Edge Pro Apex Touch-Ups

[BadComrade]

So I’ve had an Edge Pro Apex 4 kit for a few months now and I love it. Took me a few rounds of knives to perfect the technique, but now I can pretty much get all my knives razor after 20-30 minutes on this machine.

My question is, what stone do you all use for touch ups? I find some knives need more attention to keep razor sharp. I hate spending all this time to get a knife perfect only to repeat the process a week later.

On a side note, I have my edge pro pretty much screwed down permanently a 20 degrees (yellow) so all my knives across the board have an even angle. I find it allows for more consistency when I resharpen.

 

[Mr.Wizard]

Please define "razor sharp." What are you finishing with? Do you use the ceramic rod?

 

[brando555]

Usually I can bring an edge back with either the 1000 grit stone or 2000 grit polish tape. Sometimes I'll even use my strop with 1 micron diamond.

I also like the EP for microbeveling. If I've sharpened at 20°, often times I'll just set it to 25° and do a few quick passes on each side with the 2300 diamond stone or a 3 micron diamond lapping film. I've found it works great on steel like s110v, s30v, 20cv, and so on and it's quick and convenient which is nice.

 

[Wowbagger]

My question is, what stone do you all use for touch ups? I find some knives need more attention to keep razor sharp. I hate spending all this time to get a knife perfect only to repeat the process a week later.

Here is a LINK > > > to an "extreme" case. In other words I don't always get this kind of edge retention out of my daily users ) and often I go one or two stones more coarse to get any damage out of the edge before putting on the final edge. Very often though it is just one stone : Shapton Glass 4,000, DMT Aligner Ex Ex Fine (8,000 diamond) or my Shapton Triangular Ceramic Ultra Fine Rod (hand held in this case).

Two thoughts on all that :

• Who's dulling these knives for you ? Give him a dope slap ! . . . I'm kidding but careful use . . . and other factors (see below) can make a dif in how long the edge lasts . . .
• Varying the geometry (getting off the yellow line) can be fun and actually, perhaps, extend the life of your hard use edges.
• . . . and another thing . . . BLADE ALLOY . . . with M4 and some of the others I can go weeks and still have a scrape hair to even shave hair edge left at the end of that time.

Edge Pro . . . a bit of sanity and grace in a world gone BS.

Geometry and original sharpening angles can play a part as well. With my woodworking tools I use a jig that has a one degree click in it. I can sharpen the main sharpening bevel with all the stones to final edge and later when I come back to touch up I can go a consistent one degree steeper and so a very fine stone can take metal off right on the edge without having to make a wide bevel and thus load up a fine stone. All depends on the edge wear though.

The magic marker is your friend as is the stop collar. If you don't know what I mean let me know.

 

[Wowbagger]

I hate spending all this time to get a knife perfect

Hey a guy named William Glasser once said "Find an activity that you like and do it as if your life and your sanity depend on it . . . because they do". He's a shrink and is talking about meditating basically.
As he says some people swing a bat some people play golf some people . . .
well you get the idea.
He says a period of twenty or thirty minutes is good.
Going for a run to effect a minimum of positive cardiovascular effect takes about that long.
Sitting meditation takes about that long.

. . . oh look sharpening a knife takes about that long . . .
Could sharpening be YOUR preferred meditation ?
(it is mine)
Pity you only get to do what you enjoy only once a week and . . . for such a short time too.

 

[BadComrade]

Usually I can bring an edge back with either the 1000 grit stone or 2000 grit polish tape. Sometimes I'll even use my strop with 1 micron diamond.

I also like the EP for microbeveling. If I've sharpened at 20°, often times I'll just set it to 25° and do a few quick passes on each side with the 2300 diamond stone or a 3 micron diamond lapping film. I've found it works great on steel like s110v, s30v, 20cv, and so on and it's quick and convenient which is nice.

