Full sharpmaker setup vs. edgepro cost

As an alternative point of view, in that price range, I prefer the KME system. I have all three, plus a few more. The edgepro produces great edges, but it's the least used system I own.
 
LeftyMatt said:
Considering just getting the sharpmaker to start. I have just heard the diamond rods aren't the best and if I were to have to reprofile it would still take a long time. I do prefer a standard 20 degree though which the sp does. Is the sharpmaker sufficient for steels such as s35v and m390?
Click to expand...
Yes, the SM is sufficient for such steels ... within reason. I use it on ZDP189, S35V and S110V.

The diamond rods are good. The CBN rods are considered 'better' only because an improved manufacturing process enables the CBN particles to adhere to the metal substrate better.

Both the diamond and CBN rods are 400 grit. And this is where the issue is for serious repair/reprofile work. Even on my DMT system, I find the Coarse 325grit stones inadequate for such work and prefer the X-Coarse 220grit and even the XX-Coarse 120grit stones.

I used my CBN rods to reprofile a Delica in ZDP that had uneven bevels. It took awhile at 400grit but it worked.

Which is why I ordered the 250grit Eze-Lap Diamond Files.

It's also why the Atoma 140 stone is so popular.
 
I don't mind if it take a long while, as long as it is possible. And that it makes a pretty edge that is sharp. Thanks for the super informative replys everyone.

TravisH said:
Yes, the SM is sufficient for such steels ... within reason. I use it on ZDP189, S35V and S110V.

The diamond rods are good. The CBN rods are considered 'better' only because an improved manufacturing process enables the CBN particles to adhere to the metal substrate better.

Both the diamond and CBN rods are 400 grit. And this is where the issue is for serious repair/reprofile work. Even on my DMT system, I find the Coarse 325grit stones inadequate for such work and prefer the X-Coarse 220grit and even the XX-Coarse 120grit stones.

I used my CBN rods to reprofile a Delica in ZDP that had uneven bevels. It took awhile at 400grit but it worked.

Which is why I ordered the 250grit Eze-Lap Diamond Files.

It's also why the Atoma 140 stone is so popular.
Click to expand...
 
If you've never sharpened a knife, and after reading the stickies, haven't been swayed to try freehand, then something like the edge pro is exactly what you need. Why settle for anything less than guided angles that can't be screwed up with bad technique?

The sharpmaker is great, but very limited, and still pretty dependent on some prior knowledge and technique. Just more to go wrong for a newb. Just look here daily. You'll find that the percentage of sharpmaker troubleshooting questions is quite high for a system that should seems to be foolproof at first glance

I am very biased that anyone into knives should learn to freehand, I admit. But for anyone not interested in freehand, I objectively believe that for anyone just starting out, the edge pro is worth every cent over the sharpmaker as a standalone kit.

If you go sharpmaker, you will inevitably end up spending more than the money saved to get it to do what you need anyway. The edge pro can take you there as is.

So yeah, the sharpmaker is awesome, but limited for a newb, compared to a guided system like the edge pro.

Good luck.
 
Last edited:
LeftyMatt said:
I don't mind if it take a long while, as long as it is possible. And that it makes a pretty edge that is sharp. Thanks for the super informative replys everyone.
Click to expand...

In my experience the time it took was the problem, it's a slow process. I wasn't seeing results fast enough so I'd lose focus & get bored or try to rush which all resulted in sloppy work. I could get a knife very sharp with it, but the time it took to get there or see results was to long for me personally. I still use the sharpmaker rods often but I use them freehand to touch up edges.
 
Tony18 said:
In my experience the time it took was the problem, it's a slow process. I wasn't seeing results fast enough so I'd lose focus & get bored or try to rush which all resulted in sloppy work. I could get a knife very sharp with it, but the time it took to get there or see results was to long for me personally. I still use the sharpmaker rods often but I use them freehand to touch up edges.
Click to expand...

exactly - its not that it takes too long - its that you lose focus or rush and do a crap job
20-30 strokes is fine, 200-300 to reprofile is too many.

its much better for just keeping a sharp edge sharp, regular touch ups
 
I have lots of sharpening equipment. By FAR my most used tools are the SM, a couple stones, a glass smooth steel from handamerican, and strops. I only use the edge pro if the edge needs a completely different angle, or is heavily damaged.

Being a beginner, I'd highly recommend a sharp maker for you, or simply learning to freehand.

If you're set on the edge pro, go for it man. But I'll tell you this - it's a PITA to set up, dial in, and use. My left hand doesn't want to do what my right hand does easily. If you get one, you'll see what I mean instantly.
 
L
AntDog said:
I have lots of sharpening equipment. By FAR my most used tools are the SM, a couple stones, a glass smooth steel from handamerican, and strops. I only use the edge pro if the edge needs a completely different angle, or is heavily damaged.

Being a beginner, I'd highly recommend a sharp maker for you, or simply learning to freehand.

If you're set on the edge pro, go for it man. But I'll tell you this - it's a PITA to set up, dial in, and use. My left hand doesn't want to do what my right hand does easily. If you get one, you'll see what I mean instantly.
Click to expand...


How often do you come across edges that need different angles or heavily damaged? And I am quite curious what you mean by your last comment haha
 
I'm not gonna lie but free handing is very intimidating to me.. However the more I have been researching, the more interested I become. If the sharpmaker is considered a good entry lvl into freehand then I may just start with it.

