KME vs Edge pro

I see.
Thanks.
I guess I need to somehow hold a blade farther out from the arm pivot or thicken the stones.
Maybe attach a clamp to the original clamp.
 
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miso2 said:
I am curious to hear your opinion regarding pros and cons of each system.
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Edge pro,messy having to use water on the stones,holding the stone in my off hand was a pita.
Lansky, did not like the wire rods holding the stones.
Wicked edge ,not overly fond of the clamp,again using off hand caused me problems.
Dmt,liked this system a lot but old hands holding the clamp caused a bit of pain.
Kme ,works well for me ,not found any down side so far.
 
I own both and have numerous accessory stones for each. In their stock configuration, I believe the KME is superior because it offers the diamond abrasives as a standard which is good if you have any of the newer super steels (high vanadium carbide content), as it is better equipped to abrade those steels effectively. For versatility, I'd give the nod to the Edge Pro, particularly if most of your knives are full flat ground or have very long (8" +) blades. However, to get the same performance in terms of being able to abrade carbide-rich steels you would have to spend significantly more money to obtain the diamond accessory stones for the Edge Pro in addition to the standard AlOx stones that come with the system.
 
PeterS84 said:
I own both and have numerous accessory stones for each. In their stock configuration, I believe the KME is superior because it offers the diamond abrasives as a standard which is good if you have any of the newer super steels (high vanadium carbide content), as it is better equipped to abrade those steels effectively. For versatility, I'd give the nod to the Edge Pro, particularly if most of your knives are full flat ground or have very long (8" +) blades. However, to get the same performance in terms of being able to abrade carbide-rich steels you would have to spend significantly more money to obtain the diamond accessory stones for the Edge Pro in addition to the standard AlOx stones that come with the system.
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The SiC stones for the edge pro work well and are affordable. Not idea for high polish on high Vanadium but will work very well for working edges on most steel.
 
Mo2 said:
The SiC stones for the edge pro work well and are affordable. Not idea for high polish on high Vanadium but will work very well for working edges on most steel.
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That's true! I have the full SiC set from Gritomatic and they do a very nice job, plus the price is hard to beat. Put a very nice edge on my Manix 2 LW in Maxamet with them and I've been very pleased with the result. That said, it's still an aftermarket stone set which increases expense relative to a stock KME setup with diamonds. I have no idea what the OP's budget will allow, but either would be a great system. If $$ is a primary factor in the decision, I'd still lean toward the KME.
 
miso2 said:
I am happy with my Edge Pro Apex for its versatility and many stone options.
Clamping systems seem nice, too.
But KME web page says it has positions only for 17 to 30 degrees, which seems too few options to me.
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If the slider that holds the rod is turned upside down you can get down to around 8 degrees depending on the width of the blade. I regularly go to 10 degrees on my Santoku's.
I'm really surprised the KME doesn't mention this on there site, I've talked to Ron and he is aware of this work around is OK with it.
 
I recommend looking hard at the KME, which I bought as a training tool. One son is OCD about his edges, and is old enough now to have motor skills to use the sharpmaker for restoring apexes as an additional tool thats quick to set up use and put away. But I doubt he will give up the ~1.5 degrees or so that he gets every time, instantly, on the KME, or the quick work of setting bevels and ironing out chips (he is a hard use kid) with OEM diamonds, etc.
My youngest has softer steels so he uses the standard KME SIC stones to good effect, and I mean 1st time out, which is huge for teaching kids new skills while you teach them more complex skills with deeper understanding of the why of it, called declarative knowledge, while they practice procedural skills, gaining wisdom. Keeping both hands planted also means gesturing doesn't end up as butterflies or stitches :).
We've been using a DMT dotted EEF stone, cut down, for a couple years and a slightly warped (a business card will slide under one end) 1200 grit bonded Venev to get mirror finished edges for 6 months. They work great for us. As far as using the clamp we just do what Ron teaches over on the tubes, pinch the clamp on the self centering jaws with one hand while tighten the clamp with the other hand. No problems so far. Finally, the kit is a great value for a man on a budget. And you can add accessories and stones as you go.

This 2 bits wont buy you a cup a joe though, and when I was a pup it was free hand with big stones that today will set you back not much dough. If you study and practice with patience you will make things sharp. My family will always have a guided system in the toolbox, a stone in the fishin box, and an electric sharpener (shush) in the kitchen as well.
 
