Edge Pro Apex: which version to buy?

sharp_edge

sharp_edge

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I finally decide to give Edge Pro Apex a try but given several variants of it, I am not sure which one to buy. I hope the more experienced folks here can offer some suggestions. Thank you in advance. The main reason that I want it is for creating super polished and even edges on folding knives in steel like K390, S90V, S110V, and M390.

I have a Lansky guided sharpener with diamond stones (200, 400, 1000 are what I believe I have), which can produce even and very sharp edges but the scratch pattern is hard to be gotten rid of, so the edges are not high polished. Or maybe I did not sharpen long enough before moving to the next grit?
 
Man, I'd just get the pro. I bought an apex, bought all the add ons over time but it's still not as enjoyable to use as the professional model.


sharp_edge said:
I finally decide to give Edge Pro Apex a try but given several variants of it, I am not sure which one to buy. I hope the more experienced folks here can offer some suggestions. Thank you in advance. The main reason that I want it is for creating super polished and even edges on folding knives in steel like K390, S90V, S110V, and M390.

I have a Lansky guided sharpener with diamond stones (200, 400, 1000 are what I believe I have), which can produce even and very sharp edges but the scratch pattern is hard to be gotten rid of, so the edges are not high polished. Or maybe I did not sharpen long enough before moving to the next grit?
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The Pro is a lot more stable, which is important. And I think the magnets are positioned better in the Pro too.

Maybe I should read the ops post better, sorry. In all honesty, it sounds like the problem may lie with your stones. Do you strop? No matter what stone I finish with I can always get a finer polish with a loaded strop, for your steels you will want diamonds, or CBN. What is your sharpening procedure?


If you want to get an Apex then here are my thoughts. The more stable you can hold the knife to the sharpener the better so you will want the magnet and slide guide. You will want a compensator too. If you stay with Edge Pro for your stones then you will want the Matrix stones. You will also want some leather strops and diamond to load them with, down to 1 or .5 micron IMO, beyond that I don't see any difference.

Disclaimer, I make the Matrix stones and some parts for EP.
 
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I've got to agree with the others. While I've not used the Apex, I'm sold on the Pro model. And for the steels you mention, whether you go Apex or Pro, definitely get the diamond matrix stones. For lesser steels, I prefer more traditional stones.
 
Diemaker said:
If you stay with Edge Pro for your stones then you will want the Matrix stones. You will also want some leather strops and diamond to load them with, down to 1 or .5 micron IMO, beyond that I don't see any difference.

Disclaimer, I make the Matrix stones and some parts for EP.
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RustyIron said:
I've got to agree with the others. While I've not used the Apex, I'm sold on the Pro model. And for the steels you mention, whether you go Apex or Pro, definitely get the diamond matrix stones. For lesser steels, I prefer more traditional stones.
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The regular EP stones aren't the greatest, but interestingly, I have great success on M390 and S90V with the Shapton Glass stones. Why do you think the Matrix stones are necessary for the supersteels (and yes, Diemaker, your Matrix stones are excellent! I tried them out in the passaround)?
 
loonybin said:
The regular EP stones aren't the greatest, but interestingly, I have great success on M390 and S90V with the Shapton Glass stones. Why do you think the Matrix stones are necessary for the supersteels (and yes, Diemaker, your Matrix stones are excellent! I tried them out in the passaround)?
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There are hard particles inside those "supersteels" called Carbides. The Carbides are harder than the surrounding steel.


It is believed that since the main abrasive in those ceramic stones is softer than those hard carbides inside the steel that the apex will not be shaped as crisp.

Its not that the ceramic stones do not work the supersteels are not pure carbide and the softer steel matrix around the carbide can be cut, it's just that the apex may not shape as neatly with enough carbide volume and hardness to the steel with softer ceramic abrasive.

If I gave you a knife in Rex 121 at 70hrc

It would be painful to sharpen on the shapton stones to the point where you may say that steel does not sharpen which is not true, just using the wrong tool to make it work.

It's not a big deal to sharpen rex 121 with diamond/cbn bonded stones.

