Paperwheel and edge pro pro and cons

panch0

panch0

Joined
Jun 16, 2008
Messages
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I have heard good things about both products. I need a sharpening system that can deliver an even edge. I am needing this for new knives I make that have no edge. It id hard to make the edges even with a grinder and so I am thinking of getting somethng to speed up the process and still give a professional finish. What say you.
 
i have been using them for 17+ years and havent found anything that works any better. i sharpened 30 knives for dave curtiss in a few hours and 241 knives for pappy1959 split up over a 2 day period but in less than 14 hours total with them. i wouldnt want to have sharpened either order with any other method. here is what pappy said about my service and the wheels.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=651061
 
How long do the wheels last Richard? Also You had sent me a link earlier for these. Can you re send them too me. Thanks.
 
If you have problems making even edges with a grinder I really don't see how a paper wheel will do any better. It is basicly a grinder with a paper wheel.
 
I don't use a bench grinder, I use a belt grinder and it only has one speed and that is Warp. Its too fast and I don't want to risk ruining the temper on the tip. They come out even after some work and grinding away with DMT stones. It is not an efficient system I am using. I just need to upgrade.
 
edge pro makes good kits. i would stay away from the lansky and smith kits, didnt have very good results from either
 
i will have been using the wheels for 18 years come this september. i still have my first set and they are still going strong. you can get the wheels from dave over at great lakes waterjet when he gets them in.
 
Even using an Edgepro, Lansky, or whatever you are using, it is worthwhile to AT LEAST get and use the paper compound wheel.
You can hone an edge to a bright shiny shaving sharp work of art in like 2 minutes.
If you can't hold a straight line and get an even draw across the grit wheel your edge will be inconsistent and you will be unhappy. There is no substitute for practice though, and it is really very easy to get the hang of once you get going on the wheels.
Practice with scrap on the grit wheel until you get the hang of it. Until that point continue with your Edgepro and just hone on the compound wheel.

Chuck
 
I have both and use both from time to time.

Drawbacks quite simply are these.

Paper wheels = lots of heat and you have to be sure to not leave the edge in one spot for too long or you can burn mark the edge if not more.
Otherwise they are one of the quickest ways to bring an edge up to super sharp shape in record time.

Edge Pro = the need for taping off the blade or the stand. Personally I prefer taping off each blade to keep them from getting scratched up. The course stone loses a lot of debris and the EP is known for scratchin the spines and other flat areas of the knives as they lay on the stand during sharpening. This is from that stone losing particles and then those getting under the blade which moves and vibrates some during sharpening.

The other draw back to the EP is learning to make note of the angle you use on each of the knives or get used to using the sharpy method to determine the angle blind if you don't have record of it or get one just needing touched up and not necessarily rebeveled.

Even with these draw backs the Edge Pro is my favorite sharpener.

STR
 
I just got an Edgepro Apex this week and already love it. I have very good coordination though so maybe that helps. I didn't find it hard to learn at all. FWIW I got the best edges I've been able to get from any other sharpening system I've tried, and I believe I've tried all the famous ones, including 1" belt sander. Never tried the paper wheels but after using the Edgepro I can tell I'd rather have the exacting method of the Edgepro. You need to try things to see what works best for you.
 
str, there's not really that much heat. a blade will get hotter tempering a blade or even running it under hot water than what it would when sharpening on the wheels. wax with the grit wheel is a must to reduce the chances of heat even more. running the wheels at 1725 rpm compared to 3400 rpm lessens the chances of any heat even more. find a 1725 rpm motor and give them a try at the lower speed.
 
Mine is 1725 rpm R.J. You have to warn lay people of the risk using motorized equipment on their knives IMO and heat is a factor with any motorized sharpener based on my experience whether its a worn belt on your grinder or a wheel.

STR
 
thats why i tell them to start off with a hacksaw blade or a cheap knife. you have to practice drawing the knife across the wheel evenly without any hesitation. once you can do this the chances of overheating a blade is reduced or eliminated. a blade can take more heat than what some people think. when i tried to anneal the tang of a knife i was making i heated an area the size of a quarter cherry red several times allowing it to cool on its own. the steel was still hard enough to trash a brand new carbide end mill that i was using instead of a regular bit.
 
STR said:
I have both and use both from time to time.

Drawbacks quite simply are these.

Paper wheels = lots of heat and you have to be sure to not leave the edge in one spot for too long or you can burn mark the edge if not more.
Otherwise they are one of the quickest ways to bring an edge up to super sharp shape in record time.

Edge Pro = the need for taping off the blade or the stand. Personally I prefer taping off each blade to keep them from getting scratched up. The course stone loses a lot of debris and the EP is known for scratchin the spines and other flat areas of the knives as they lay on the stand during sharpening. This is from that stone losing particles and then those getting under the blade which moves and vibrates some during sharpening.

The other draw back to the EP is learning to make note of the angle you use on each of the knives or get used to using the sharpy method to determine the angle blind if you don't have record of it or get one just needing touched up and not necessarily rebeveled.

Even with these draw backs the Edge Pro is my favorite sharpener.

STR
Click to expand...

Well said Steve. I also have both systems, and I agree with your comments.
 
I use the paper wheel for regular sharpening and the edge pro to change the angle on them. Setting up the edge pro is such a hassle though that I hardly use it.

In my experience, the higher grits of the edge pro polish the edge of a knife a lot finer than the paper wheels do.
 
richard j said:
str, there's not really that much heat. a blade will get hotter tempering a blade or even running it under hot water than what it would when sharpening on the wheels. wax with the grit wheel is a must to reduce the chances of heat even more. running the wheels at 1725 rpm compared to 3400 rpm lessens the chances of any heat even more. find a 1725 rpm motor and give them a try at the lower speed.
Click to expand...
Richard - I've been using the paper wheels for a while now with great results. The one thing I don't understand is why the manufacturer states to use them at speeds from 3000 to 3600 RPM. My bench grinder runs at 3450 RPM and I get fantastic results with no heat build up. This is twice the speed you recommend, yet if these faster speeds weren't optimal, why would the manufacturer suggest them?
paperwheelsLarge.jpg
 
thats the speed of the buffer grizzly import sells so thats what they use. if you were to watch me sharpen a knife you wont be able to tell any difference when i'm done. i still have the first motor i started out with which is for my portable unit. i can run my buffer over 5400 rpm but there is no need to. if a high speed buffer is all you can find then that will work. i myself like the slower speed motor for sharpening.
 
I mounted my grinder motor, and bolted on the paper wheels, waxed the grit one and loaded the compound wheel with white rouge. I have sharpened all of our house cutlery (Cuisinart garbage) and got them shaving sharp. The learning time for me was 2 knives. I am trying to stay conscious of my angles, but I am really happy how fast I can sharpen my slipjoint collection. The bevel is beautifully polished and my lines are more than acceptable. I have never attained this level of hair popping sharpness. These are 50 to 100 dollar knives that I rotate in my edc. I have little hair on my left arm from removing large patches of hair as I tested each knife for sharpness! I think it took about 2 to 3 minutes per knife, but I could probably get it down to under 2 min per knife. My wife is looking at my arm, and shaking her head. She was happy how sharp the kitchen knives are. I thank you Richard for turning me on to to such a great system! Richard, you are a stand up guy. I spoke to the manufacturer, and he is a great guy, I forgot his name, but he told me to go through Grizzly which I did. Paper wheels are the way to go. I now do not have to commit to a whole night to sharpen 2 knives. I can do 40 in a couple hours if I needed to.
 
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