Fake Edge Pro Apex for $32

[Omega Leather Works]

Mine didn't come with oil. It did come with a pen that works better for me than a sharpie. I think it was $30 shipped. The price was higher than other places because it was shipped from a US source so arrived in a couple of days.

 

[cbwx34]

If inaccuracy...

(Improperly cut angle markings)

poor fit and finish...

(Knobs coming loose, plastic bits sticking out, poor finish on the bottom that interferes with the blade guide, loose pieces)
(Oh, and one of my suction cups comes loose after a few minutes)

poor quality stones...

(Smaller, very poor cutting, mediocre finish)

improper design...

(Lack of Blade stops in either direction, copy of older pivot design that's no longer used on "real" Edge Pro)

and a poor Xerox copy of the actual Edge Pro Manual...

(Some pages nearly illegible, but hey, they at least tried to white out all "Edge Pro" references)
(And no customer support... no email address or phone number anywhere to be found, so some of this could at least be addressed)

...don't bother you, then this is the sharpener for you!

In all seriousness... I bought one to compare, and this is what I found. If sharpening isn't a high priority, or you know enough to overcome some of the deficiencies, like the angle markings and blade stop issues, then maybe it's worth it. You can use "real" Edge Pro stones on it... at a minimum I'd replace the ones that come with this... they're awful. I wonder if, over time, the fit/finish issues will equal failure... I've had my original EP for years with no issues.

I'm not saying do or don't buy, that's your choice... just be aware of what you're getting.

 

[seelow123]

Guys. Please don't buy this. I know it's cheap but you can get something like a DMT aligner or a lansky for around the same price and they will be better made and last you longer than this knockoff. Please don't support IP theft. I think it's worth it to save up for the real thing.

 

[Omega Leather Works]

Guys. Please don't buy this. I know it's cheap but you can get something like a DMT aligner or a lansky for around the same price and they will be better made and last you longer than this knockoff. Please don't support IP theft. I think it's worth it to save up for the real thing.

I have a Lansky. It's nowhere near as good as the knockoff.

Mine doesn't have the problems exhibited above. Well not all of them. I do believe the markings are off. Most anything wrong with it is easily overcome by practice (much like the ep) . I will say that I was dismayed to see the ep guide included with the knockoff.

Outside of what I've already said I'll let you guys make up your own minds. :thumbup:

 

[TEFL0N_D0N_81]

Once you use oil on a sharpening stone its all you can ever use. Use water instead.

I used to use an arkansas stone passed on from someone else. He used to use honing oil but I just boiled the stone till all the oil got out. I don't use that stone anymore but I'm pretty sure the method works.

 

[Revival29]

what is the official name of this fake EP?

 

[nccole]

They make a system very similar to the Lansky.

That is where my question comes from. Everyone seems to be okay with there being three (at least to my knowledge) guided rod systems, go pick the one you like. Nobody gets upset when someone buys a Smith's instead of a GATCO. No gripes about knockoff this or that and who came first, but with the Ede Pro and Wicked Edge, people go crazy. What is the difference? Not condoning stealing ideas, just asking how you distinguish. Is it the absurd price difference that does it, or something else? Again, I am not looking for patent issues, or why it is wrong. Why is it that only the Edge Pro or Wicked Edge, or Hinderer, CRK, and not less expensive things getting ripped off that gets everyone upset.

 

[OHALLUM]

I wouldn't call it a fake EP, but rather a device modeled after the EP. I do think that the copied manual is pushing the limits, and could be grounds for legal action. If I were to paint a picture of the Mona Lisa and call it the Mona Liza, I could sell it as long as I did not claim it was THE Mona Lisa. (Of course if I painted it there would be no doubt as to its authenticity)
I just think you guys are making a mountain out of a mole hill here. I doubt if EP is or has lost any sales due this device, and probably has made some sales due to it.

Blessings,

Omar

 

[West Šenkovec]

What's wrong with the stones?


Hi guys! Can someone please tell me what's wrong with the stones?
Are they uneven, poorly glued, coarser than stated or do they have a bad finish? Are they irreparable?

I would like to buy just thease cheap stones for sharpening my axes and kitchen knives.
Buying sand paper is more expensive than buying this tones lol. That's why I want to try these.

