maintaining sharp edge after using edge pro

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hemi1300

Joined
Sep 9, 2013
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finally got the hang of the edge pro and getting my knives as sharp as i can expect them. What's the easiest way to maintain the sharp edge throughout heavy usage, break out the edge pro and start with 600 and then 1000 grit? Curious what your methods are to maintain that hair shaving sharp edge?
 
What I do is first get pretty precise about how I'm indexing the angle. On my 0777, for example, I split the yellow dot. It's a bit harder for my girlfriend's Delica since it was already profiled at 16 degrees (32 inclusive), so a bit harder to hit exactly.

With the indexing in place, I first strop the blade on leather to see if it's just a slightly rolled edge. Sometimes that will get me another week of use before having to break out the stones.

When I do break them out, I like to start with 400 and work my way through the set to 1,000 and then strop with leather. However, this is with knives that I have personally sharpened and that I sharpen regularly.

In one instance, I went back with just the 1,000 stone to reset the burr so I could strop it properly, so I think we need to be crisply aware of the actual condition of the blade.

Oh, and the Edge Pro guys recommend starting with the 200 grit stone, which is perfectly fair. Only when reprofiling a factory edge (or a fudged up one from someone else) have I had to resort to the 120 grit stone.

Since I'm a cubicle dweller, my personal carry knives rarely get much use. My girlfriend is a vet tech and she is constantly cutting cotton bandages and cardboard with hers. So, I really have to get smart about keeping hers razor sharp and she's getting good about letting me know when it isn't quite as sharp as I want it to be (which is "slice your hand open and not feel it" sharp). She doesn't cut zip ties with it anymore (thank goodness!) so we aren't seeing edge chipping anymore. I got her some dykes for the zip ties. This is as "heavy use" as I have exposure to, short of the vet's hoof knives, which I tried my hand at, but the Edge Pro isn't the right tool to sharpen them.
 
Strop it regularly and you shouldn't need to use the Edge Pro very often at all.
 
-Lucky- said:
Strop it regularly and you shouldn't need to use the Edge Pro very often at all.
Click to expand...

i do have a small leather strop i bought that is meant for the lansky system that can be used by hand to strop. Should i just use this by itself or is compound needed for the stropping proces like i have seen in other posts?
 
I'd pick up some green compound. That's what I've been using at the advice of many forumites, keeps the edge shaving sharp.
 
when it comes to the stropping, is it imperative to hold the blade at the exact angle of the bevel? I try to use the strop a few times after i get the blade razor sharp and after stropping it seems to dull it a bit? I feel like i am holding it at the right angle, can hear just a slight scrap on the leather and using light pressure
 
You can use the Edge Pro for touchups. I will sometimes set it up as for sharpening, but raise the arm a few degrees and use a 600 or 1000 stone to almost 'strop' or steel the edge. Using light pressure produces good results.

Good sharpening,
Dave
 
So you are finishing off on a 7 micron stone. Why not add a Edge Pro Kangaroo strop and some some CBN. 4 micron would be a good start. Take it in your pocket for portable touchups. And it will take your edge further than you can currently.
 
NeilB said:
What I do is first get pretty precise about how I'm indexing the angle. On my 0777, for example, I split the yellow dot. It's a bit harder for my girlfriend's Delica since it was already profiled at 16 degrees (32 inclusive), so a bit harder to hit exactly.

With the indexing in place, I first strop the blade on leather to see if it's just a slightly rolled edge. Sometimes that will get me another week of use before having to break out the stones.

When I do break them out, I like to start with 400 and work my way through the set to 1,000 and then strop with leather. However, this is with knives that I have personally sharpened and that I sharpen regularly.

In one instance, I went back with just the 1,000 stone to reset the burr so I could strop it properly, so I think we need to be crisply aware of the actual condition of the blade.

Oh, and the Edge Pro guys recommend starting with the 200 grit stone, which is perfectly fair. Only when reprofiling a factory edge (or a fudged up one from someone else) have I had to resort to the 120 grit stone.