Since I only have two higher end blades at the moment, I have considered having a professional sharpen them for me and then use the sharpmaker to touch up. At the same time practice on my lower end knives (which are the ones that need the most work)
 
I learned freehanding the hard way as a kid from my dad just keep going till the knife gets sharp... I got pretty good at experimenting and luckily my dad didn't care if I tore up a stone or a knife he'd give me cheap knives already with a decent edge and a river stone at times or a good whet but one thing I learned is if you have a knife that already has a decent edge you can learn your angles easier when you go lightly and get a feel for it. I hadn't sharpened knives for a long time and got a sharpmaker and after a few months of using it I tried my hand at freehand again and I'm good at it but I only use it for certain knives, my work knife is all about the sharpmaker. I've played with it all and there is no greater stress relief then a good stone and the knife moving along it. Sometimes at work I'll bring in one of the sharpmaker ceramic triangles and touch up my knives freehand so I don't make much noise. It is worth it to learn and understand but at the end of the day it's what's best for you and your finished product no one cares about how pure the method is when the knife cuts what it's supposed to cut well.
 
LeftyMatt said:
L


How often do you come across edges that need different angles or heavily damaged? And I am quite curious what you mean by your last comment haha
Click to expand...

Not often. At all. From your post after this one, a sharpmaker would be right up your alley.

What I was talking about on the edge pro is that I have no problem holding the knife with my left hand and sharpening with my right... When I switch, it is an abnormal PITA. It just feels almost impossible sometimes.

If I were you I'd just get a sharpmaker. Once you get the hang of how it works, try your hand at freehand sharpening. It's pretty much the same thing only laid horizontal. Just keep a consistent angle and you're golden.

Best of luck no matter what you choose.
 
A lot of hunting and tactical knives are over 20 degrees/side. Those would be very difficult to do on the Sharpmaker, even with the CBN rods. I can use a marker and find the angle in seconds on the Edge Pro. If people ask you to sharpen their knives, those are usually really dull and are best handled with the Edge Pro as well.
 
I'll throw out another option. I didn't originally because the question was simply between the apex and SM. But since other options have been mentioned, here goes.

Please check out the KME system, with Gold Diamond stones. It's actually my favorite guided system and used the most out of all the sharpeners I have. I believe the price is near (or just under) the EdgePro by the time you add the stand (which I like), and a lot less than WickedEdge. But with it you have a clamped blade guided system that will be easier to learn and get immediate results with pretty much any steel.

For me the EdgePro still required a steep learning curve, plus the dextrose issues mentioned above. You need to be as accurate with both hands as you go from side to side on the blade. Both right and left hand are needed to be as accurate in fine motor skills for the blade to come out perfect.

But with the KME, the blade is clamped and rotates from side to side. Thus allows the user to work the stone by whatever hand is dominant, for either side of blade.

You can also work the blade on the stand, or simply hand held. I've spent many hours sitting in bed just watching TV while I work an edge. If you haven't purchased yet, it's worth checking out.

I bought mine with little confidence because I had already spent so much money on sharpening systems. But even after dozens and dozens of hours practicing on the EP, I still had problems fine tuning with both right and left hands. Now I really wish I had just started out here. I would have saved many hundreds of dollars, and spent a lot less hours working. Now the KME and Sharpmaker handle probably 99% of all my sharpening.
 
Bflying you had to come and throw a curveball! This actually has me quite intrigued and I am going to look more into it. I am at work but I glanced at Amazon and they look to have several configurations. Which do you think would be a good buy? Also how is the durability and quality of this system? Will it hold up like the edgepro? thanks for the suggestion
 
Whichever system, get diamond stones.

What's nice about the KME is that it can use DMT 4" stones. (DMT actually makes the KME diamond stones.)

I already have a complete set of DMT stones for use with my DMT Aligner systems. The KME is very good but I don't think it's 3x better than the DMT ($50 vs $150).
 
Travis when you say dmt stones do you mean to lay on the sharpmaker like you post earlier? Or does dmt actually make a type of system?
 
LeftyMatt said:
Travis when you say dmt stones do you mean to lay on the sharpmaker like you post earlier? Or does dmt actually make a type of system?
Click to expand...
Yes.

DMT makes a guided system called the 'Aligner' which is similar to other systems like the Lansky and KME.

The KME's 4" diamond stones are made by DMT. These stones are interchangeable with the Aligner's 4" stones. They measure 4" x 7/8" x 3/16".

You can also use the DMT stones horizontally like a free-hand stone or prop them up on a Sharpmaker as shown previously.
 
Personally I think the KME is worth every penny. But if you buy from anywhere but the manufacturer directly, make sure you get the Gold 4 stone set. Some of the older sets only had 3 stones, and you had to buy a coarse 140 separately.

I liked having the stand in the beginning. It allowed me to concentrate on the edge and one less thing to deal with. I now only use the stand about half the time. But it's nice to have the option.

I also recommend a kangaroo strop and cbn emulation (I have two strops, and 1.5 and 4 micron cbn). If you think you might want to attempt a full polish, it's kind of fun, if you have the funds for it. You can always add them later.

If you go direct, you may work a bargain and get the stand and a strop tossed in the deal. He had a promo running a couple months back with those two items free with full package purchase. He's also a great guy, and good to have on your team if you ever have sharpening questions relating to his system.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top