My Edge Pro Apex Setup and Stuff.

Ankerson

Ankerson

Knife and Computer Geek
Joined
Nov 2, 2002
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I get a lot of questions on what I use to sharpen with and what to get with the Edge Pro etc so I took some photos of my setup and things I keep on hand.


My Sharpening area with all the stuff that I keep on hand.

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Extra Stones and Polishing Tapes

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My Stones that I am using currently, I store them wet in the tub.

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And the Edge Pro Apex System.

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I keep wanting one of those but havent pulled the trigger yet. currently I use the spyderco and a belt sander. The beltsander I am used to and it works fast with a wide array of belts. However I dont use it on folders and only fixed blades. The edgepro looks like the perfect balance for folders and fixed blades that dont need reprofiling
 
barrabas74 said:
I keep wanting one of those but havent pulled the trigger yet. currently I use the spyderco and a belt sander. The beltsander I am used to and it works fast with a wide array of belts. However I dont use it on folders and only fixed blades. The edgepro looks like the perfect balance for folders and fixed blades that dont need reprofiling
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I can reprofile both FB and folders on the Edge Pro and it's pretty fast too with the 120 grit Silicone Carbide stone, it will really move some metal.

Buffalohump said:
Hmmm....... now I know what that cigarette smoke smell was. :D
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Yeah Ok I hear you... :p
 
I use a piece of glass and silicone carbide to flatten the stones. :)

Same Stones in the tub above cleaned up and flattened, I found out over time they don't have to be perfect as they will flatten out perfect after a few cleanings in the silicone carbide. SO you don't really need to grind away at them, it also saves the stones and they last a lot longer too. Perfectionists will be buying a ton of stones because the silicone carbine will really wear them out fast if you over do it trying to keep them perfect. It's really a waste because there won't be any difference in the edges or how sharp the knives end up.

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Looks like a good setup...I've owned my EdgePro Apex for a few months and it's really changed things for the better. Now everything in the house (and my neighbor's) is sharp.

Usta send my Benchmades to the spa regularly, no longer necessary unless it's for something mechanical.

Thanks for the pics.
 
Jim:

Do you see a benefit from soaking the stones? I wet mine down before usage, but the finer stones don't seem to absorb the water so maybe its a good idea to soak them.

I love my Edge Pro. Its the best knife-related thing I've ever purchased.
 
jkarp_53 said:
Looks like a good setup...I've owned my EdgePro Apex for a few months and it's really changed things for the better. Now everything in the house (and my neighbor's) is sharp.

Usta send my Benchmades to the spa regularly, no longer necessary unless it's for something mechanical.

Thanks for the pics.
Click to expand...

Thanks. :)

powernoodle said:
Jim:

Do you see a benefit from soaking the stones? I wet mine down before usage, but the finer stones don't seem to absorb the water so maybe its a good idea to soak them.

I love my Edge Pro. Its the best knife-related thing I've ever purchased.
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I keep them in water so they really soak it up, it really does make a difference too from my experience. :thumbup:
 
holy heck that's a lot of sharpening gear.

i was seriously considering picking up a setup, but i wasn't sure how often i'd actually need to re-profile my knives. more often then not, they get touched up on my SM up to the UF rods, but being able to mirror polish main bevels would be nice...

very cool setup.
 
I just got an Apex also. I started out sharpening an old 6 inch kitchen knife. I worked on it with the 120 grit stone for what I thought was a long time, but just didn't feel a burr. I watched the DVD again and realized that it just takes a lot longer to remove a beat up edge than I thought. In the video, he just does a few swipes and changes grits, because he is using a pretty sharp knife. So, I went back to work on that old knife of mine. I was so happy when the burr finally formed! Now, I can keep everything sharp with this great setup. I'm loving my Apex!

I'll start storing my working stones in water. Great tip.
 
I just got my Apex a week ago and am in the learning stage. So far, it's the greatest sharpener I've ever worked with and it can only get better as I learn the tricks. I'm going to store my stones in water now also, thanks for the tip.
 
I've had an Edgepro for quite some time now. An excellent tool and I think just about all of my knives have been touched by it at one time or another. I have other sharpening equipment as well but the Edgepro and the Sharpmaker, along with a leather strop, have pretty much been used exclusively for quite a while.

Relatively recently I acquired a DMT Aligner which I've set up as a sort of portable sharpening kit. This is also an excellent tool.

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Soaking the stones in water is one of the best tricks going. They seem to absorb the water and it makes it a lot easier to clean them afterwards. I just put a pan in the sink, put a couple of drops of dishwashing liquid into the mix and I say they cut better that way.

And Snowalker: Congrats on getting your system. Take the time to get a Sharpie marker so you know if the stones are actually hitting the edge of the blade...and I'd suggest practicing on something other than your new $400 Sebenza. ;)

Really, after going from Arkansas stones to the SharpMaker, the Edge Pro is the ticket for me. While some call it costly, just save money and don't buy that next knife...! I figure it's already saved me $100 or so in shipping costs to Benchmade and me not working full time it's a big savings.

...Joe
 
wec12 said:
Why soaking in water? Anyone enlightens me a bit?
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The manufacturer recommends using water as a lubricant, which I guess also tends to flush away residue. A small water bottle is included in the kit. Soaking the stones apparently just achieves this more completely. As I noted above, when I apply water to the finer stones, the water just runs off because the "grain" (?) is so tight. So I think I will try Jim's idea of soakage. Maybe not 24/7, but for a while before usage.
 
Where to buy such implement? Directly from Edge Pro?
Also curious to know, how does this system do with the recurves (ZTs)?
 
You can do Edge Pro directly, might pay MSRP though. My favorite place for stuff is Knife Works. And for recurves like the ZT or BM 710, ask for the 1/2" 320 and 600 stones which work really well. (These are 'extras', and I think coat around $14 which is a good deal for what they can do.)

...Joe
 
jkarp_53 said:
You can do Edge Pro directly, might pay MSRP though. My favorite place for stuff is Knife Works. And for recurves like the ZT or BM 710, ask for the 1/2" 320 and 600 stones which work really well. (These are 'extras', and I think coat around $14 which is a good deal for what they can do.)

...Joe
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:thumbup:
Thanks for the tip. I've been looking into one of these, yet a little hesitation goes a long way..
 
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