Edge Pro Questions

[SteelSnob]

I'm thinking about getting my first edge pro and I'm wondering if it holds the angle for me or do I need to know how to keep the angle myself?

Also I want to be able to strop with it , rebevel and everything in between so which one should I get? I don't want to leave anything out I will need to get my blades hair whittling sharp.

Any other advice or reccomendations are welcome. I'm using a DMT Aligner kit now and I'm doing ok with it for the most part.

Thanks.

 

[sodak]

It holds the angle for you. Make sure you get the video/dvd with it, and pay close attention. It's very easy to learn, and you will be VERY pleased with the results.

 

[stitchawl]

I'm thinking about getting my first edge pro and I'm wondering if it holds the angle for me or do I need to know how to keep the angle myself?

The EdgePro will hold any angle that you set, and hold it at the EXACT angle. No slippage or free play as you get with the DMT Aligner. If you keep careful records when you sharpen, you'll be able to re-set the EdgePro to the same EXACT angle every time you sharpen a particular blade. It's up to you to keep the records. I usually forget to do so.

Also I want to be able to strop with it , rebevel and everything in between so which one should I get? I don't want to leave anything out I will need to get my blades hair whittling sharp.

The Apex works just as well as the Pro. The difference is in how it sits on the work shop table. (The Pro will also sharpen scissors. I don't think I've ever needed sharper scissors. I still use the ones with the rounded tips. I never, ever run with them! ) When you order your EdgePro, get the full stone set and also an extra 120 grit stone. That's the only one that seems to noticeably wear out. Also order extra polishing tapes and 3-4 extra stone blanks. You can mount your DMT stones on the blanks for diamond re-profiling should you really need to, and you can mount leather for stropping. (You'll probably need to put on 2-3 thicknesses of leather to match the thickness of a stone and get the same angles.)

Any other advice or reccomendations are welcome.

Use plenty of water. Add a squirt of water to wash away metal dust every few minutes. Don't worry about washing away the stone slurry. That forms very quickly. This washing is especially important as you get to the higher grit stones. With them, I wash after every 5-10 strokes (or less) of the stone. I keep shop towels on the table on either side of the EdgePro. I use a lot of water.

When you set up the platform and the spine support, only have the minimum edge exposed over the end of the platform. Less is better.

Don't bear down on the stone arm. You don't need much pressure at all. Just the weight of your hand pressing it down to the blade is more than enough. Use even less pressure as you move up the grits. By the time you've reached the polishing tapes the only pressure should be from the weight of the stone arm itself, with NO pressure from you at all.

Be VERY SURE that you are keeping the stone moving 90° to the edge. If the blade curves, move the blade on the platform so the stone is still moving at 90 degrees.

Work one side until you raise a burr along the entire edge before you switch to the other side. Then raise a full burr with that side before moving to the next higher grit stone. Be sure that you actually are creating a burr on that second side, not just pushing over the first burr. When I'm doing a knife, I create that first burr, flip the knife and create a second burr, then I do it AGAIN, but with only a very teeny tiny burr on each side just to be sure. After a while, you can feel when a burr is beginning to form and stop there, saving some metal. Then move to the next stone and do it all again. As you use finer grits, you will be making much smaller burrs. None at all when you reach the polishing tape stages.

Some people like to put a strip of masking tape on the sides of the blade to protect it from scratches. If you're working on a 'special knife' and don't want to see any imperfections on the sides, tape them before you start to sharpen. Personally, I don't do this with my knives, but I do rinse the blade platform with a squirt of water from time to time.

I use a back-and-forth motion with the stones, but stroke only one way with the polishing tapes and leather strop - spine to edge for them. With the polishing tapes I wash them (and the blade) with every stroke. For stropping, I use diamond compound followed by CrO2 compound followed by a bare leather strop, all at the same angles that the edge was sharpened to.

