A sharp blade, perhaps a dull mind.

[The Tourist]

Betty and I have been sharpening on the Edge-Pro system. She has just acquired the Apex, and I have made a business for myself in semi-retirement with Ben Dale's full size Professional model.

What most people consider sharp, we use to butter bagels. I encourage the members here to look into the Edge-Pro system, and chat with the inventor, Ben Dale. He is a great guy, and provides excellent customer service.

It is an unique system to get incredibly sharp knives, preserve the cosmetic aspects of the blade and do repair work for chipped or badly sharpened examples.

Using his polishing tapes, you get a bevel with a mirror finish.

Right now I am set up in a local sporting goods store. When people tell me that they sharpen their own knives, I hand them my present EDC, a Spyderco Li'l Temperance of S30V.

Their eyes widen and I get a knife to sharpen--thereby affording meat for our macaroni and cheese.

[DefensiveCarry.com]

[Betty]

Santa was good to me this year, and it\'s not even Christmas yet.

That Edge Pro beats my Lansky by miles - and I don\'t feel like I\'m going to cut my fingers off like with the Lansky. While it\'s an expensive piece of equipment, if you\'re serious about getting the perfect edge to your knives and have lots to sharpen, the Edge Pro is a good investment. I don\'t think I\'ll do it for profit like you, Tourist, but I\'ll happily sharpen for relatives and friends. Grandma\'s got to do something about that blunt turkey-cutter.

A Benchmade Model 800 AFCK after visiting the Edge Pro:

[Bumper]

I have been needing to sharpen my Benchmade but I just hate to mess it up. I can sharpen all of my wive's steak knives and she is happy for almost a year, but I can't do it well enough to start grinding away on my good knives.

That looks like a nice piece of equipment and from Betty's picture it does a darn good job. I may have to look into one of those....;)

[nighthawk]

O.K. where is the best place to get one??

[APachon]

This may be a stupid question, but how do you go about sharpening the serrated portion of a blade? I like Nighthawk am curious as to the best place to get one. Betty or Tourist, do either of you have a URL for this product?

~A

[Erich]

I think this is it: http://edgeproinc.com/

I appreciate hearing the endorsements, since I didn't even know the product existed. How long does it take to get that edge, Betty?

[Betty]

Santa gave me my Apex sharpener, so prepare to dish out from $135 to $190 for the Apex, depending on which kit you get. Tourist has the Professional model, which costs a lot more and has other options, like the scissors sharpening adapter.

They are serious sharpeners for serious sharpeners, so if you don't care about achieving a perfectly beveled, mirror-finish edge or don't sharpen knives much, a set of ceramic sticks or a regular flat stone will work just fine. The Lansky is still a great sharpener.

I sharpen my knives to a good, polished utility sharp. I've never bothered watching the time (I'm rather leisurely, because most of the knives I sharpen are mine), but I'd estimate around 15 minutes to an hour if the blade is crappy. Sometimes I'll work on it on and off for a couple days if I want it even sharper. I don't do it for an income, so Tourist can give you a better estimate on time involved.

Some people absolutely insist on a razor sharp edge. I can do that, but it takes forever, and unless you're going to be shaving with it, I don't see the point. Most of the people who want razor sharp use their knives for utility purposes and end up chipping the fine edge right away. But... some people don't believe a knife is "sharp" unless it's popping hairs.

APachon, with my Lansky I had a triangular shaped stone that was designed to sharpen serrations one by one. I have not sharpened a serrated knife on the Apex yet, but the manual says to sharpen the opposite side of whatever side the serrations are made, and that should work. Tourist?

[Erich]

Many thanks for the info on the time. I've got a Lansky from years ago - the Apex looks a whole lot nicer. The fare seems reasonable, considering.

Great, another thing I didn't know I needed. :D

[The Tourist]

Betty is correct. This is a pursuit where you can invest quite a bit of time per knife. And, if paid, I will do just that. For example, sushi knives require a perfct, mirror edge. My personal knives are capable of doing surgery.

But if you are a 'professional', you see a few dozen knives per day. And in many cases, as in the Buck 110, you'll see a lot of the same knives. And your speed increases.

Some knives become a 'project.' I get a knife a with good potential, and I might sharpen it a few times over many weeks. I use the knife as a daily carry, but I never let it get totally dull. Then I'll polish it carefully, and more and more of the imperfections come off.

After three sharpenings on the Edge-Pro, most quality knives are downright dangerous to have around. We call these items 'spooky.'

My Li'l Temperance just got spooked out, and my Razor Knife has been that way for over a month. I have a Buck Big Sky 403B that does work for the Red Cross!

On a few occasions, I've had friends ask about the edge condition of the knife in my pocket. When I tell them I have a 'spooky specimen,'there have been two times I sold that knife right out of my pants for a premium price.

As soon as Betty gets a rep, her knives, and her services, will escalate in value. Some of her friends will never go home. If you think I'm kidding, ask my wife.

[Pylon]

The knife can never be sharp enough ;)

Take the knife that Wolverine has in his hands, and I'll take the one thats just a little bit sharper then that :)

[APachon]

Betty, thanks for the info. I do love a good edge. I wonder if either of you know of a reputable knife guy in the Vegas area???

~A

Originally posted by Betty

APachon, with my Lansky I had a triangular shaped stone that was designed to sharpen serrations one by one. I have not sharpened a serrated knife on the Apex yet, but the manual says to sharpen the opposite side of whatever side the serrations are made, and that should work. Tourist?

[The Tourist]

the opposite side of whatever side the serrations are made, and that should work. Tourist?

Betty,

Sorry for my late response.

Yes, you polish the back of the serrations. You put the Edge-Pro bed dead level so the sharpening arm can be lowered all of the way down. Take the 600 ultra fine stone and lightly dress the edge of the serrations.

Then you smile at the girl with the Apex that has just fixed your knife, and ask her for her mom's recipe for five-times-beef.

Give her a very large tip, and slink away.

[silvercorvette]

I have owned the pro model for over a year. It is very expensive but worth it.

[The Tourist]

As I've stated, one of the knives I show potential clients is a Razor Knife. It's about +/-12 degrees with a mirror finish.

The usual response to this knife happened again yesterday. I opened the knife, and the client took a step backward.

People seem to have a natural visceral response to a razor with a gleaming edge. The Edge Pro makes this possible, with a side benefit.

Let's say Chuck Norris decided to smack me upside the head over my choice of cologne.

Really all you'd have to do is hang on and slash.

Now granted, Ben Dale doesn't advertise this, but his clients will nod their heads. It's funny, within a few days of buying this system, every paring knife and quilting scissors in your home becomes a lethal weapon.