Reasons not to buy Edge Pro?

Komitadjie said:
True, and I keep MEANING to do that, but I usually end up going "Oh... but I have this 5k too... Hmm... but I can still see scratches!" :D
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I find that for most things leaving more of an aggressive edge is best for efficient cutting. :)
 
I'm still of two minds on that one, no doubt a rough edge slashes better than a smooth one, but it breaks down darn fast. That's why I generally use a 600 EP on kitchen knives, it seems to be a good balance between enough roughness in the edge for efficient slicing, with enough refinement that it doesn't die as soon as it bites into the cutting board. My personal knives I tend to polish the crap out of, mostly just because I enjoy watching the mirror develop. I've actually been playing with coarser edges on my belt grinder, I have a couple of test knives that I've been trying different ending grits with. Right now, the one that I finished with 180, 320, then stropped with leather + green to remove the burr and polish the edge up seems to be working quite well. It's a FAST edge to put on, too, saves about three belt changes over my normal progression. (180 / 320 / 400 / 15u / 9u / Leather+green / Leather+white)
 
Komitadjie said:
I'm still of two minds on that one, no doubt a rough edge slashes better than a smooth one, but it breaks down darn fast. That's why I generally use a 600 EP on kitchen knives, it seems to be a good balance between enough roughness in the edge for efficient slicing, with enough refinement that it doesn't die as soon as it bites into the cutting board. My personal knives I tend to polish the crap out of, mostly just because I enjoy watching the mirror develop. I've actually been playing with coarser edges on my belt grinder, I have a couple of test knives that I've been trying different ending grits with. Right now, the one that I finished with 180, 320, then stropped with leather + green to remove the burr and polish the edge up seems to be working quite well. It's a FAST edge to put on, too, saves about three belt changes over my normal progression. (180 / 320 / 400 / 15u / 9u / Leather+green / Leather+white)
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I use the 600 grit edge on the Customs that I use in the kitchen because the steels are very wear resistant.

On the cheaper blades that don't have all those carbides the coarser edges work best I believe because the steels are softer and more refined edge won't last very long or cut as well from what I have found.
 
I figured I would throw my 2 pennies on this one.

I own the Sharpmaker, the Edge Pro, and the Wicked Edge.

All 3 work great. Sharpening has a learning curve. Each of these systems has a learning curve. We all learn differently. We all have different abilities physically (related to muscle memory and ability to hold things steady). We all will use these systems differently, looking for different results.

The Edge Pro is great, but I have had knives that I have ruined on it (cheapies), because I couldnt keep the blade steady or get consistent seating. Recognizing my limitations and using the right system for me, is the trick on a particular knife. I have never had this on the Wicked Edge, however I have had issues with the flexible knives on the Wicked Edge. Bottom line is, I think both systems can do any knife, but your sharpening knowledge, dexterity and muscle memory, physical ability to not have heavy gorilla hands, your experience with each system, your needs, how much time you have, etc all come into play. I learned 50% of the Edge Pro fast, but hit a HARD wall on certain knives. I got to 90% proficiency with the Wicked Edge in a month, but soon learned although it can do FFG, I prefer the Edge Pro for FFG (when I say FFG, I dont mean chef's knives, I mean thick FFG knives). This is because of the clamping consistency is brainless on the Edge Pro, but on the Wicked Edge you need to confirm the centering of the blade with an angle cube. It is easy to do and quick, but again, personal preference. Another example, I prefer to do tanto's on the EP for now, until I get used to not rounding the corner on the Wicked Edge, so I just need more practice.

If you LOVE to sharpen knives and tinker, and do not mind investing time in each knife, then EP or WE will be awesome. If you are looking for fast, utility edge sharpening that takes minutes, then go with another option. I like doing all sorts of sharpening for different purposes. I own the EP, WE, and Sharpmaker, like I said, and my next venture will be belt sanding and paper wheels, just to round out my skills, so I can offer my small customer base more options.
 
I'll tell ya the only knives that suck to sharpen on the EP are those tiny SAK knives and high ground concave blades and fully convexed blades they make seating the blade a PITA.

There is no reason to not buy the edge pro unless you are happy with the edges you get freehand or on another system.
 
The EP with the Chosera kit is an amazing machine. Hair whittling edges, every time.

I highly suggest using the drill stop collar also. Takes almost all of the guess work out of it. :)


[video=youtube;ZdhLjGzrnk0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdhLjGzrnk0[/video]
 
I have a Wicked Edge (ALL paddles and strops) AND a SharpMaker sitting next to each other on my work bench. I Use Both. In concert, amazing results.
 
CrimsonTideShooter said:
The EP with the Chosera kit is an amazing machine. Hair whittling edges, every time.

I highly suggest using the drill stop collar also. Takes almost all of the guess work out of it. :)


[video=youtube;ZdhLjGzrnk0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdhLjGzrnk0[/video]
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How well do the choseras do a mirror edge compared to the stock stones and tapes?
 
MVF said:
I had an edgepro and, at the risk of getting flamed, I'd say for consistency (and ease of use) get a Wicked Edge. I am much happier and getting much better results with less work. For me there was too much room for error- having to rotate/move the blade to accommodate different parts of the edge, bevels (as on a saber grind) making it hard to keep a stable angle, and even if you do all that right, you get to deal with the stones being different thicknesses and having to redo the angle for each grit. I know thousands of people swear by their EdgePros, just wasn't the one for me. YMMV
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I second the above statement .
 
I have recently acquired a WEPS. I find it to be a superb system, but as an adjunct to, not a substitute for, the EP. Each has it's own strengths and weasknesses. Used in concert, they form a formidable team.:thumbup::thumbup:
 
I guess the reason not to would be some of the things posted in this thread. Well, not reasons not to, but reasons that the EP isn't some easy mode automatic tool to sharp edges. There is some prep and breakdown, there are things like sharpie marking the edge, taping the blade, adjusting the blade stop and the guide arm. There is a procedure and there is a learning curve. This makes it similar to just freehanding. You need skill and consistency to use an EP. Same for bench stones. Freehand adds some convexity, but the extra strokes to make up for that don't take long compared to setting up the EP for a knife of a different blade width or grinding a full flat after doing a saber grind. The convexity is also of no consequence for minor touch-ups with a practiced hand. But for dead flat bevels, you need some sort of jig to assist.
 
coffeecup said:
Thanks guys.
I'd ruled out the Wicked Edge for a number of reasons, primarily the angles (it looks like 30 degrees is the lowest included angle you can set to) and lack of availability. .
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if that is true about the 30 degrees, that would suck considering how much it cost.
 
CrimsonTideShooter said:
The EP with the Chosera kit is an amazing machine. Hair whittling edges, every time.

I highly suggest using the drill stop collar also. Takes almost all of the guess work out of it. :)


[video=youtube;ZdhLjGzrnk0]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZdhLjGzrnk0[/video]
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Your experiences on the Youtube channel are what pushed me over the edge to buy the Choseras for the EP. Now I want them for the WEPS too!!! Great channel by the way!
 
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