Some folks want an ultra fine scratch pattern finish for a shaving sharp knife. I want the finished edge to be so mirror-perfect I can use IT for my shaving mirror! You can get that in just a few minutes with an EdgePro. So mirror perfect that you can read a newspaper in the reflection... if you can read backwards.

I'm using a DMT Aligner kit now and I'm doing ok with it for the most part.
Thanks.

If you can use a DMT Aligner, you'll have no problems with an EdgePro. You WILL get a better edge. The DMT's stone guide rod goes through a large hole allowing quite a bit of freeplay in the guide angle. There is absolutely none with the EdgePro. The angle you set is the angle you get. Enjoy your new sharpening device, and know that there is simply nothing better on the market today for hand sharpening any knife you have!

Stitchawl

 

[SteelSnob]

Thank you. That's a lot of good information and I'm going to bookmark this for future use.

 

[stitchawl]

The places where people seem to run into the most difficulty are;
too much pressure on the stone arm
not keeping the angle of the stone arm 90 degrees to the edge
not creating a burr along the ENTIRE edge before changing sides or stones
not using enough water to create a slurry
trying too hard. Relax. This isn't rocket science.

Stitchawl

 

[KarlMaldensNose]

When you order your EdgePro, get the full stone set and also an extra 120 grit stone. That's the only one that seems to noticeably wear out. Also order extra polishing tapes and 3-4 extra stone blanks. You can mount your DMT stones on the blanks for diamond re-profiling should you really need to, and you can mount leather for stropping. (You'll probably need to put on 2-3 thicknesses of leather to match the thickness of a stone and get the same angles.)

Can you elaborate on how DMT stones can be used on the stone blank? Which DMT stones will fit? Will they be correct thickness to match that of an Edgepro stone? And are DMTs really necessary, isn't the 120 grit stone sufficient for reprofiling? Is the use of DMT advantageous to the 120 stone because it wears so much more slowly while cutting more quickly?

For stropping, I use diamond compound followed by CrO2 compound followed by a bare leather strop, all at the same angles that the edge was sharpened to.

So you go through all the available polishing tapes then finish with CrO2 followed by leather? Is the CrO2 applied to leather, which is then in turn affixed to a stone blank? I'm surprised the polishing tapes are not fine enough to finish with, even for you.

I'm toying with buying an Apex instead of trying to figure out which Diasharps to commit to. I won't be saving any money with this choice so I'm trying to keep costs down... in this vein would it be advisable to skip all the polishing tapes and finish with just the CrO2 and leather you mentioned, or is that too much of a jump from the highest grit stone to CrO2?

Sorry about all the questions but you seem very knowledgeable and helpful on this matter. Thanks.

 

[stitchawl]

Can you elaborate on how DMT stones can be used on the stone blank? Which DMT stones will fit? Will they be correct thickness to match that of an Edgepro stone? And are DMTs really necessary, isn't the 120 grit stone sufficient for reprofiling? Is the use of DMT advantageous to the 120 stone because it wears so much more slowly while cutting more quickly?

There is no need to use diamond stones. There is only some people's desire to use diamond stones. I find that the 120 grit stone cuts fast enough for me. That being said, when I've had to re-profile several very large, very thick-bladed knives for some friends, I did use a diamond stone to do so just to save wear and tear on the 120.

And no, the thickness wasn't quite the same between stones. Perhaps there was a degree or two of difference, but for thinning out the blades this wasn't an issue for me. I think that the final bevel's angle is the more important one, and for that I prefer the waterstones anyway.

So you go through all the available polishing tapes then finish with CrO2 followed by leather?

And then some!! I have polishing film that goes all the way to 15,000. I don't bother with adhesives for them; I just wrap them over the base and clip them with a 'bulldog' paper clamp

Is the CrO2 applied to leather, which is then in turn affixed to a stone blank? I'm surprised the polishing tapes are not fine enough to finish with, even for you.

