For Those Of You With An EdgePro...

Blues

Blues

hovering overhead
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...I'm curious what angle setting you prefer to use on your pocket knives.

Thanks for sharing. :cool:
 
This depends on the knife and what I'm using it for. Generally it will either be 30 or 40 degrees.

What I've found works best on my Sebbie is a back grind of 30 on the Edgepro then I grind a micro bevel of 40 on the Sharpmaker and finish off on a leather strop (no compound). Slices like you wouldn't believe and the edge lasts quite a while with the occasional strop on the leather.

On the other hand, I put a straight 40 on the SnG with the Edgepro.

I took a friends filleting knife down to 20 on the Edgepro and he tells me it cuts like a laser and holds an edge well.
 
Depends a lot on the steel you are sharpening, steels like VG-10, S30V, M4, S90V, ZDP, can all handle 15 or less but because you are cutting perfect stright bevels you might need to add a slight microbevel. I sharpen all my knives in the 15-20deg area, some even less. You will know when you go to low with a steel because it will have a hard time polishing out (a burr that never goes away) kinda like the steel is falling apart as you sharpen. Also in use even on softer materials the edge will micro-chip.

I don't have a edge pro but I do have almost everything else including a DMT aligner clamp that I will sometimes use with my benchstones. Its nice because it's fast and stright bevels feel the sharpest but you do suffer a slight loss in edge toughness.
 
Thanks, fellas. I'm familiar with sharpening freehand, with the DMT Aligner and Gatco systems...I'm really just trying to get some feedback from folks using the EdgePro specifically just to provide some data points.
(I totally understand about the different steels and characteristics.) :cool::thumbup:
 
Blues said:
Thanks, fellas. I'm familiar with sharpening freehand, with the DMT Aligner and Gatco systems...I'm really just trying to get some feedback from folks using the EdgePro specifically just to provide some data points.
(I totally understand about the different steels and characteristics.) :cool::thumbup:
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One thing with the Edgpro is that it can be a bit tricky to get exact angles, especially if the knife has a deep, non flat grind or some strange shape.

I don't really concern myself with exact angles as such, just so that they are even.
 
I set the angle to 15-degrees. I figure that gives me 12- to 13-degrees per side when half the height of the spine in factored in. I then create a microbevel of 15-degrees per side with a Sharpmaker. I can touch up for months with the Sharpmaker this way on my heavily-used knives.
 
One thing to think about is, the EP really puts on a strait edge bevel. Depending on what you want looks or a cutter, a low edge angle on a thickly ground knife can give you a very wide edge bevel. The wide edge bevel can be very ugly and wouldn't be what some one concerned more with the looks would want. With that I'm also kind of interested if most people try to stick to the edge their knife came with or do most EP users change the angle?
 
Bill,

I know in the Apex booklet Ben Dale recommends the 21* setting for pocket knives initially and then talks about taking the bevel down a degree or two at a time (if desired) on subsequent sharpenings.

Since I have little to no real experience with the system as yet I am curious as to how folks here on the forums are using theirs.

For example, on the occasions I use the Gatco clamp with the DMT Magna-Guide setup, I rebevel to 15* as a rule and finish up on the fine or ultra-fine Spyderco rods (for burr removal and a refined edge).

Most of the time I sharpen freehand.

That said, I've heard from at least one respected comapanero that he consistently gets excellent results using the EP at about 20* and finishes up on the Sharpmaker.

My thinking was that if such good results were available at 20* or so, it would not only be easier to accomplish, but would put much less wear and tear both on the blades themselves (less steel removed) and the EdgePro stones (a minor issue).

So, let's hear from more of the EdgePro users on their settings of choice for pocket knives.
 
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I always found it to be a chore to use the edgepro to change the bevel from say 20 degrees to 15 degrees all in one session. So Ben Dale's advice is good. First session just even the bevels up using an angle as close to the original as possible. Next session take it down a degree or two if you want. Etc.

