one with a primary grind that is what looks like a hollow grind followed by a bevel at the apex of the cutting edge. That is all you need to focus on with the Edge Pro not the entire ground area. If you have sharpened and it has not sharpened its probably due to hitting the shoulder of the bevel and not taking the stone down to the apex of the cutting edge so in effect you have not changed the cutting part of the edge. (yet) I'd suggest you either keep going or readjust the angle setting to hit the apex of the edge.

Sharpen until a burr forms. Then flip it and sharpen it until the burr forms on the other side. Any sharpening after the burr forms is just oversharpening so there is no need to keep going once a burr forms. Once you get a burr, move to a finer stone progressively stopping where you want and touch it up on a fine ceramic to knock the burr off. That should be all you need to do.

If you are having trouble maintaining a even bevel it could be due to your allowing the blade to move or wobble or it may just be that some part of the blade primary grind or flat of the blade itself are thicker in places than in others and that uneveness shows up in the bevel for the edge.

STR

 

[OldDude1]

Greetings Maskedman504: The following is a modified cut and paste job from a few threads down. The EdgePro is and excellent system but it is not perfect. A minor variance in how and where the blade is held on the table edge or a substantial change in the downward pressure of the stone arm can change the angle of contact on the edge being sharpened. This is not readily noticeable when re-profiling or when removing a lot of metal. As the sharpened edge develops it becomes more important. When getting down to the finer grits on the VERY edge, precise repetition of stone arm pressure and precise blade position/stone contact point are IMO substantially more important. The target area (the cutting edge) is tiny. Ideally, it would be invisible without magnification. Until you become familiar with what is actually taking place at the extreme edge, you may wish to use the sharpie trick each time you MOVE THE BLADE on the table or CHANGE to a higher grit stone. This will let you see what is really happening vs. what you think is happening as you progress. If the contact angle of each new stone, relative to the edge is not just about exactly equal to the angle and contact point of the previously used stone you may wind up with less than stellar results. While familiarizing myself with the Edgepro, I would get a great edge with one stone but wind up removing it with the next stone of higher grit. The same condition can result when moving the blade edge along the table. Use less stone pressure and more contact point consistency. Use the Sharpie marker and look with a lens, if necessary, at the EXTREME edge. See if this is where the sharpening is actually taking place. Less pressure and higher consistency of repetition were the key for me. The EdgePro will maintain a precise stone angle YOU must maintain a consistent blade edge position. Experienced free hand sharpeners appear to do this unconsciously. OldDude1