I appreciate all the responses. I was looking to stay around 250 ish. After watching videos on both I am leaning more towards the KME. Most likely I'll get one and knowing me in a year or two I'll have to try the other. Both have a wide variety of different stones, strips, films, etc.
I guess when I look at the edge pro I feel that not having a secure way to hold the blade would give you a greater chance of the angle changing. It's probably not that difficult with practice but just the first thing I think about. Whatever it is it beats what I have now.
 
It didn't take me long to dismiss the Edge Pro from my consideration waaaay back when I was researching systems. The unit jumping around, having to hold the knife in place, etc. were enough of a turn off for me to pass on it. I was looking for a steady, very repeatable, system. I basically already knew how to freehand so I wanted something that was repeatable.

When I bought my KME it came with ceramics and natural stones. Ron's diamonds were still pretty new and I had to save up for them. I've had my KME for years and have upgraded the knobs/handles, bought the full diamond kit, the pen knife jaws and some strops and compounds.

I have NOT REGRETTED this purchase for one second in all my years of owning it.

Let's address a couple things:

1. Full flat grind: Almost every single knife I sharpen on the KME is FFG and distal taper. It is absolutely doable and not big deal. Pinch hard on the tip-end corner of the clamp and then tighten. That will secure probably 90% of blades. If you have a stubborn knife that just won't hold, a little piece of hockey (fabric type) tape will do the trick real quick. Before I bought a roll of hockey tape I just used painter's tape. Not as good for sure but worked. But again, it isn't necessary on most blades if you clamp them properly. I can sharpen a Spyderco Chaparral, SAK Classic, a Wusthoff 8" Chef's Knife and all manner in between with zero movement issues and no tape.

2. Angles: First, although the slider on the KME says 17 degrees, at the edge bevel it will be lower and is usually around 14-15 degrees. I have a mess of knives with 15 degree factory grinds and have never ran into one that I couldn't match the bevel. And, then as said, you can flip it over if you want much lower angles.

3. Repeatability: I've re-sharpened numerous knives on my KME and have no issues with repeating the bevels. They might be off a tiny little bit due to slight clamping variations but that is going to be true of all systems. I have never seen enough variation to matter. Follow the directions, don't bury your knife into the clamps or clamp it at the ricasso or whatever and you should be good.

I have sharpened up to 9" chef's knives and would say that the KME is best for 8" and under.

While I have the base for the system, I don't always use it. In fact, I just sat in my recliner with the KME in my hand and a beer on the side table and sharpened up my Sage 5 while I watched television. I was struggling to sharpen it freehand and wanted to get a good set bevel. 30min's and um, well some amount of beer, later and done. I prefer using the base but sometimes I just want to chill.

Yes you do have to flip the blade over and yes when you get down to single strokes that can get tedious but it is a VERY minor trade off for what the system brings. Heck, you can get all sorts of stuff for it now from convex grinds to stone compensators to axe sharpening.

The KME is a great system made by very nice and very helpful people.

I highly recommend finding Dean O on YouTube. He has some great videos on the system. I'm not disparaging any system at all, including the Edge Pro, I'm just saying that for me, the KME is an awesome system.
 
This is a bit off topic but be careful what wish for when dealing with Chef Knives To Go for the most part they have a good selection of stuff and are easy to deal with unless however you purchase a knife from them and there is a problem with it.

I ordered a few knives from CKTG and the knife I ordered was a Fujiwara Gyuto when they were still carrying Fujiwara I got my knife and seen a small pit in the blade about .75 to 1mm above the edge and called to ask to exchange the knife and I was told by Mr Mark Richmond one of the owners of CKTG that he could grind the blade back to get the pit out of the blade so it would not become a problem in the future when I have sharpened the edge back and I told him I would rather send the knife back for an exchange and he said to me why not just use the knife and be happy with it and I told him because it's a 300 dollar knife and I did pay for any defect's to be included in the blade when I got and I ask him how he wanted to handle this problem and he responded to me I give you permission to use the knife and hung up and no one would take my call's after that.

This is a classic case of a company not understanding it's part of doing business taking back defective item's and although your praising CKTG now just wait until you purchase a knife from when there is a clear problem with it you won't be singing their praise's then and if you search online Mark Richmond has pulled stunt's like this before,the pit in my knife was from when the maker made the blade and some slag or scale in the form of a small metal bead that was on the anvil and dented the blade.I do not hate CKTG just telling my story because although Mark and his Wife for the most part
are very nice people they need to learn that although it sucks having to take a knife back and refund the customer or exchange the product it's all part of doing business.