The polishing tapes and films are normally good enough. In fact, I often don't even bother going to that degree of finish. I might choose to finish at 600 grit for some types of cutting with certain knives. But... there are times when I want 'The Perfect Edge.' (Note the capital letters. ) I don't need it. I don't think it's going to cut open my mail, slice my apple, or cut a fuzz stick noticeably better at 60,000 grit than at 4,000. I just want it. If I'm sharpening for a friend or client I want it to look better. I want an edge so mirror perfect that it doesn't even distort type. Note that I keep saying 'want.' Not 'need.' As for stropping, I mount a piece of leather (doubled or tripled to the correct thickness) on to a stone blank, add the compound I want to use and strop the edge following the same angle at which I sharpened. I have several strops that I've made for the EdgePro, each with a different compound or bare leather.

I'm toying with buying an Apex instead of trying to figure out which Diasharps to commit to.

I'm sorry to say that I don't think one replaces the other. Each has its uses. Although I say EdgePro is the very best, I still use a Sharpmaker in the Kitchen, carry a DMT Aligner and wet/dry sandpaper when backpacking, and use a RazorEdge clamp for sharpening broadheads! All could be done with an EdgePro. I just think I wouldn't want to carry an EdgePro backpacking, and have no need to use the RazorEdge clamp in the Kitchen when the Sharpmaker does such a fine job for kitchen knives.

I won't be saving any money with this choice so I'm trying to keep costs down... in this vein would it be advisable to skip all the polishing tapes and finish with just the CrO2 and leather you mentioned, or is that too much of a jump from the highest grit stone to CrO2?

Of course you could skip any stage of grit and go beyond. It will just take a lot longer to do with the higher grit. Forget buying the tapes from EdgePro. If you want, you can always find some at your local hardware store for a lot less money. CrO2 works very well, especially when used with the EdgePro. Just keep in mind that it will take 4-5 times more strokes to to directly to it from the stones. That's all. Just another 10-15 minutes of working the strop. The bigger the skip, the longer it will take with the higher grits. Keeping it reasonable, I'd go 120, 300, 600, 2,000 and then strop. Just keep in mind that this will take a lot more effort on your part than if you used the intermediary grits.


Stitchawl

 

[KarlMaldensNose]

There is no need to use diamond stones. There is only some people's desire to use diamond stones. I find that the 120 grit stone cuts fast enough for me. That being said, when I've had to re-profile several very large, very thick-bladed knives for some friends, I did use a diamond stone to do so just to save wear and tear on the 120.

I have a few M4 blades and a very long, thick chopper to deal with in the near future, so I figured some diamond instead of 120 grit stone makes sense. Anybody have experience with M4 and Edgepro stones and tapes?

I'm sorry to say that I don't think one replaces the other. Each has its uses.

I really didn't want to hear that. Thanks for being honest, though.

Forget buying the tapes from EdgePro. If you want, you can always find some at your local hardware store for a lot less money.
Stitchawl

Would 3M Micro-Abrasive sheets work well? Other than these I'm not sure I've ever seen polishing tape/strips anywhere.

 

[stitchawl]

Would 3M Micro-Abrasive sheets work well? Other than these I'm not sure I've ever seen polishing tape/strips anywhere.

Any abrasive that will cut metal will work. The question really is, is it the grit you want to use. Where I live, the finest 3M Micro Abrasives sheets only go up to 1,000 grit. However, in some of the better home center/hardware shops I can find other brands of abrasive films that get much finer.

Remember, you can probably get wet/dry sandpaper to 2,000 grit, and that stuff works very well. A lot of woodcarvers only sharpen on sandpaper mounted on a piece of plate glass. That was the origin of the term "Scary Sharp." If you have big choppers (machete, parang, etc.,) to sharpen, you can always get some 80 grit wet/dry, 120, 220, 360, 420, 600, 800, 1000, 2,000 and the total cost would be about $10. (The sandpaper works on small blades too.)

Here's a thought for saving money. Buy the EdgePro and one stone and one blank. Wrap the stone with different grits of wet/dry, using the EdgePro to maintain your angles and the sandpaper to do your cutting. PITA but cheap and effective.

Stitchawl