(ZT 301) + (Edge Pro Apex) = ARRRRGGGGGHHHHHH!!!!!!

SoulLessGinger

SoulLessGinger

Joined
Mar 3, 2012
Messages
37
Anyone getting good results with the Edge Pro Apex on heavy recurves that don't have any good flats on the blade? This thing is kicking my @#$.

I can get it plenty sharp free-hand, but I really want to keep a nice sharp bevel line on this knife and a nice even scratch pattern.

Thanks, Arin
 
I have had issues with those myself, actually. Typically I just resort to the WEPS for those, often with some VHB tape on the tops of the jaws to keep everything tight. I'm not tremendously familiar with the 301, looks like even the usual method of getting right down by the grip and using the flat to hold it level doesn't work with this one! WEPS could grab it in the small flat on the sides near the thumb stud, most likely... Maybe...

To the belt grinder with it, I say!
 
laying the grind flat on the table and adjusting the angle about 5° higher to compensate wont work ?
 
the 301 has quite a working recurve. without curved stones like on my WEPS. I agree with Komi, perhaps a convex edge on the belt grinder is the ticket.
 
Glad to hear I'm not the only one.

Even with the half-inch wide stones it has been difficult. Laying it flat on the grind like pwet said was the closest I got to a decent result, but I never could get an even burr with it. Mostly due to fatigue of trying to keep this heavy thing in the same place on the table.

I think I'm at the point of throwing my hands up on this one and putting the belt grinder to it. Or maybe this will give me a reason to finally get a WEPS. Thanks for the replies.
 
The WEPS with the curved stones will work magic on a blade like that, or the belt, of course. Belt would be faster and give you a great edge, or it's a TOTALLY viable excuse to pick up a WEPS and the curved ceramics. :D
 
I did both my ZT 200 and ZT 301 on the EP with the stock stones. It wasn't too hard. I also did my Superhawk with the stock stones.

zt2002.jpg


zt3015.jpg
 
The 200 looks good, but the 301 looks like some of the recurve got straightened. I really like the recurve as it is and don't want to risk flattening it out. Did you end up using the flat or just laying the edge on the table?

One other thing to keep in mind is that we offer knife sharpening as a service, so the next 301 I get to sharpen might not be mine. Results have to be utterly pro here. Not that yours don't look great, I just can't be grinding off big sections of curve.
 
You may be right about straightening the recurve on the 301 but I looked at the edge and it seems that i's the shoulder of the bevel that has straightened because of uneven thickness. I'm not really sure about it though. I did get 1/2 stones from congress tools to get deeper recurves.
 
yeah, you definitely can do it on the WEPS... i know for sure! I also had trouble w/ recurves when I had my EP pro but I never had the 1/2" stones either. If I had it now, I would probably lap the corners off of the 1/2" stones to make them slightly rounded... that should make them work much better.

On the WEPS you don't even really need the curved stones... unless you will be going up through the ceramics. In other words, you don't need them for the diamonds (i.e. up through 1k grit) but you do need the curve on the ceramics since the stock ceramics have a very sharp corner on their edge.

On this dagger I used the stock diamonds all the way up through 1k, then moved on to the 1200/1600 curved ceramics, then onto my 5k/10k choseras, and then to 5/3um strops... like i said the only curved stones i had were the ceramics. but it turned out great!

I'm not downplaying the edge pro... I really miss mine and may have one again at some point Lord willing. but we'll see :)

Before:
DSC07144.JPG


After:
DSC07156.JPG

DSC07158.JPG
 
That's a nice job! Whomever used the Chef's Choice on that thing to begin with needs to be slapped.

The WEPS really is quite impressive. Expensive to begin with, but the precision is absurd!
 
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