Siety338 said:
Stang Bladeworks is right on point. Get the Edge Pro from Chef Knives To Go. Great people and a pleasure to work with.
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Eli Chaps said:
It didn't take me long to dismiss the Edge Pro from my consideration waaaay back when I was researching systems. The unit jumping around, having to hold the knife in place, etc. were enough of a turn off for me to pass on it. I was looking for a steady, very repeatable, system. I basically already knew how to freehand so I wanted something that was repeatable.

When I bought my KME it came with ceramics and natural stones. Ron's diamonds were still pretty new and I had to save up for them. I've had my KME for years and have upgraded the knobs/handles, bought the full diamond kit, the pen knife jaws and some strops and compounds.

I have NOT REGRETTED this purchase for one second in all my years of owning it.

Let's address a couple things:

1. Full flat grind: Almost every single knife I sharpen on the KME is FFG and distal taper. It is absolutely doable and not big deal. Pinch hard on the tip-end corner of the clamp and then tighten. That will secure probably 90% of blades. If you have a stubborn knife that just won't hold, a little piece of hockey (fabric type) tape will do the trick real quick. Before I bought a roll of hockey tape I just used painter's tape. Not as good for sure but worked. But again, it isn't necessary on most blades if you clamp them properly. I can sharpen a Spyderco Chaparral, SAK Classic, a Wusthoff 8" Chef's Knife and all manner in between with zero movement issues and no tape.

2. Angles: First, although the slider on the KME says 17 degrees, at the edge bevel it will be lower and is usually around 14-15 degrees. I have a mess of knives with 15 degree factory grinds and have never ran into one that I couldn't match the bevel. And, then as said, you can flip it over if you want much lower angles.

3. Repeatability: I've re-sharpened numerous knives on my KME and have no issues with repeating the bevels. They might be off a tiny little bit due to slight clamping variations but that is going to be true of all systems. I have never seen enough variation to matter. Follow the directions, don't bury your knife into the clamps or clamp it at the ricasso or whatever and you should be good.

I have sharpened up to 9" chef's knives and would say that the KME is best for 8" and under.

While I have the base for the system, I don't always use it. In fact, I just sat in my recliner with the KME in my hand and a beer on the side table and sharpened up my Sage 5 while I watched television. I was struggling to sharpen it freehand and wanted to get a good set bevel. 30min's and um, well some amount of beer, later and done. I prefer using the base but sometimes I just want to chill.

Yes you do have to flip the blade over and yes when you get down to single strokes that can get tedious but it is a VERY minor trade off for what the system brings. Heck, you can get all sorts of stuff for it now from convex grinds to stone compensators to axe sharpening.

The KME is a great system made by very nice and very helpful people.

I highly recommend finding Dean O on YouTube. He has some great videos on the system. I'm not disparaging any system at all, including the Edge Pro, I'm just saying that for me, the KME is an awesome system.
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This might have sold me. Thanks. I'm gonna look online and get it from someone reputable. I'll start with the diamond stone set and go from there. I appreciate the input. Very helpful.
 
Mike.TX13 said:
This might have sold me. Thanks. I'm gonna look online and get it from someone reputable. I'll start with the diamond stone set and go from there. I appreciate the input. Very helpful.
Click to expand...

You can just go to their website or give them a call. I think buying directly from them is as good a price as other vendors. I may be wrong though. I would encourage ordering the pen knife jaws too. They are helpful for not just "pen" knives but narrow knives. The jaws are much thinner and will help keep you from grinding into them like you might with the regular jaws on a narrow blade.
 
Eli Chaps said:
It didn't take me long to dismiss the Edge Pro from my consideration waaaay back when I was researching systems. The unit jumping around, having to hold the knife in place, etc. were enough of a turn off for me to pass on it. I was looking for a steady, very repeatable, system. I basically already knew how to freehand so I wanted something that was repeatable.

When I bought my KME it came with ceramics and natural stones. Ron's diamonds were still pretty new and I had to save up for them. I've had my KME for years and have upgraded the knobs/handles, bought the full diamond kit, the pen knife jaws and some strops and compounds.

I have NOT REGRETTED this purchase for one second in all my years of owning it.

