TSPROF Kadet vs Hapstone R2

[crn3371]

In my search for a guided sharpener I started off with the KME. Wanting the ability to also do larger kitchen knives I migrated over to some version of the Hapstone R2 system. I doing research on the Hapstone I ran across several videos on the Kadet. I realize that they’re both basically the same thing, but I’m drawn to the Kadet for its ability to easily break down into smaller components, which seems like big plus as far as storage is concerned. Storage aspects aside, are there any compelling arguments to pick one over the other? Thanks for putting up with my journey down the sharpening rabbit hole.

 

[AVigil]

I almost bought the Kadet, but if you want to do smaller knives like slipjoints you will have to buy another set of Jaws. TSPROF will sell you a set of jaws to solve the problem.

The Hapstone R2 Standard can do small folders as well as bigger blades, their angled spring clamp system was a better choice for me.

Also the scissor accessory for the R2 is $25 and my wife was happy to get all of her scissors sharpened.

 

[crn3371]

That’s good to know. I have to admit that I’m drawn to the Kadet mainly because of the way it breaks down for storage, and I admire it’s industrial design.

 

[sickpuppy1]

My sharpener just stays assembled on a small table downstairs out of the way, I guess it depends on how often you need to take it apart. I do touch ups at least once a week so I wouldnt want to be take down and set up all the time.

 

[AVigil]

That’s good to know. I have to admit that I’m drawn to the Kadet mainly because of the way it breaks down for storage, and I admire it’s industrial design.

If you are not going to sharpen small folders then that is a great choice.

 

[crn3371]

Regarding the stock Kadet clamps and small blades, is it a case of not physically being able to secure the blade, or do the clamps interfere with the stone? Will the Hapstone angle clamps accommodate small blades, say a SAK?

 

[777 Edge]

I have both the Kadet and Hapstone R2. Both great units, but if I had to choose between the 2 units, I would pick my R2 without hesitation.

The Kadet has no way of doing fine tuning, and you have to loosen the grub screw and wiggle it up or down to set your angles. It works, but it's very cumbersome compared to using the R2 paired with a fine tuning adapter.

Setting your angles on the Kadet is also very cumbersome, because you zero your angle cube on the stone holder (with a stone in place and on the blade) then measure your angle on the clamp unit platform. It's arc of movement is meant to then keep the blade edge in the exact same position while you adjust the angle, but it doesn't quite work that way. The problem is, the geometry only works for a very specific knife blade width, so really you end up having to zero on the stone, adjust angle, measure, go back to the stone, zero again, adjust angle, measure, then go back to the stone again to still make sure it's zeroed. The TSPROF Blitz unit has the same issue.

Only the TSPROF K03 (Their expensive big-boy version) does not suffer from this, because like the Hapstone R2, the blade is stationary when you adjust the angle. But the K03 is pricey.

With the R2, your blade is stationary so you zero your angle cube on the clamp unit platform, then you place your cube on the stone holder platform and set your angle. No need to go back to the blade again to zero for a second or third time, because the blade is stationary.

The R2 will also take apart quickly and easily and pack away nicely.

 

[crn3371]

Weird, I’ve been browsing the Gritomatic site all morning, just went to finalize everything and check out and suddenly every Hapstone sharpener is sold out. FWIW, going with R2 standard with all the accessories that come with the Black kits, along with a set of Venev Ursa’s.

 

[777 Edge]

Weird, I’ve been browsing the Gritomatic site all morning, just went to finalize everything and check out and suddenly every Hapstone sharpener is sold out. FWIW, going with R2 standard with all the accessories that come with the Black kits, along with a set of Venev Ursa’s.

I think it's a good choice that you'll be happy with.

That is strange yes, I know the Hapstone systems are popular and sell out often but maybe Gritomatic is just doing stock taking or working on their kits, maybe worth emailing them about it to just confirm.

 

[AVigil]

Weird, I’ve been browsing the Gritomatic site all morning, just went to finalize everything and check out and suddenly every Hapstone sharpener is sold out. FWIW, going with R2 standard with all the accessories that come with the Black kits, along with a set of Venev Ursa’s.

When you do order be sure to order TWO of the spring assist stoppers, not one like I did lol.
The second one should be in my mail box today.

 

[SpaceGhost88]

I‘d go Kadet. Once you set the sharpening angle on the Kadet, you are pretty much good to go. When you switch stones you can use the stone thickness compensator built in to the neck of the Kadet where the guide rod attaches.

The Hapstone R2 is a nice unit… but it lacks the quality, solid feel, and has non-milled non-billet aluminum clamps, which made it feel light and cheap imhe. It just didn’t feel as solid and well made to the same level of craftsmanship as the Kadet. For very small pen-knife sized blades, the additional set of fillet clamps mounted on one side works well.

The part about setting the angle at first on the Kadet does take some getting used to… as the large set screw has a rubber nipple and you may have to give it 2-3 attempts before hitting that exact 19.5° angle. The Hapstone is easier to dial in exact measurements faster.

If you are looking at different units the TS Prof K03 is my personal favorite.

 

[777 Edge]

...The Hapstone R2....has non-milled non-billet aluminum clamps, which made it feel light and cheap imhe..

Hapstone has a wide variety of clamps available, including whole milled aluminum clamps. Lots of options, not only the clamps you are referring to.

TSPROF actually also have the same type of non-billet spring steel clamps available as Hapstone. Both types of clamps have it's place in a serious knife sharpeners arsenal.

The spring steel plate clamps you are referring to, is what we recently also discussed on this forum. They are very secure when a knife is clamped in them, and they conform very well with most knife grinds, depending on how you adjust them to suit the profile of your knife's grind.

