I bow down to Ben Dale and the Edge Pro

gunmike1 · Oct 10, 2006

I have been exploring a lot of options for sharpening equipment, including the Edge Pro. I sent in my Spyderco R2 to have Ben Dale do a sample sharpening to see what a polished edge should be. He was extremely accessible and helpful with his time and info before I sent the knife out, and he got it back to me extremely quick. I can't say enough good about the man and the company. They respond very quickly to e-mails and are great people.

For reference, this knife was the sharpest I ever got from the factory, able to push cut newsprint over 3" from the point I held it. I was pretty much in awe and must say Spyderco rules. I used it some and had STR flatten the tip from a slight drop at the end to a nice splinter picker tip. I sent it off priority last Wednesday and got it back this Tuesday. When I got the knife out of the box Ben left a note that he worked it up to the 3000 grit polish tape, and the edge was gleaming. A quick thumb check and I knew this thing was crazy sharp. Anyway, it is able to easily tree top arm hairs and can push cut newsprint OVER 4" from where I hold it! Unbelievable sharpness. I imagine it won't have the aggressiveness of the Spyderco finish, but it push cuts so well it almost makes slicing irrelevent. I pulled my G-10 Cara Cara out (20 degree microbevel with Sharpmaker fine rods on a 10 degree main bevel) to test on the same newsprint and was able to get about 1.5" out from where I held it. That is really good for me considering I had used it to open a few boxes, letters, and toy packages since I sharpened it last. That is usually what I get on a fresh sharpening, so I must have done good that day. It is dull as a spoon however compared to Ben Dale's work with the Edge Pro.

In the hands of the master Ben Dale you can do some pretty amazing things with an Edge Pro. Now I need to work a little OT and convince my wife I really do need another sharpening system. At least she doesn't know about the X coarse DMT stone that I ordered yet, and my birthday is coming up soon...

thombrogan · Oct 10, 2006

Ben's got the skills in customer service, sharpener building, and sharpening.

JoHnYKwSt · Oct 11, 2006

I love my edge pro. The ability to reprofile edges to any angle you like in a short period of time and have the edges look not only good, but perfect is EASILY worth the price paid.

mauiblue · Oct 11, 2006

Ben and Sierra of EdgePro are outstanding. They are quick to ship and are very customers service oriented. I ordered a couple diamond stones and polishing tapes from them and before I knew it I had it here in no time. I wish all vendors were like them.

TedGamble · Oct 11, 2006

To paraphrase an old Budweiser commercial, "When you say EdgePro, you've said it all."

Old CW4 · Oct 15, 2006

I lucked out and bought an Edge Pro a couple of months back. I say "lucked" because I consider it some of the best money I've EVER spent! Also agree, Ben is terrific to deal with. I've talked to him on the phone a couple of times and exchanged emails. Terrific guy and fantastic product.

sodak · Oct 15, 2006

Ditto. Also, as a side benefit, I've found my freehand skills have also improved as the Edgepro has taught me what an edge should be like, and should do. My dilemma is that I want a pro, but already have the apex... Hmmm....

kmhawaiidh · Oct 15, 2006

Ben's service and advice is top notch! And his Edgepro system is the best. When you get one you'll wonder why you didnt one sooner.

Cliff Stamp · Oct 15, 2006

gunmike1 said:
II sent in my Spyderco R2 to have Ben Dale do a sample sharpening to see what a polished edge should be.

That is a really nice service as it allows you to see what the system can do and can also let you benchmark a really problematic knife. If you are having a lot of difficulty then see if Dale can handle it and then ask him about it.

-Cliff

cbwx34 · Oct 15, 2006

sodak said:
Ditto. Also, as a side benefit, I've found my freehand skills have also improved as the Edgepro has taught me what an edge should be like, and should do. My dilemma is that I want a pro, but already have the apex... Hmmm....

Hey sodak,

Maybe I can help with your dilemma... I have used both. Both perform the same, the Pro model just has some advantages that are more for a professional sharpener, or someone that does a bunch of knives.... quicker stone changes, more robust, the ability to adjust it some for comfort, and a ramp that allows you to take full advantage of a stone, (although you can't always do this,,, the ramp can scratch a knife) come to mind. You can also get a scissor attachment for the Pro. But as far as results, you won't see much of a difference... although one user in another forum reported better results with the tapes on the Pro. I haven't tested this myself. Although I will add, the Pro is nicer to use... just depends on your needs.

cbw

gunmike1 · Oct 15, 2006

Cliff Stamp said:
That is a really nice service as it allows you to see what the system can do and can also let you benchmark a really problematic knife. If you are having a lot of difficulty then see if Dale can handle it and then ask him about it.

-Cliff

Yeah this knife seems to be a pain to get a perfectly clean edge. After using my Sharpmaker as a benchstone I have noticed the stones aren't very flat, so I that might be part of my recent burring problems. Ben said he spent 15 minutes on it, including a slight reprofile and bringing from the Med-Fine stone up to the 3000 grit tape. No burrs, best push cutting I have ever seen, but the slicing aggression is low compared to the original Spyderco finish (which obviously could push cut great, too). The edge works unbelievable on some wood work tests I have done, but overall a rougher finish would be better for my overall EDC needs.

Cliff Stamp · Oct 15, 2006

gunmike1 said:
Yeah this knife seems to be a pain to get a perfectly clean edge. After using my Sharpmaker as a benchstone I have noticed the stones aren't very flat, so I that might be part of my recent burring problems.

Ceramics are very prone to burr formation as they load. I prefer to shape an edge with waterstones and just finish with ceramics with a microbevel and since there is little metal removal there is also little loading. You want to keep the stones really clean. I have been meaning to try the ceramics with a lubricant to see if it makes a difference.

The edge works unbelievable on some wood work tests I have done, but overall a rougher finish would be better for my overall EDC needs.

Yeah, this is generally the case for most people. As you reduce the edge angle to its minimal cross section it will reduce the need for a coarser grind corrospondingly.

-Cliff

sodak · Oct 16, 2006

cbwx34 said:
Hey sodak,

Maybe I can help with your dilemma... I have used both. Both perform the same, the Pro model just has some advantages that are more for a professional sharpener, or someone that does a bunch of knives.... quicker stone changes, more robust, the ability to adjust it some for comfort, and a ramp that allows you to take full advantage of a stone, (although you can't always do this,,, the ramp can scratch a knife) come to mind. You can also get a scissor attachment for the Pro. But as far as results, you won't see much of a difference... although one user in another forum reported better results with the tapes on the Pro. I haven't tested this myself. Although I will add, the Pro is nicer to use... just depends on your needs.

cbw

Thanks cbwx34, that helps, and it's fun to ponder!