I would buy a pack of six (240#, 400#, 600#, 800#,1000#,1500#) and a 3000 grit ruby stone.

Picture 1

Picture 2

Picture 3

 

[sharpandsafe]

Okay,

I have a confession to make; I bought one of these things. The way I look at it is this: I would never have shelled out for the real Edge Pro system, but I did buy a bunch of authentic Edge Pro stones and accessories after purchasing this and discovering how terrible the stones are. Yes, the Chinese ripoff artists made a few dollars, but Ben Dale has also made some sales to me that he would not have otherwise.

What's wrong with the stones?

If you don't have any ethical concern about buying this Chinese product, then you should at least budget to get the real-deal Edge Pro mounted stones. The stones on the Chinese copy are awful, but I appreciate that I had some super cheap stone to practice on for a few knives until they fell apart (yes, really). In my case, the 180 grit stone arrived broken. The 800 grit stone was so soft that it literally disintegrated after a few sharpening (was shedding pink sand even with a light touch). The 1500 grit stone fell off of it's flimsy plastic mounting block after a couple of sharpenings, though I rather liked the 1500 grit stone after it's layer of surface plastic/resin/wax or whatever it was got scraped off.

Oh, I almost forgot to mention... The stones leave a very uneven scratch pattern, so it seems the grits aren't graded very strictly.

Basically, the mounts are flimsy and provide no support to the stones and the stones themselves are very poor quality - they should be replaced with the real-deal immediately or almost immediately if you plan to use them on any knives you really care about.

 

[sharpandsafe]

I would like to buy just thease cheap stones for sharpening my axes and kitchen knives.

I sharpened an axe with these stones with great results (soft carbon steel), but I wouldn't let these stones anywhere near good kitchen knives IMHO.

 

[Omega Leather Works]

I've gotta agree about the stones. They are... ungood. The finishing (ceramic) stone is pretty nice though. They actually have fewer flaws than my Lansky stones do, but the mud is rediculous and I don't think that they are made to a very high standard. Big surprise!

I like the idea of supporting the edge pro company by buying authentic stones. I also agree with Omar (I usually do), I think the whole thing is kind of blown out of proportion. As I mentioned before, the patent on the Edge Pro has expired people.

Btw, I tried to find a decent magnet for the table at Radio Shack and couldn't. I found a great set of 10 rare earth magnets (very strong!) at Harbor Freight for a couple of bucks though, and because of the table design I was able to super glue 9 of them in there. It's not strong enough to hold up a knife on its own, but it does seem to help. I like it for almost nothing.

 

[stitchawl]

For your magnets, take apart and old dead hard drive. You'll find two of the most powerful magnets you've ever seen above and below the brackets in the read/write arm. Very, very thin, and extremely strong, and I use two of them to hold fixed blade knives UPSIDE DOWN in sheaths without worry that the knife will fall out, (without retaining straps) even if you jump up and down.

As far as the markings on the rod of this imported sharpener, well... hell, who sharpens a knife without checking the angles with a cube or a protractor if they really care about precision? I've used my EdgePro for 15 years and doubt I could even tell you what the markings represent! I don't care. I check the angles with a protector, then set it with a stop collar.

As for the reason people are so up in arms about EdgePro and WickedEdge, and not so much about all the different guide systems or crock blocks, is most likely because they have talked to Ben or (now I can't think of his name) on the phone once or twice, getting help from them. In today's digital world, actually speaking to a human immediately makes them your life-long buddy, same as if someone has 'agreed' with you in a chat forum. People are just about ready to die for Internet Friends that they've never met. Interesting phenomenon. 'Nice' when you think about it, but also really bloody weird when you realize that the guy who 'agreed' with you might just be sitting in a jail cell for murdering his wife and three children... and you'd never know it.


Stitchawl

 

[Omega Leather Works]

I AGREE with you. Now, will you be my friend?

Seriously though, thanks for the hdd tip. I didn't know that. If I come across one that I can dismantle I'll have a poke-around.

 

[Omega Leather Works]

Oh and there are some decent angle apps for smartphones if you're interested. Depending on your case they seem to work pretty well.