I may try that microbeveling technique. The knife I’m currently using as my daily is a PM2 in s35VN. It’s stays decently sharp for a few days but as soon as it touches something like a porcelain plate to cut a steak it quickly loses its hair-shaving ability.

Also, is the 2300 diamond stone or lapping film worth picking up? I have just the standard stones and tapes that come with the EP apex 4 kit.

 

[BadComrade]

Hey a guy named William Glasser once said "Find an activity that you like and do it as if your life and your sanity depend on it . . . because they do". He's a shrink and is talking about meditating basically.
As he says some people swing a bat some people play golf some people . . .
well you get the idea.
He says a period of twenty or thirty minutes is good.
Going for a run to effect a minimum of positive cardiovascular effect takes about that long.
Sitting meditation takes about that long.

. . . oh look sharpening a knife takes about that long . . .
Could sharpening be YOUR preferred meditation ?
(it is mine)
Pity you only get to do what you enjoy only once a week and . . . for such a short time too.

Ha! Thanks for the thoughtful post. It’s beginning to become something I enjoy doing and somewhat therapeutic... used to not be that way. I didn’t realize the time it was going to take to use this machine correctly... I messed up a few knives worth more money than I’d like to admit.... so the process began as frustrating and a chore. And that’s really why I didn’t want to stray away from that yellow 20 degree line to save me some frustration.

Honestly tonight I’m going to try the microbevel technique tonight... fingers crossed It’ll be meditating

 

[Wowbagger]

as soon as it touches something like a porcelain plate to cut a steak it quickly loses its hair-shaving ability.

This surprises you ? ? ? ? ?
There is no knife in existence that this would not happen to up to and including a blade made from diamond.
The diamond would most likely fracture and crumble at the apex.

Your expectations maaaaaaay be set a little high there pardoner.
PS: I cut steak all the time on a porcelain plate, with a Case Trapper in CV that I have set aside for that purpose. The portion that actually rubs on the plate gets . . . basically flattened . . . in no time.
Hence the reason for cutting boards.
And somebody set me down and explain to me reeeeeel slow why anyone would use a marble cutting board other than to keep pastry dough cold while cutting out cookies with cookie cutters. Pure ignorance of knife use is my guess.

 

[BadComrade]

This surprises you ? ? ? ? ?
There is no knife in existence that this would not happen to up to and including a blade made from diamond.
The diamond would most likely fracture and crumble at the apex.

Your expectations maaaaaaay be set a little high there pardoner.
PS: I cut steak all the time on a porcelain plate, with a Case Trapper in CV that I have set aside for that purpose. The portion that actually rubs on the plate gets . . . basically flattened . . . in no time.
Hence the reason for cutting boards.
And somebody set me down and explain to me reeeeeel slow why anyone would use a marble cutting board other than to keep pastry dough cold while cutting out cookies with cookie cutters. Pure ignorance of knife use is my guess.

Haha I’ve only been really into knives for maybe two years now and when you read article after article about super steels I start to believe my knife could withstand anything haha. Need to start adjusting my expectations

 

[brando555]

Also, is the 2300 diamond stone or lapping film worth picking up? I have just the standard stones and tapes that come with the EP apex 4 kit.

Yeah I'm really liking them so far. I really like diamond for honing steels like s30v, s35vn, s110v and what not. Leaves a really keen, razor sharp edge. If you don't want to invest in the diamond matrix stones yet you could at least try out the lapping films, its easy to cut them to size and use them with your existing 1x6" blanks. The 3 micron establishes a microbevel pretty quick, and it's pretty easy to maintain with just a few passes.

I usually buy them from here but they are just 3M brand diamond films and you can find them in varying sizes around the web http://www.leevalley.com/us/wood/page.aspx?cat=1,43072&p=68943

 

[Chris "Anagarika"]

My touch up is on worn DMT EEF or Spyderco UF rod, free hand, but my edges are free hand so it’s easier to match the angle. A bit more damaged, it went down to EF.