Gatco Edgemate Pro

[jyeagley]

I got one of these for Christmas, and while it's been fun and easy to use, I'm a little disappointed in the results. My highest quality knife is my Benchmade 710, and the edge I'm putting on it with the Gatco is only slightly better than my hand sharpened edge, able to shave arm hair with some difficulty. I hear the 710 isn't made to be hair whittling sharp, but I still thought you could theoretically use it to shave. I put a 22 degree angle on the primary edge.

I've got a load of questions. I don't have a strop, how much of a difference will that make between barely razor sharp and hair popping sharp?

What is the best result I can expect with a product like the Gatco Edgemate?

How sharp is your Benchmade 710?

Happy New Year, everyone!

 

[Hard H2O]

I have a GATCO Professional as my primary sharpening system. I have added their extra fine and ultimate finishing hones. I also finish, refine, and maintain with leather strops loaded with white and red polishing compound.

The finishing hones and strops are an extra step but once you get a blade sharp they should be what you use for maintenance. You do not often have to go coarser with the stones unless you really dull a blade or you are changing angles.

I get a pleasantly polished and very sharp edge with the GATCO and the strops.

The finishing and stropping makes a big difference between sharp and hair popping sharp.

 

[walleyeguy7]

i have a gatco pro as well. i generally grind back and forth a bit with the medium and then move onto the fine. i grind with the fine away from the edge for sometimes up to 30 minutes to get the edge i want. take the bur off occasionally. strop your knife on the back of a yellow legal pad for 20-30 strokes each side. cardboard also woks.

 

[Hard H2O]

i have a gatco pro as well. i generally grind back and forth a bit with the medium and then move onto the fine. i grind with the fine away from the edge for sometimes up to 30 minutes to get the edge i want. take the bur off occasionally. strop your knife on the back of a yellow legal pad for 20-30 strokes each side. cardboard also woks.

What are all the surfaces that work for stropping? You must be able to strop on pretty much any surface with greater or lesser polishing and refining effect on the edge.

Cardboard, phone books, hard felt, leather, denim pants leg...

The possibilities are endless.

I use yellow legal pad paper to test my edges. I always have a pad handy so for me it is a nice, handy, consistent test. I usually test the edge before and after sharpening. Sometimes I will test during sharpening to ensure that I am making progress between steps or before and after stropping.

 

[rifon2]

I've got a load of questions. I don't have a strop, how much of a difference will that make between barely razor sharp and hair popping sharp?

It will make a huge difference, especially if you use jeweler's compound (white, red, or green) on the strop.

What is the best result I can expect with a product like the Gatco Edgemate?

If it's the model with the diamond hones, you can expect quick and very good results. If you finish with an extra-fine hone you should be able to shave hair from your arm.

Finishing and maintaining with a strop (+ practice) will give you the kind of edge you're looking for.

You do need to practice, though - even with a guided rod system like the Gatco. Might want to try practicing on a knife that's less expensive than your 710.

Another thought - you might want to move the edge to 19 degrees from 22 degrees at some point.

 

[Hard H2O]

It will make a huge difference, especially if you use jeweler's compound (white, red, or green) on the strop.

If it's the model with the diamond hones, you can expect quick and very good results. If you finish with an extra-fine hone you should be able to shave hair from your arm.

Finishing and maintaining with a strop (+ practice) will give you the kind of edge you're looking for.

You do need to practice, though - even with a guided rod system like the Gatco. Might want to try practicing on a knife that's less expensive than your 710.

Another thought - you might want to move the edge to 19 degrees from 22 degrees at some point.

The Professional has natural stones. It has extra coarse, coarse, medium, fine and one for serrations.

The standard kit has coarse, medium, and fine natural stones.

The diamond kit has "Coarse, Medium & Fine monocrystalline diamond hones" plus the natural serrrated stone.


I agree with your angle assesment. I have not seen a blade yet that didn't receive a performance benefit from a shallower than factory angle. I have not seen a blade yet that would not support a shallower than factory angle.

 

[Tripton]

I have the diamond kit.



You NEED the ceramic ultrafine stone. NEED. Makes all the difference in the world. I can get my 710 treetop cutting sharp...with no stropping. With just the fine stone...you can get it to shave, but it is still pretty toothy.

I am going to start stropping as well, but I have had good, almost mirror-like results with the ceramic hone. Just be sure to clean it with some softscrub or comet or something every once in a while.