Steels like m390 at 58-60 are not going to be as dramatic as Rex since the matrix surrounding the carbides is run softer and not capable of 70rc due to its chemistry and the volume of super hard Carbides is dramatically lower. Yet some may notice the edge is slightly crisper with Diamond/CBN in my experience.
 
Have you looked into the Hapstone series of sharpeners from Gritomatic? Pair one of them up with a set of Edge Pro Matrix stones and you'll have a great system.

Hapstone gives you more options and better value for money in my opinion. (I have Edge Pro, Hapstone and many other systems)

If you're completely sold on getting an Edge Pro Apex, you can upgrade it yourself with my free designs to make it a much better system. Links FYI -

Upgrades & Improvements:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4076797

Retractable magnet:
https://www.thingiverse.com/thing:4542153
 
The 5-stone Lansky guided sharpener, when it was new, could result in nice mirror-polished edges of S30V and even M390 (of course I had to spend a lot of time patiently on sharpening). Unfortunately but not surprisingly those stones were worn out to the point that they are only useful for steel like VG10. I later added three diamond stones, which as said in my OP, can produce super sharp edges, just that they are not highly polished.

Yes - I do use DMT 6mu, 3mu, and 1mu diamond pastes to strop, though they can't remove completely the scratches from those diamond stones. Maybe they are just too deep.

Maybe I just need to reduce the pressure I applied on using those Lansky diamond stones to 1/3 or even less but sharpen 3 or 4 times longer with each stone?

It's going to still take me a while before I am willing to spend $700+ on a sharpening system. I just want to put highly polished edges on a few knives. For most of my user knives, I do not need such an edge.
 
Try reducing the pressure to virtually nothing at the end of each grip progression, that should help a lot. You might need something between your last stone and 6-micron strop, say a 12-15 micron stone.
 
I vote for the Edge Pro Pro also. The new version with the magnets is great. I had one from 2000 and they got me a new blade table with the magnets. Combine that with the DM stones and you have a great system!!
 
Not sure which 3 diamond Lansky stones you have but they don't label them 200,400,1000 like the stones you mentioned in your first post.

Lansky labels their diamond stones as Extra Coarse, Coarse, Medium and Fine.

FYI, the average grit size (in microns) of those are 180 micron, 150 micron, 100 micron and 25 micron. 25 micron being the fine stone.

To keep your cost down, I would then use a Venev "Dog" set of diamond bonded stones (from Gritomatic) and install them on a Lansky stone adapter to use. That will set you up for a great mirror polish. The Vevev Dog stones are $15 and you get 4 grits for that price, from about 100 micron, down to about 3 micron.

I have free Lansky adapters too as part of my designs on Thingiverse if you want to make yourself one. If you don't have a 3D printer to make yourself one of my free adapters or can't get hold of somewhere to print for you, then I think Gritomatic also sells adapter stone holders for Lansky.
 
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777 Edge said:
Not sure which 3 diamond Lansky stones you have but they don't label them 200,400,1000 like the stones you mentioned in your first post.

Lansky labels their diamond stones as Extra Coarse, Coarse, Medium and Fine.

FYI, the average grit size (in microns) of those are 180 micron, 150 micron, 100 micron and 25 micron. 25 micron being the fine stone.

To keep your cost down, I would then use a Venev "Dog" set of diamond bonded stones (from Gritomatic) and install them on a Lansky stone adapter to use. That will set you up for a great mirror polish. The Vevev Dog stones are $15 and you get 4 grits for that price, from about 100 micron, down to about 3 micron.

I have free Lansky adapters too as part of my designs on Thingiverse if you want to make yourself one. If you don't have a 3D printer to make yourself one of my free adapters or can't get hold of somewhere to print for you, then I think Gritomatic also sells adapter stone holders for Lansky.
Click to expand...

You are right. I have the purple, orange, and gold? colors of lansky diamond stones which indeed are called coarse, medium, and fine. Checked just now. The grits are described as 120, 280, and 600.

I will check out what you suggested. Thanks
 
I’ve never used the Apex but would purchase it over any other brand. If you can afford it get the Pro. You won’t be disappointed. Over time you will purchase every stone out there.
 
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