Around my place I sharpen folders and sheath knives to 15 degrees per side. The kitchen knives get 20 degrees per side. They were chipping too bad in use at 15. (My 12 straight razors are all about 9 degrees per side.)
 
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I've only had mine a few weeks but I have reprofiled several knives to various angles to better take advantage of the steel. Having done a couple by hand before, the Edge Pro is MUCH easier and puts on a very straight bevel if you do your part. As to the exact angle, I must approximate, since by the time I realized math skills could help with knives I was already through with school, but for a D2 small fixed I reprofiled to approx. 30 degrees included. On a similar s30v I am working on now I went to approx 20 deg. included. A couple of 1095s and O-1s went down to about 25 included. The s30v is the only one so far I have any regret about. Not the angle, I haven't finished yet and therefor have not tried it, but the material is damn near abrasion proof compared to even D2 and due to slight chamfering of the spine/primary grind angle which I forgot to take into account at first, it looks very sloppy and will take another forever to fix up.
 
Good info so far...thanks guys. Keep 'em coming if you don't mind. :thumbup:
 
It depends upon the steel and what I intend to cut with that knife. My AUS8 Boker Trance I use 20º/side, my D2 Paramilitary it's 15º, my Victorinox SAK blades it's 20º, and when I get my S30V Mini Rukus it'll pro'lly be 18º.
 
Since the question is EP specific, I usually re-grind the edge to the black mark, then put a micro-bevel about halfway between the red and black. Black is 10 deg, red is 15. That's for pocket knives.
 
Sodak,

What's the average (ball park) time spent grinding a bevel down that far? (I realize it would vary based upon steel, geometry etc but just wanted to get an idea.)

Thanks.
 
For pocketknives, it's not bad, probably 1/2 hour tops. I'm talking about Spyderco Caly Jrs and 3's, CS Medium Trailguides (still the most overlooked knife ever), and knives like that. For others such as the Queen Hunter, maybe a little longer. Not much.

I find that the time it takes really doesn't depend on the steel much at all. It depends much more on the primary grind thickness. CS Trailmasters and Busse SH-E's took me a couple of hours (and coarse stones) each. Chewing through a Dozier in D2 took 10 minutes, thanks to the high hollow grind.
 
Thanks, sodak and to all who have replied thus far. :thumbup:



While we're on the subject of angles and EP's...how many of you tape your blades (to protect the finish) vs. letting the chips fall where they may?
 
Blues said:
While we're on the subject of angles and EP's...how many of you tape your blades (to protect the finish) vs. letting the chips fall where they may?
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I haven't used my EP on any folders but I've sharpened/re-profiled around twenty fixed blades and I've never needed to tape the blades to prevent scratching. However, I have found that a couple layers of duct tape on the bed offers a lot more protection than the blue tape.
 
I like and use the 18 setting quite often but also the 21 I think it is that is next. Both of those seem to fit most needs to me. 15 is nice for some knives if the steel can handle it. I have done a lot of 15 angles for others followed by a secondary bevel at the 18 or 21 setting on some easier to chip blades where some micro fractures or edge chips occurred. S30V is one I have had requests to do this on and some S60V less frequently and a couple D2 blades as well.

The EP will put a nice professional looking even bevel on the blades just tape off the blade. I say the blade. I believe the inventor says use the tape on the sharpener but in my experience its till quite easy to scratch the spine up doing that as well as to get grit down on the tape that you then set the knife on and slide it all over only do learn you scratched up the blade. For me thats unacceptable since many times its someone else's blade so I tape the blade itself. I use duct tape for this over painters tape. Painters tape doesn't stick for crap IMO. I'm sure that the tape changes the angle I am actually putting on the blade I sharpen but not enough to make any noticed diff. The EP is the best sharpener I've used FWIW and my default sharpener at this writing although I do use the belt on my customs before finishing up with my EP.

STR
 
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