Edgepro Apex

T. Erdelyi

T. Erdelyi

Joined
Feb 3, 2001
Messages
32,359
I received my Edge Pro yesterday right before I went to a Halloween Party,(couldn't play with it) Than I got home around 10:00 pm last night and I was sharpening, and learning till 3:00 am this morning, all I can say is WOW :eek: :) :D :yawn:

I'll post more about it later, but so far it was worth every penny, what a difference between the Lansky/Gatco jig sharpeners, and the Edge Pro.
 
T,

Looking forward to your impressions! I'm seriously considering buying the Apex.

In particular, can you let us know whether you find it difficult to sharpen smaller (2" to 4" blade) folders with it? Does a small folder with a hollow-ground blade make it even more difficult? Also, is it difficult to avoid scratching the blade on the slurry (do you tape your blades?). My main use for an Apex would be kitchen knives, but I'd really like to be able to sharpen my folders with it, too.

Thanks,

Johnny
 
Are you able to get the edge bevel flat, all the way across the blade? So far I've found that the angle changes along the bevel, and when I switch to higher grits the edge doesn't look consistant. I use a magic marker thoroughly and confirm that all of the ink gets removed on the first pass, but can see the inconsistancy (esp. when I get up to the 3000 tape, I'm not able to hit a flat surface, it's very "wavy").

Anyone else noticed this problem, or have any suggestions? Perhaps I'm totally f'ing this up :)

So far I've been learning on a couple of 3.5" lock-back folders, if that makes a difference.

edge_1.jpg
 
what a difference between the Lansky/Gatco jig sharpeners, and the Edge Pro.
Click to expand...
T, I'm also interested in your comparison. I have the Lansky and it is fine except that I managed to scratch a William Henry with the clamp (even using tape). I am looking for something that will provide precision edge geometry without adding unnecessary "character" to my blades.
 
Originally posted by teknical
Are you able to get the edge bevel flat, all the way across the blade? So far I've found that the angle changes along the bevel, and when I switch to higher grits the edge doesn't look consistant. I use a magic marker thoroughly and confirm that all of the ink gets removed on the first pass, but can see the inconsistancy (esp. when I get up to the 3000 tape, I'm not able to hit a flat surface, it's very "wavy").

Anyone else noticed this problem, or have any suggestions? Perhaps I'm totally f'ing this up :)

So far I've been learning on a couple of 3.5" lock-back folders, if that makes a difference.

edge_1.jpg
Click to expand...

Hope this answers it:
The 3000 grit material gets "dirty" pretty quickly, but can be cleaned with an "Art Gum" eraser. Cleaning it every minute or so until finished seems to make an edge that's amazing. More importantly, give Ben a call with any questions and you'll immediately be certain to have the right answer and then some.
I think that it might not get any better than the Edge Pro Apex. Took me several knives sharpened to really get it right, but once you master the techniques (not too involved, really) it's very, very easy.
 
T. Erdelyi:
I am sure you will continue to enjoy your EdgePro, as I have. I also spent about 6 hours straight sharpening everything in the house with an edge (even added edges to things that beforehand didn't have one). You may discover that your Coarse Stone wears pretty fast. Ben Dale recommends dressing the coarse stone regularly once a "valley" begins to develop. The sand he sent you is for this purpose. (Frankly, mine got so worn that I ended up buying a replacement rather than grind it down with the sand. No patience.) The other stones seem to be a harder material, so far I haven't notice any apparent wear in them.

AnklePocket:
A question. Have you ever tried using a strip of coarse Silicon-Carbide wet-dry sand paper on the mounting block for the 3000x tape. I am considering trying this since the wet-dry paper could be tossed when worn down and replaced with a new strip, unlike the coarse stone which has to be dressed when worn down. The way Ben designed the stone holder it looks perfect for holding a Sil-Carb strip in place against the 3000x block. Let me know your thoughts/experience (as well as those from any other forumites).

Cheers,
TT2Toes
 
I must say that I love my Apex so far. I just got done sharpening up a BM-800 that I bought off ebay for $30! It was advertised as "used, but good condition", and that's pretty much exactly what it was. The blade had some decent nicks in it so I went about taking them out. That 100 grit coarse stone cuts like a mother! Took the nick out in very short order. I only took it down to the 320 stones, opting not to go too fine. I cut about 30 hairs, and only about 10 ended up on the blade. The others all went in other directions. :)

I've only sharpened a handful of knives so far, but I'm going to use the sand and check for evenness on the stones soon to make sure I keep up on it.

JohnnyLightOn: All I've done so far are pocket knives and paring knives in the 4" and under range. It is very easy on the Apex. I checked the BM for scratches jsut now, and the blade is finely scratched, but I'm not sure if that's from the slurry or from before. Either way, I'm personally not too concerned about it because if I use a knife enough to have to resharpen it, it's going to get scratched from use anyway. I'd think as long as you're careful, and clean the rest off with each flip of the knife, you wouldn't have to worry about scratching it at all.

I have a Lansky diamond set sitting here that will never be used again. I never could get it to work very well anyway. The Apex is just sooooooo much easier. It's easily worth every penny.

One more thing. I tend to flap my arms like a chicken when trying to hold something steady from the side. That was my biggest problem in using this. I tried using a rest for my elbow (the toaster was very convienent) and it helped me to keep the knife rock steady while sharpening it. Most people sound like they get the hang of it after a little while, and I'm sure I will eventually too. But for now I'm going to try to make some sort of rest to help steady my arm, thereby keeping the edge angle more consistent.
 
TT2Toes:
Never tried that, but I really can't give an informed answer there. I get 25 3000 grit pieces at a time which is pretty inexpensive and typically one is good for each knife. Might be a good call - Our man Ben would know for sure.
 