What sets the Hapstone Universal Angled clamps (also spring steel non-milled clamps) apart from the clamps that TSPROF provides, is incredible versatility. They can be used as a center mount clamp (side by side) in the R2 to clamp smaller blades, and they can be used to effectively widen your clamp bar for much bigger knives if you rotate them 180 degrees to face outward at the end of the clamp bar. Very versatile clamps.

I also have the TSPROF K03 that you are referring to, and yes it is a phenomenal piece of machinery. A work of art and built like a tank...but it doesn't make my knives any sharper than my Hapstone R2 does. With both units my knives are beyond hair whittling sharp. Only difference is, the R2 unit is nearly half the price of the K03.

 

[AVigil]

I almost got the Kadet but having to spend almost $100 ,to buy the filet clamps, to sharpen small blades pushed me toward the R2.

I can see the attraction to the Kadet and its break down storage ability. My R2 has its own shelf in the shop, it is big has a large foot print which is fine for me and I like the weight which keeps it perfectly still while sharpening.

 

[crn3371]

Not everyone has the space to have a large tool sitting out 24/7, that’s why I brought up the Kadet. I find the ability to EASILY break down and put away when not in use very appealing. If you recall I started my sharpening quest centered around the KME system. One of the selling points of the KME was that it would break down and go into a dedicated case. I ultimately decided against the KME because I wanted the ability to work on large chef’s knives and didn’t think it was the best tool for that particular job. If I’ve learned anything in my research it’s that ALL of these systems will get your knives screaming sharp and that none of them are perfect out of the box. I can sharpen a SAK on the R2, but it isn’t very storable. I can easily store the Kadet, but sharpening small blades will require the purchase of different clamps. I appreciate everyone’s input. I apologize if I seem to be all over the place. I’m just trying to find something that fits my needs, and budget.

 

[SpaceGhost88]

Hapstone has a wide variety of clamps available, including whole milled aluminum clamps. Lots of options, not only the clamps you are referring to.

TSPROF actually also have the same type of non-billet spring steel clamps available as Hapstone. Both types of clamps have it's place in a serious knife sharpeners arsenal.

The spring steel plate clamps you are referring to, is what we recently also discussed on this forum. They are very secure when a knife is clamped in them, and they conform very well with most knife grinds, depending on how you adjust them to suit the profile of your knife's grind.

What sets the Hapstone Universal Angled clamps (also spring steel non-milled clamps) apart from the clamps that TSPROF provides, is incredible versatility. They can be used as a center mount clamp (side by side) in the R2 to clamp smaller blades, and they can be used to effectively widen your clamp bar for much bigger knives if you rotate them 180 degrees to face outward at the end of the clamp bar. Very versatile clamps.

I also have the TSPROF K03 that you are referring to, and yes it is a phenomenal piece of machinery. A work of art and built like a tank...but it doesn't make my knives any sharper than my Hapstone R2 does. With both units my knives are beyond hair whittling sharp. Only difference is, the R2 unit is nearly half the price of the K03.

I'm aware of the different options of aftermarket clamps available. I was only speaking of the clamps that come with each unit. TS Prof is moving away from all of the black painted steel clamps to only selling all billet aluminum clamps.

And based on the stock clamps that come with each unit, the Hapstone clamps are cheaper, less sturdy, and are easily moved. You can also mount both stock clamps on the same side of the Kadet for smaller knives.

Sounds like you should sell your K03 since you are so impressed with your Hapstone. As a matter of fact, for the ultimate savings we should all just free-hand on some stones... but this is not the question asked by the OP.

 

[crn3371]

Got a text from Gritomatic saying R2 back in stock and in the end sharpening ease and versatility outweighed billet prettiness and storability, so R2 with Venev Ursa’s on the way! Standby for the “why isn’t my knife sharp” posts

 

[AVigil]

Got a text from Gritomatic saying R2 back in stock and in the end sharpening ease and versatility outweighed billet prettiness and storability, so R2 with Venev Ursa’s on the way! Standby for the “why isn’t my knife sharp” posts

I have been putting my R2 through its paces, you should be happy with it.
It is very easy to set the angle with the height adjustor.

The jaws work great, very well made and really can adjust to the blade shape to lock it in. I am able with the angled spring jaws lock in a 2" blade that is 1/2" wide with a hollow grind with no problem up to a 10" full flat ground kitchen knife.

 

[777 Edge]

Got a text from Gritomatic saying R2 back in stock and in the end sharpening ease and versatility outweighed billet prettiness and storability, so R2 with Venev Ursa’s on the way! Standby for the “why isn’t my knife sharp” posts

Congratulations! I think you'll love it.

Regarding storage, your R2 will take down in less than a minute to fit inside a drawer or box. You could also store it in the original box it came in and it will take up less space than you would imagine.

Enjoy using it!

 

[777 Edge]

....sharpening ease and versatility outweighed billet prettiness and storability, so R2 with Venev Ursa’s on the way!...

Here is a good comparison for you. A picture says a thousand words.

You can see that the footprint of the Hapstone R2 and the TSPROF Kadet, both taken down for storage is really not much different in size. The height is virtually the same (because of the Kadet vertical arm support sticking up). The width and length of the R2 taken down is only slightly more than the Kadet.

Time wise, it actually is about the same to take them down. 1-2 minutes and they are disassembled and ready for storage. With the Kadet, you actually have to also take the clamps off and reverse them on the bar for the smallest footprint. With the R2, no need to do that.

Hope the pics help clear it up.

 

[sickpuppy1]

Now that you have it taken down, how about sending the spare one to me.....not picky which one really.......