Let's address a couple things:

1. Full flat grind: Almost every single knife I sharpen on the KME is FFG and distal taper. It is absolutely doable and not big deal. Pinch hard on the tip-end corner of the clamp and then tighten. That will secure probably 90% of blades. If you have a stubborn knife that just won't hold, a little piece of hockey (fabric type) tape will do the trick real quick. Before I bought a roll of hockey tape I just used painter's tape. Not as good for sure but worked. But again, it isn't necessary on most blades if you clamp them properly. I can sharpen a Spyderco Chaparral, SAK Classic, a Wusthoff 8" Chef's Knife and all manner in between with zero movement issues and no tape.

2. Angles: First, although the slider on the KME says 17 degrees, at the edge bevel it will be lower and is usually around 14-15 degrees. I have a mess of knives with 15 degree factory grinds and have never ran into one that I couldn't match the bevel. And, then as said, you can flip it over if you want much lower angles.

3. Repeatability: I've re-sharpened numerous knives on my KME and have no issues with repeating the bevels. They might be off a tiny little bit due to slight clamping variations but that is going to be true of all systems. I have never seen enough variation to matter. Follow the directions, don't bury your knife into the clamps or clamp it at the ricasso or whatever and you should be good.

I have sharpened up to 9" chef's knives and would say that the KME is best for 8" and under.

While I have the base for the system, I don't always use it. In fact, I just sat in my recliner with the KME in my hand and a beer on the side table and sharpened up my Sage 5 while I watched television. I was struggling to sharpen it freehand and wanted to get a good set bevel. 30min's and um, well some amount of beer, later and done. I prefer using the base but sometimes I just want to chill.

Yes you do have to flip the blade over and yes when you get down to single strokes that can get tedious but it is a VERY minor trade off for what the system brings. Heck, you can get all sorts of stuff for it now from convex grinds to stone compensators to axe sharpening.

The KME is a great system made by very nice and very helpful people.

I highly recommend finding Dean O on YouTube. He has some great videos on the system. I'm not disparaging any system at all, including the Edge Pro, I'm just saying that for me, the KME is an awesome system.
Click to expand...

I just chose KME over EP for these same reasons. Starting on the beater knives tonight. I was using a worksharp gss and not getting the results I was hoping for.
 
So I went with KME I looked around and the prices are all about the same so I ordered it directly from them. I got the system which cane with diamond stones and added the base. My next decision was lapping film or strop with compound. I read some post and it was pretty much split. I am more familiar with strops then the films. I figured I couldn't go wrong. So I got the 8 piece CBN and strop kit.

I am looking forward to getting it. Hopefully by Tuesday.
 
Update. Did my first knife, a real cheapie slipjoint. Followed the printed instructions and made it shaving sharp. Took about two hours to follow the directions slowly, reprofile, raise a huge newbie burr and then end up with a big smile on my face.

I’ve been spending some time with the worksharp gss and the Sharpmaker. The KME basic kit blows them out of the water. On to the next knife!
 
Mike.TX13 said:
So I went with KME I looked around and the prices are all about the same so I ordered it directly from them. I got the system which cane with diamond stones and added the base. My next decision was lapping film or strop with compound. I read some post and it was pretty much split. I am more familiar with strops then the films. I figured I couldn't go wrong. So I got the 8 piece CBN and strop kit.

I am looking forward to getting it. Hopefully by Tuesday.
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It would be great to hear an honest review when you get a chance to try things out. I have no doubt other folks are and in the future will be reading this thread and it could be very helpful.
 
CasePeanut said:
Update. Did my first knife, a real cheapie slipjoint. Followed the printed instructions and made it shaving sharp. Took about two hours to follow the directions slowly, reprofile, raise a huge newbie burr and then end up with a big smile on my face.

I’ve been spending some time with the worksharp gss and the Sharpmaker. The KME basic kit blows them out of the water. On to the next knife!
Click to expand...

Things will get faster as you get used to what you're doing and develop a process that works for you. When I first got it I remember doing about a gillion more strokes than I really needed to. :D

One thing to watch for, is to be sure you work both sides equally. I usually go by time until I get down to counting strokes. If I work the right side for 15min's to set the bevel, then I work the left side for 15min's not matter what the burr tells me. This keeps the bevels even. In time, you won't really have to time things as you'll just "know" but it is a good idea to time what you're doing early on. This is true of any style sharpening and people often do one side more than the other but it seemed to be more prevalent for me on the KME than say freehanding.

Also, the 100grit diamond is a real friend for re-profiling! I don't have the beast but keep thinking I should buy it.
 
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