I have had good luck with using DMT diamond stones with my Apex Pro.
The knob spacer is the same size as standard plumbing tubing. I
cut a piece just under 3 inches and the 4 3/8" DMT stones work just
fine. No problem with dishing. I generally use the coarse (blue)
hone to raise the burr and after honing off the burr, a few passes
on a strop do the trick.
 
teknical,
Read the instructions;) You're supposed to move the blade so the portion of the edge being sharpened maintains a consistent distance from the blade stop.
I was doing the same thing 'til I got a manual from EdgePro. Bought my Apex used, and it didn't come with one. I still keep the knife steady and let the angle steepen toward the tip sometimes, especially when I'm putting on a thin edge, but want the edge a little stronger toward the tip for scraping stuff, on a chopper that might be hitting the ground or having accidental contacts with hard objects, or whatever other reason.

My .02:
On a smaller blade, I do not tape the blade or the table, and just put a thin piece of toilet paper under the blade. Every few strokes, I rinse the stone, and wipe off the table. I would tape larger blades, since you scoot them along the table as you go, if I cared about scratches on them (which I usually don't).
You can put a paper towel or two underneath the EdgePro, and all you'll have to clean up is some moisture. I always wind up using it on the bathroom counter next to the sink so cleaning up just takes a few seconds.
I lap the stones on flat concrete, or a concrete block. Only takes a few seconds, and will actually prolong the useful life of your coarse stone, since it keeps it from developing hollows. Reversing the stone every time you rinse it also helps, but the last inch on each end has to be lapped down to match the rest of the stone every so often.
Good idea about the wet/dry strip. Might try that. I don't mirror polish many edges, but do use the tapes alot for polishing back bevels, before finishing a steeper, coarser edge.

Even after alot of practice, and many knives rebeveled, I'm still getting better and better results with the EdgePro. At first the results didn't impress me as much as expected. Apparently the process was suffering from an operator deficiency:o
 
Originally posted by Bindlestiff
I have had good luck with using DMT diamond stones with my Apex Pro.
The knob spacer is the same size as standard plumbing tubing. I
cut a piece just under 3 inches and the 4 3/8" DMT stones work just
fine. No problem with dishing. I generally use the coarse (blue)
hone to raise the burr and after honing off the burr, a few passes
on a strop do the trick.
Click to expand...

Do you mount the DMT on a flat plate, or can you use them as is? Is this the diafold stone that you use?

I have been wanting to do the same thing, but unsure how to mount the DMT stones. Thanks!
 
Originally posted by swede79
Do you mount the DMT on a flat plate, or can you use them as is? Is this the diafold stone that you use?

I have been wanting to do the same thing, but unsure how to mount the DMT stones. Thanks!
Click to expand...


I use the DMT stones as is. The ones I use are the same as the diafold but without the folding handle.
 
JohnnyLightOn:
Small folder blades will get scratched (as will your larger Wusthoff or Henckels kitchen blades) from the wet slurry that gets under the blade. If you have bead blasted blades on your folder, these scratches become really conspicuous. To avoid this just put some painters tape on the folder blade, from the spine to within a quarter inch or so of the blade edge - - voila, no scratches. I have found a roll of 1-inch wide, blue, painters tape works great.

Everybody:
On my blades with false edge spines, or substantial ground bevels on the spine, I ran into trouble maintaining the blade flat on the Apex blade table. This was because there was so little flat blade surface with which to align on the Apex blade table. So far I have remedied this by using a heavy duty Pony 3201 clip to secure the blade to the Apex blade table. Even if I only have a small "flat" area of the blade to use, securing it to the blade table with the Pony clip keeps the blade from rolling when sharpened. The tacky rubber tips on the Pony clip, help to secure the blade to the table and prevent scratches.

Anyone else have a favorite remedy for this kind of situation?

TT2Toes
 
Damn it's good to be back, damn computer took a $h*t been down for four days, lots of time to practice on the edge pro.

Some things I've noticed,
1 This thing works best on long Kitchen/Butcher knives, the reason being it's easier to control, because there is more surface area in contact with the blade.

2 No matter how good we think we are free hand, we all tend to rool the blade as we lift it fromm the stone. It takes time to fix what we spent a lot of time screwin' up free hand, and you'll probably never notice till you put a flat bevel back on the edge.

3 Just like becoming proficient free hand sharpening, it takes time and practice.

4 Lastly I've found, that when you think that you have a little more to go till that perfect edge, your probably overdoing it. Also it is important to keep the blade edge parallel to the plate.
 
T. Erdelyi
I think you will find that with use and familiarity, small blades will be just as easy (if not easier) to sharpen on the EdgePro as large blades. In talking with Ben Allen, he emphasized that you don't need much downward pressure against the stone on the cutting stroke. You can practically use the weight of the stone to put the right amount of pressure on the blade. Try a lighter touch and see if you have better control this way. Also, he mentioned that a slower stroke hones better than faster strokes.

Beyond that, the only thing you need is the will to resist sharpening everything in site.
Things not to sharpen on your EdgePro (yuk yuk):
Putty knives
Kitchen Spatula
Kid's ruler
Clipboard Clip
Tweezers
Kid's pumpkin carvers (big mistake!)
Belt buckle
Fingernail file
(other candidates??)

TT2Toes
 
As it happens I've just ordered an Apex. I took advantage of Ben's standard (and very generous) offer to have a blade sharpened by him free of charge. Damn that edge was nice.

Another thing not to sharpen with an Apex :
The Mother-in-laws tounge, it's normally sharp enough :D
 
Found a knife that the edge pro can't sharpen, Cold Steel Mini Pal Push Dagger it's 3/16" thick with a chisel grind, I do believe though if I bought the scissor attachment it would probably work.
 
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