Edge Pro Apex

M

Mr. Clean

Joined
Apr 26, 2007
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I'm thinking of dumping my Sharpmaker and diamond rods for an Edge Pro Apex.
Just the Apex 1 with a 600 grit fine stone should do it for starters eh? Thoughts?
 
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The Edgepro is an excellent, well-made setup, but it's a lot more hassle to use than the Sharpmaker. It also doesn't work as well on recurves as the Sharpmaker. I prefer the Sharpmaker just for ease of use.
 
the sharpmaker is the better of the two id say. but i prefer sandpaper. 600 1200 and 2000 put a wonderful edge on any knife no leather strop or compound required. stick to your sharpmaker for rougher sharpening and buy some sandpaper for mirror finishing. just dont buy 3m
 
You can't say "eh" unless you live further north.:D

Are you only going to have a 600grit stone? I would want several grits.
 
I have both and it would be a bad idea to dump the Sharpmaker. Thin the edge with the Edge Pro; maintain the edge with the Sharpmaker. :thumbup:
 
Isn't the apex model the less expensive of the edge pro models. Does it have the same functionality of the more expensive models, does it lack the adjustability.
 
The Edge-Pro will do anything the Sharpmaker will do, and it will do a million things the SM can't do. The SM is a great tool, it just doesn't have the versatility of the EP.

All in all, the Edge-Pro is several orders of magnitude superior to the SM.

I've been using one for two years now, and I wouldn't trade it for anything.:thumbup:
 
The EdgePro does have a lot of versatility -- more than the Sharpmaker -- and it is an excellent product. I found it difficult to use on knives with a thick spine and distal taper because won't hold a consistent angle for the length of the blade. It's also not as good on recurves as the sharp edges of the SM. It's messy (needs water), and takes some effort to set up and take down.

I don't think the question is which is better, but which better suits your needs. A lot of people would benefit from both. If you do a lot of knives, not so much recurves or thick spines, and have a good place to keep it set up for use with water, then I'd greatly prefer the EdgePro. If you want a perfectly polished edge, I'd also go with the EdgePro. For keeping knives of all shapes and sizes sharp with a minimum of hassle and time, I'd pick the Sharpmaker.
 
The Edge Pro is a nice set up. I love mine. The most important thing about the Edge Pro is the versatility. You can get many stones in many grits. You can use sand paper on a blank. You can get your stones cut to any width you might want. And on and on. (note: You can order your Edge Pro anywhere, but, buy your stones directly from the company. They go out of their way to get you parts most distributors don't even carry)

Finally, the one thing you can't buy anywhere ..........the service. If you need help in just about any aspect of using the Edge Pro you can contact the maker and they will hook you up.
 
Wow. I've ditched my sharpmaker back then because of the edge pro apex. 600 grit is definitely not enough, it's too smooth. Edge pro grits are not ISO grits BTW.
For major metal removal you need 110, and then 220. 320 and 600 for finer edges. Either way, you'll need all 4 stones and if you are into sharpening ceramics then I'd buy their diamond stones too.
Plus, if you want very nice polished edges, get the polishing tape too. That's around 6000 grit Japanese waterstone. Pretty high level of edge sharpness if you ask me.

Especially for the beginners Edge Pro is much better choice. You get to hold steady angle and sharpen very fast. Yes,edge pro has its quirks and learning curve, but that is nothing compared to Sharpmaker. I've seen so many people disappointed and disheartened by it. Not because Sharpmaker doesn't work, absolutely not. It works, but it's not that simple to use for the beginner, and unless you get it with diamond rods it's pretty much impossible to get anything serious done with ceramic stones.

Even when you are proficient with sharpening, edge pro still has its uses. I still use it every once in a while, especially when time is important and I don't need to sharpen convex edges. Or when I need to remove lots of metal fast.
 
Can't you cut and tape different grits of sandpaper to the stone/blank? I don't have the Edgepro, so I can't tell you if it will work, but I don't see any reason why it won't.
 
vcincent said:
Can't you cut and tape different grits of sandpaper to the stone/blank? I don't have the Edgepro, so I can't tell you if it will work, but I don't see any reason why it won't.
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suppose you could, but you would go through an awful lot of sandpaper. its far more cost effective to just get the extra stones in varying grits.

the 1000 and higher grits are taped to the blank, but once you get to those ultra fine strips, there is minimal wear on them.

to the op, just buy the full package. you will end up buying the other stones anyway. its a great system, you'll be very happy with the results. i only use my sharpmaker for touch ups now.
 
vcincent said:
Can't you cut and tape different grits of sandpaper to the stone/blank?
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You can. After all that's exactly what their polishing tape is. Adhesive tape on the blank. They sell glass blanks too.
For very fine grits it'll do. For rough ones you'd be changing sandpaper every waay too often I guess...
 
Gator97 said:
Wow. I've ditched my sharpmaker back then because of the edge pro apex. 600 grit is definitely not enough, it's too smooth. Edge pro grits are not ISO grits BTW.
For major metal removal you need 110, and then 220. 320 and 600 for finer edges. Either way, you'll need all 4 stones and if you are into sharpening ceramics then I'd buy their diamond stones too.
Plus, if you want very nice polished edges, get the polishing tape too. That's around 6000 grit Japanese waterstone. Pretty high level of edge sharpness if you ask me.

Especially for the beginners Edge Pro is much better choice. You get to hold steady angle and sharpen very fast. Yes,edge pro has its quirks and learning curve, but that is nothing compared to Sharpmaker. I've seen so many people disappointed and disheartened by it. Not because Sharpmaker doesn't work, absolutely not. It works, but it's not that simple to use for the beginner, and unless you get it with diamond rods it's pretty much impossible to get anything serious done with ceramic stones.

Even when you are proficient with sharpening, edge pro still has its uses. I still use it every once in a while, especially when time is important and I don't need to sharpen convex edges. Or when I need to remove lots of metal fast.
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Great post Gator thanks for the help. I appreciate your info on the stone grits too. The Sharpmaker is already gone yesterday and I'll call Edge today and adjust my order accordingly to include the more coarse stones and maybe some polishing tape.
I loved my Sharpmaker but I don't have the steady hand to give a knife a true symmetrical edge. A good polished edge from an Edge product is a thing of beauty in symmetry.
I've found that once a good edge is acheived, all I need to do is strop it to keep it up, making the Sharpmaker almost obsolete for touch ups.
Thanks!

Just upgraded my Edge order to the Apex 4 kit. If that works as well as it's supposed to I might be able to offload my japanese stone and holder to offset the cost. There is a zen-like sort of feeling though when working with a water stone...
 
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Mr. Clean said:
true symmetrical edge. A good polished edge from an Edge product is a thing of beauty in symmetry.
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:thumbup: Edge pro is more versatile than just symmetry. You can do perfect asymmetrical edges with it no probs. Compound or double bevels (like sharpmaker can do), except angles will be chosen by you, not fixed. Glad, if I could help ;)
 
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If I were you, and had the money to afford an Apex, I would buy it. But, don't get it with only one stone. A few of them will give you best results. Also, don't dump the sharpmaker - that is much easier to set up, and will let you sharpen certain knives easier than others.
 
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