Edge pro general questions. Looking for a great system.

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rc3mil

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I posted it here so it might get more hits than if posted in the maintenance forum. If this is not appreciated, i apologize and please feel free to move it if need be.

That being said here is my question.

Ive tried the Sharpmaker. I have found that unless the edge of your knife matches up perfectly with the 30" or 40" settings, your sharpmaker is useless. Either go out and buy the diamond rods (which i have not tried) and the ultra fine stones or some other reprofiling stones or devices and you will probably be set. Well over $100 spent by now acquiring all the necessary tools in order to maintain and get that scary sharp edge that allot of people want. Sandpaper can also be used as a cheap alternative to the diamond rods. I have done this on one of my kitchen knives and it took me 3 hours to reprofile and get the knife "factory sharp". I made a similar post about my sharpmaker problems but i will not get into that here. If you would like to read the thread it is available here.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=733020

I recently bought a Norton waterstone and i do get better results than the sharpmaker. I used it to reprofile a smaller knife than the one i did on the sharpmaker (same steel, same brand knife) and it came out almost factory sharp. I am happy with the results. But yet again, it took me 3 hours to get it to that level of sharpness and being married with 2 kids and having a full time job which requires knife usage every day, I simply just don't have the time to sit there for 2 - 3 hours and sharpen a knife. Nor do i find sharpening a knife to be enjoyable. I find it tedious and time consuming.

So after all that blabbering, instead of dishing out a whole lot of extra cash on systems and stones and accessories, i was considering just getting the Edge Pro Apex Kit #4 and being done with it all.

What are your thoughts? How long does it usually take to reprofile a blade and put a scary sharp shaving edge on your blades with the Edge Pro? In all honesty, does the Edge Pro work really well and very easily? And do you think it is worth the $235? Is it easy to use or is it gona be a hassle and take me 3 hours to sharpen a 1095 blade like the Sharpmaker and Norton Waterstone? I have always sucked at angles so is this going to be a huge issue when using the Edge Pro?

I am looking for an easy to use system which gives great results in a relatively short time.

If it usually takes you guys about 3 hours to sharpen up your knives, let me know please but i find it a little hard to believe.

Open to all experiences and opinions on the matter. I gladly appreciate any and all feedback posted.

Thanks for taking the time to read this.

rc3mil
 
I'm sure this will get moved because it is the wrong section even if it does get more 'hits'.

The Edge pro is good for reprofiling knives. It holds a consistent angle and lets you put a nice crisp v edge on a knife. However some of the harder steels it does take quite awhile even with the coarse stone. I ended up buying a cheap 10 dollar diamond 'stone' and tearing it apart to get the plate out that the diamonds are mounted on. I cut it in half and it now fits in the Edge pro perfectly and it cuts the metal fast. I can have the bevel roughed in, in about 15 minutes. Then it is another 5 or 10 minutes to work your way through the stones and put a nice sharp edge on it. I find it pretty easy to get a hair popping edge. But I'm not sure it is the best tool to keep your edges sharp. The sharpmaker or a strop is probably better to touch up a knife every day you use it for a minute so as not to let it get dull in the first place. You could use it to touch up the edge but it is a little work setting it up and getting the angle just right. Also, the stones can be a little different thicknesses so after each stone you need to put sharpie on the edge and make small adjustments to the angle to keep a consistent edge bevel angle. It is nice when you need to reprofile or get a really dull knife sharp, so it is up to you whether the price is worth it to do this which may not be all that often. I suggest a strop with diamond spray to keep the edge sharp in between major sharpenings but the Sharpmaker should work well for this too.

I'm in a hurry so hopefully everything makes since and it was at least somewhat helpful.
 
The Edgepro is a superb sharpening system. The sharpmaker is fine for touch ups but can't touch the Edgepro for general sharpening.

The Edgepro has placed razor sharp edges on every knife I own.

Bill
 
for speed and a crazy sharp edge,,go with a belt sander,,I have a 1 by 30 and belts from lee valley,,the system was easy to learn, quicky sharpen any knife,,under 5 minutes on most,
 
I use an Edge Pro to set the bevel and then use a Sharpmaker to maintain the edge. For pocket knives my default is 15 degrees per side. Then I use the Sharpmaker with the rods at the 40 degree setting for touch ups.

The Edge Pro has some limitations as well as a bit of a learning curve. Practice on cheap knives first.

By buying an Edge Pro kit you still won't be done buying stones. You need to keep the stones flat (using them causes them to become dished) and eventually they need to be replaced. This happens fastest with the course stones, which do most of the work. You may also need to buy new polishing tapes if you sharpen enough knives.

It takes me less then an hour to completely reprofile and polish an edge with the Edge Pro. I also have a belt sander, which is much faster, but I'm able to get a more consistent edge with the Edge Pro. Plus polished Edge Pro edges look great, if that matters to you.

I think the Edge Pro is worth it.
 
Belt sanders would be an option but im moving in 2 years to another country and i dont want to lug around a belt sander. I will probably invest in 1 once i settle but for now, looking for a great portable system.
 
FlaMtnBkr summed it up just perfectly. May I add: The system works quite well for me. Reprofiling requires removing more metal than sharpening. Removing more metal requires more time. The time allotment need to go from reprofiling the secondary grind to to a very sharp cosmetically appealing edge on any knife will depend not only on the method used but also on the steel, the hardness, the angle sought, the blade size, geometry, abrasive type and of course user skill and experience Used properly the EdgePro is MUCH faster than a Sharpmaker at reprofiling. If you are currently "angle challenged" then the Edgepro will substantially REDUCE but not totally eliminate angle holding problems. Practice will. The whole Apex kit #3 comes in an 18" X 6" x 2" soft case. It's value is totally up to you. OldDude1
 
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