 

[Komitadjie]

I voted with my cash, and bought the real thing. Absolutely refuse to support Chinese rip-shops.

 

[sharpandsafe]

As I stated above, Ben Dale has already made some money from me by my purchase of a full set of sharpening stones, glass blank and polishing tapes since my purchase of the Chinese knock-off. He would not have otherwise made these sales. I think the Edge Pro products are way overpriced, as good as they are. The Chinese knock-off can be had for $24. It is most comparable to the Apex 3 system at $225 - almost ten times the cost of the Chinese system. I would never have paid $225 for the original Apex, but I would have happily paid more than $24 for the real deal, made in USA Edge Pro.

Now, we know that the Chinese stones are junk, so I would happily pay the cost of the Chinese system, plus the cost of a full set of Edge Pro stones, plus a premium of, say $50 for a real made in USA edge pro. That would bring the cost of the Edge Pro Apex 3 system to $154, which is what I think Ben should be charging. I am sure he can still make money at this price, since it is basically made of plastic and commonly available hardware. I hope no one is too offended by this - it's just my personal opinion.

Strigamort,
If you can please provide me a reference to prove that the EP Apex patent has expired, I would be grateful.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Regarding the existence of a patent for the Edge Pro (in it's original form, apparently):

'Professional Cutlery Sharpening Machine', patent #5,185,958; issued Feb 16, 1993 to 'Benton Dale':

Patent number: 5185958
Filing date: Oct 19, 1990
Issue date: Feb 16, 1993

http://www.google.com/patents/US5185958

Patents expire 17 years after date of issue (1993 + 17; expired in 2010) or 20 years after date of application (1990 + 20; expired in 2010).

( quoted from site -->: http://www.uspto.gov/web/offices/ac/ido/oeip/taf/patdesc.htm )

(...) "Utility and plant patents which were applied for prior to June 8, 1995, and which were or will be in force after June 8, 1995, now have a patent term of seventeen years from the date of patent grant or twenty years from the date of filing of the earliest related patent application, whichever is longer. (...)

David

 

[FCM415]

Im not here to debate and hear arguments like the last two threads about this, but I'd like to say a few things. It is best to vote with your wallet and I went with the real thing. The EdgePro is a one time purchase, it is covered under a full lifetime warranty.

Buying edge pro stones and sticking it on the fake and justifying it because you gave Ben Dale some of your money because of the stones is up to you, I can't expect everyone to have the same moral standard. To me, its the same thing as buying a fake Hinderer and putting on a real scale from Rick. I wouldn't do it, but that's just me. I also accept that there are plenty of foreigners on Bladeforums that have less interest in American IP rights, it would still be nice if they supported knifemakers in the hobby but to each their own.

People may be missing the boat to think that the reason for supporting people like Dale is because they talked to him on the phone for some help. Innovation in the knife community is damaged when innovators and designers don't get your support and go with a counterfeit instead that did not have to go through R&D and the man hours required to put out a product. I never spoke to Ben Dale but emailed him regarding what he thought about the fake because of the back and forth we were having on the subject in a previous thread. You see, he had my support BEFORE I ever contacted him and people who have asked him for help over the phone most likely own the real one as well therefore support him regardless of the "phone call connection".

One can mock how Ben Dale gets phone calls from customers who needs their help but thats just the thing... No one stands behind the China counterfeit and you see people with questions about it here looking for new friends on BF to help them with the fake because no one else will. The EdgePro is a unique item, and the fake copied it down to the manual, if you cannot see the wrong in that then more power to you but we all have our positions on the subject...

Add: The patent hasn't expired on the Axis lock yet you see counterfeits with it right now... Chinese counterfeiters don't care about no patent. The fake EdgePro has been around for years, probably before the patent expired. You see, its not about anything expiring, its about justifying a purchase to make the individual feel better about it.

 

[Johnbeck180]

My father-in-law has the Edge Pro, he purchased the cheap sharpening kit for me for Christmas. We've compared both side by side. other than the metal backing on the edge pro stones there identical. My sharpener has plastic backing for the stones, but the edge pro stones fit it. Other than having to wait so long for it to be delivered it works great!! :0)