Since I'm a cubicle dweller, my personal carry knives rarely get much use. My girlfriend is a vet tech and she is constantly cutting cotton bandages and cardboard with hers. So, I really have to get smart about keeping hers razor sharp and she's getting good about letting me know when it isn't quite as sharp as I want it to be (which is "slice your hand open and not feel it" sharp). She doesn't cut zip ties with it anymore (thank goodness!) so we aren't seeing edge chipping anymore. I got her some dykes for the zip ties. This is as "heavy use" as I have exposure to, short of the vet's hoof knives, which I tried my hand at, but the Edge Pro isn't the right tool to sharpen them.
Click to expand...

Zip ties shouldn't be chipping her edge, I will say right off the bat that the edge is weak, the solution is to literally to lightly cut the stone as if you're slicing a carrot but with minimal weight, that will remove the overstressed edge. It will take minimal effort to get the edge back, I know it sounds crazy but trust me, it works.
 
I just use a sharpmaker to touch up.knives I've rebeveled on the EP. Perfect pair for me, EP and SM.
 
wvdavidr said:
You can use the Edge Pro for touchups. I will sometimes set it up as for sharpening, but raise the arm a few degrees and use a 600 or 1000 stone to almost 'strop' or steel the edge. Using light pressure produces good results.

Good sharpening,
Dave
Click to expand...


so if i just raise the arm a few degrees and hit it lightly with 600 then 1000, followed by the polishing tapes, i should be able to quickly touch up and maintain the edge. My main question here is am i trying to raise a burr on both sides when doing this, or are u just raising the burr during the initial sharpening process and lightly polishing the edge to maintain it?
 
one thing i don't have with the edge pro is the ceramic hone that comes with the apex 4 kit, thought about ordering one-is the ceramic hone good for lightly touching up the edge and maintaining it? Have all the stones finally-120, 400, 600, 1000, 2000 and 3000 polishing tapes, just not the hone
 
hemi1300 said:
so if i just raise the arm a few degrees and hit it lightly with 600 then 1000, followed by the polishing tapes, i should be able to quickly touch up and maintain the edge. My main question here is am i trying to raise a burr on both sides when doing this, or are u just raising the burr during the initial sharpening process and lightly polishing the edge to maintain it?
Click to expand...

For touchups, I'm not raising a burr- just straightening out the edge (like steeling). I just go edge-trailing with no pressure.
Hope it helps.
Dave
 
I only use my Edge Pro for reprofiling. To maintain my edges I simply use a loaded strop. Eventually the strop will convex the edge, but not for awhile. Then I just reprofile it again.

You can also use the ceramic rod, provided with the Edge Pro, for the minor honings in between reprofiling.

apex5.jpg
 
5.56 said:
I only use my Edge Pro for reprofiling. To maintain my edges I simply use a loaded strop. Eventually the strop will convex the edge, but not for awhile. Then I just reprofile it again.

You can also use the ceramic rod, provided with the Edge Pro, for the minor honings in between reprofiling.

apex5.jpg
Click to expand...


How did you get the compound to take to the leather like that? I can never get it on good.
 
Lennyo3034 said:
How did you get the compound to take to the leather like that? I can never get it on good.
Click to expand...

Actually, IMO that is WAAY too much compound. It works much better to put it on sparsely in my experience. When I was first learning to sharpen my straight razor I could not get a strop loaded like that to work worth a damn. When I removed all the compound and reapplied it much lighter (so that the brown of the leather has just a slight green tint) it worked a whole heck of a lot better.

Razorsharp-Travis said:
Strop it regularly and watch the edge retention decrease
Click to expand...

Not sure why you say this...care to explain? I strop my razor before every shave and it lasts for months before needing to be re-honed. I think maybe you are talking about a push-cutting vs. draw cutting issue maybe, but that's apples and oranges IMO.
 
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