First Time Sharpening ZDP-189 and ELMAX

[swarthys]

I'm new to the forum, and this is my first post -- but I had to crow to someone. I am slowly learning how to sharpen my knives after having been a knife collector for several years. After struggling to get good results with a Lansky system and Spyderco Sharpmaker (mostly due to my poor technique, I am sure) I finally purchased an Edge Pro Apex and have been using it for a couple of weeks. I finally got brave enough to try sharpening my ZDP-189 Delica 4 and my ZT0566 in ELMAX and have been very thrilled with the results. I did not attempt to re-profile the factory edges -- I just started with the 220 grit stone after setting the angle and worked my way slowly up through the finer stones and polishing tapes. I was able to get a scary sharp mirror-polished edge on both knives.

I practiced on a couple of my lower-end Kershaws with softer steels first. A number of forum posts and reviews I had read scared me off of starting with the ZDP and ELMAX, but I didn't find them all that hard to sharpen. In my limited experience, it seems that patience and consistency of technique are the keys to getting the refined edge that I am looking for.

Now I am slowly working my way through drawers full of knives that are very dull or just need touching up.

 

[bpeezer]

Welcome to the forum! It's nice to hear about great first results on some of the harder steels, but we would love to see pictures too

 

[samuraistuart]

Glad you were able to sharpen those steels to the level you wanted! I was in the same box....wondering how much harder it would be to sharpen ZDP189 over the other steels. Ordered a Miyabi 66MC (ZDP189) Santoku.....I can't tell the difference in sharpening it over my custom carbon knives in Blue 2 or O1 or O7 that are at 64, 61, and 63.

 

[6sigma]

I finally purchased an Edge Pro Apex and have been using it for a couple of weeks. I finally got brave enough to try sharpening my ZDP-189 Delica 4 and my ZT0566 in ELMAX and have been very thrilled with the results.

Been waffling between the WE & the Edge Pro for a week or two. Your post may put me firmly in the Edge Pro camp. (to clamp or not to clamp - that has been my question)

 

[swarthys]

Been waffling between the WE & the Edge Pro for a week or two. Your post may put me firmly the Edge Pro camp. (to clamp or not to clamp - that has been my question)

I was kind of in the same boat, although I think the WE does have some advantages. I will say that your hands get pretty tired holding the blade steady on the EP's table to prevent blade wobble, especially if the blade you're sharpening doesn't have a very large flat area. Plus, you have to keep flipping the knife over to work both sides. However, the build quality of the EPA and stones is very nice and I think it is a lot less expensive to get into an EP than the WE. Either way, you'll have a very effective sharpening system.

 

[swarthys]

Welcome to the forum! It's nice to hear about great first results on some of the harder steels, but we would love to see pictures too

Here are some quick and dirty pics. The edges look pretty good, except there is a little bit of inconsistency toward the very heel of the blade on the Delica. That's because the bevel flares out where it meets the ricasso. I wish that all blades had even just a tiny choil at the heel of the cutting edge like the 0566 to make that part easier to sharpen.

 

[skivic]

Edges came out great, what grit did you stop at?

 

[lynus]

Very cool. The edge pro is an awesome tool for setting a specific angle on a blade. Drill stop collar and a diamond/hard lapping stone are necessities for high level results. Heel and tip are by far the most difficult areas with the EP.

Congrats on your results.