Need some Edge Pro Advice and edge maintenance

[joepa150]

I own the Edge Apex with the following stones:

Coarse/Extra Coarse DMT Diasharp
220 Edge Pro Stone
400 Edge Pro STone
1000 Edge Pro Stone
5k Chosera Stone
8k Shapton Glass Stone

Questions:
1) If I were to add another stone what would you all suggest?

2) Also what is the best method of maintaining a sharp edge? Should I purchase a strop or a ceramic rod? If so what strop or rod?

3) If I want to add a microbevel, would the following method be good. Finish with 8k, increase angle slighlty, and use alternating trailing strokes.

 

[9blades]

I don't know any thing about the stone or how to do micro bevels but stropguy.com has strops for a good price
Hope this helps

 

[singularity35]

I own the Edge Apex with the following stones:

Coarse/Extra Coarse DMT Diasharp
220 Edge Pro Stone
400 Edge Pro STone
1000 Edge Pro Stone
5k Chosera Stone
8k Shapton Glass Stone

Questions:
1) If I were to add another stone what would you all suggest?

2) Also what is the best method of maintaining a sharp edge? Should I purchase a strop or a ceramic rod? If so what strop or rod?

3) If I want to add a microbevel, would the following method be good. Finish with 8k, increase angle slighlty, and use alternating trailing strokes.

I almost never use a trailing stroke with a stone to finish an edge, whether it's a micro bevel or not. Instead, I use edge leading but very short strokes, maybe less than an inch of movement in the stroke.

 

[aread]

Your can get & keep your knife usefully sharp long before you use the finer stones, but if you are like me, you're not satisfied until you refine it to the ultimate.

To expand your EP system, you might look at the strops made for the EP. You can get leather or microfiber strops and add a range of chromium oxide or diamond pastes.

There are polishing films available in 8 x 11 sheets that are about the same as the EP tape, but less expensive. You can use these on the EP or use them to make stops.

Balsa wood makes a pretty good strop and is very cheap. You don't even need an aluminum backing plate if you get 1/4" thick strips. Used with chromium oxide paste, you can have a range of strops for little more than the price of the paste.

I'm in the tile business and have done a little experimentation with porcelain tile cut down to fit the EP. My results are good, but the range of "grit" sizes is limited. There don't seem to be porcelains that are very course or very fine. I did find one that is equivalent to approximately 3000 grit. Further experimentation is in the works.

CKTG has a good selection of stones and strops for the EP.

Hope this helps,
Allen

 

[joepa150]

I almost never use a trailing stroke with a stone to finish an edge, whether it's a micro bevel or not. Instead, I use edge leading but very short strokes, maybe less than an inch of movement in the stroke.

What I have been doing based on something I read or a youtube video (I can't recall) is to pull the blade through a wine cork using the weight of the blade a few times after the last stone. I then do a few edge trailing strokes on each side.

How do you remove your burr?