Review: GATCO Edgemate Professional (GEP)
Cost: $34.95
Dealer: The Knife Center
I procured the GEP at the beginning of this year for a Marine Corps electronics maintenance division. This division is responsible for the maintenance of several radios, consoles, radar search and landing systems and much associated equipment. The 25 Marines and 9 civilians assigned to this division all carry Gerber MTs. We cut, rip, and tear miles of wire and material in a year, our Gerbers get dull. This was said so you would under stand the environment surrounding this review.
The GEP uses a T shaped clamping system which clamps to the offended blade. The T clamp has guide holes at 11, 15, 19, 22, 25, and 29 degrees. The guide holes allow a stone, guided by a rod, to engage the blade at the necessary angle to sharpen or reshape the edge. Hopefully this image can help (it is from the Knife Center).
There are 4 stones in the GEP labeled ultra coarse, coarse, medium, and fine and one triangular blade for serrations. The kit also contains oil and three different screws to accommodate different blade thickness'. The carrying case is very functional and works.
The GEP was very useful for bringing over worked and neglected straight blades to a very usable utility blade. Of all the individuals who were unable to sharpen their issued Gerber on a 2 sided stone, all were able to produce a working edge using the GEP and the instructions on the box. Some of us were able to get a blade that was sharp enough to shave hair.
The stone for sharpening serrations has produced good results for blades that were needing minor sharpening or touching up. Again, all were able to use the serration stone from the supplied instructions. IMO one would need a more complete method than the GEP for serrated blades beyond normal blade wear.
The only major problem we ran into with the GEP is when sharpening small blades, like pen or spear blades, the stone had a tendency to drag on the end of the clamp. The clamp is made of aluminum and could be reshaped for this task if need be.
Over all the GEP is a good kit with ample tools to complete routine sharpening tasks. The kit can produce a very sharp blade, but as with any sharpening tool, there seems to be a knack that comes with practice. The ability to sharpen serrations is a plus with this kit. The price of this kit is good for the tools supplied.
Oh...... the Marines havent been able to destroy it.......Yet......
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>)-RadarMan-(<
[This message has been edited by RadarMan (edited 30 March 1999).]
Cost: $34.95
Dealer: The Knife Center
I procured the GEP at the beginning of this year for a Marine Corps electronics maintenance division. This division is responsible for the maintenance of several radios, consoles, radar search and landing systems and much associated equipment. The 25 Marines and 9 civilians assigned to this division all carry Gerber MTs. We cut, rip, and tear miles of wire and material in a year, our Gerbers get dull. This was said so you would under stand the environment surrounding this review.
The GEP uses a T shaped clamping system which clamps to the offended blade. The T clamp has guide holes at 11, 15, 19, 22, 25, and 29 degrees. The guide holes allow a stone, guided by a rod, to engage the blade at the necessary angle to sharpen or reshape the edge. Hopefully this image can help (it is from the Knife Center).
There are 4 stones in the GEP labeled ultra coarse, coarse, medium, and fine and one triangular blade for serrations. The kit also contains oil and three different screws to accommodate different blade thickness'. The carrying case is very functional and works.
The GEP was very useful for bringing over worked and neglected straight blades to a very usable utility blade. Of all the individuals who were unable to sharpen their issued Gerber on a 2 sided stone, all were able to produce a working edge using the GEP and the instructions on the box. Some of us were able to get a blade that was sharp enough to shave hair.
The stone for sharpening serrations has produced good results for blades that were needing minor sharpening or touching up. Again, all were able to use the serration stone from the supplied instructions. IMO one would need a more complete method than the GEP for serrated blades beyond normal blade wear.
The only major problem we ran into with the GEP is when sharpening small blades, like pen or spear blades, the stone had a tendency to drag on the end of the clamp. The clamp is made of aluminum and could be reshaped for this task if need be.
Over all the GEP is a good kit with ample tools to complete routine sharpening tasks. The kit can produce a very sharp blade, but as with any sharpening tool, there seems to be a knack that comes with practice. The ability to sharpen serrations is a plus with this kit. The price of this kit is good for the tools supplied.
Oh...... the Marines havent been able to destroy it.......Yet......
------------------
>)-RadarMan-(<
[This message has been edited by RadarMan (edited 30 March 1999).]