Sharpening a Benchmade 940

[@TravisTLK]

I have had the Apex for a few years now. Absolute love it. I love being able to put a perfectly symmetrical mirror edge on my blades. I maintain the edge with the ceramic rod and a leather strop so I can go months between sharpenings.

[@ccrx2640]

Good Video.. Had my Apex for a year now and the Only regret is not purchasing it sooner..

[@TorlingJarl]

This is an awesome video! I think making more of these would be really sweet.

[@EdgePro]

Thanks, I'm uploading another video tomorrow.

[@barryt942]

The Edge Pro is worth every penny due to one reason - you will have sharp knives for the rest of your life, which is what it's all about - Staying Sharp!

[@distilledfreedom1840]

I just bought the 9400. Direct from factory I was surprised how dull they actually are. Compared to the microtech that will flow through a water bottle.

[@jeffsmith6760]

Love my Edge Pro’s. Have the Apex and the Pro. Started with the Apex and had so many friends wanting me to do their knives I finally got smart and bought the Pro for myself and now show my friends how to sharpen their own knives and I loan my Apex to them to use . 👍🙂

[@MrMZaccone]

I used to do things like that but a couple years ago I decided I'm not sharpening for free any more when I can get paid. It's going well.

[@JamesStephen710]

Edge pro needs a clamp or some sort of way to hold the blade in a secure manner to incur as much consistency as possible. This is why I use other fixed angle systems.

[@firewoodwarrior4396]

Once you get used to this type of sharpener, you will never use a clamp system. Been there, done that.

[@carlosmatos9848]

I really like that 400 grit stone, cuts pretty quick and I like that it doesn't leave huge scratches either.

[@Cowboy96]

What would happen if the knife being sharpened was too short to protrude the other side of the platform? Would it then not expose the blade adequately enough to be sharpened?

[@ScotWalt858]

Nicely done! Thanks

[@TheEnvelopeOZ]

This was really amazing, now I really want to buy this system, great company you guys are, always knew that though years and years ago from Wranglerstar's video.

[@solog764]

Newbie question. When figuring out the angle using the Sharpie pen. You start at a low setting on the apex and then work your way up, until the marking is gone and you found the right angle. But if you start low then you are potentially scratching the knife where you shouldn't. But if you start at a higher setting then your scratching from the edge and work your way up to the edge of the bevel. = No unnecessary cosmetic damage to the knife. Am i wrong?

[@EdgePro]

You raise a good point, and you are not wrong. It all really depends. The theory on starting low and going up is that if you are re-sharpening a fairly sharp knife and you want to remove minimal material this method would avoid the risk of blunting the apex of the edge further and having to sharpen more/remove more material. But if you're more concerned about cosmetic scratches on a brand-new knife, then your way would probably be better. However you go about it - just tread lightly while searching for your angle setting and you should be in good shape.

[@solog764]

@EdgePro Got it! I learned something new. Hugely appreciated, thanks!

[@MrMZaccone]

01:20 Wow, almost no flat and an inconvenient thumb stud to boot. I can already tell this is gonna be good.

[@EdgePro]

Yes, I originally included a section where I showed how close the thumb stud was to the stone but I removed that section because I felt like the video was getting too long. There was still clearance.

[@MrMZaccone]

@@EdgePro Some guys really like to "geek out" on the polishing, eh? You knew I'd be watching didn'tcha? Great video again, Cody. The only thing I might add is an explanation is how to calculate your actual angle when sharpening on the "face", but there's probably a "geek" out there somewhere who's already done it. "Where did I put that angle cube again?"

[@supershrew1185]

Super clean and crip edge.

[@Bobby-fj8mk]

You need to use a slip collar to allow for the varying thickness of stones.

[@matthewjorstad2398]

I this a patato camera or not focused in the beining

[@EdgePro]

Matthew - Sorry about the focusing issues. I filmed this with a DSLR camera - and found out after several attempts that the camera is more advanced than I am and I have too hard of a time keeping it focused. I've now switched to filming with my Samsung Galaxy 9 and am having a lot less issues with the focus. Hope you'll watch more of my videos.

[@matthewjorstad2398]

Edge Pro Inc. it was a great vid thanks for “clearing”things up lol

[@barkingspider2007]

Question: The pivot cube turns left to right when the stone moves across the blade. Is the angle changed slightly? It would appear to make the axis of the further away from the blade edge. It might not matter at all because the angle is consistent every stroke.

[@EdgePro]

Yes, the angle is changed as the stone moves left to right - very very slightly. Sometimes more or less depending on the shape of the blade. Also yes, it is consistent each time so it does not really matter and is still much more consistent and accurate than freehand sharpening.

[@facetiouspig2691]

I have a lanskey sharpener and it has treated me very well for all of my pocket knives. I have a gerber strong arm that has been my bush back packing knife. After some hard use of the last 2 years I decided to sharpen it with the lanskey and I feel I have made it worse. Does the edge pro sharpen blades longer then 5”?

[@EdgePro]

Yes, it sharpens pretty much any length blade. A 5 inch blade I would center on the blade table and sharpen the full length without moving it. Longer more flexible blades you would draw across the table and sharpen the sections of the blade that were supported by the blade table to keep it from flexing.

[@chrispycream7748]

Are you guys still doing that free sharpening demo for personal knives??

[@gregoutdoorsman4598]

I’ve recently purchased and edgepro 4. I’ve been having a great deal of success but am struggling to get an edge on some thick military bayonets that I have. They have well over the maximum degree angle adjustment on them so I tried cutting the edge to the max on my edgepro adjustment and worked through the grits. It’s kind of sharp but not what I’d like to see. Any suggestions?

[@EdgePro]

Doug, Bayonets can be a major pain to sharpen. You're going to want to raise the angle up HIGH. You may need to do some initial work on a belt sander. But also remember, that they are thick, so even if you get the edge to shave hair, it's still not going to cut through things effortlessly. It's more meant for stabbing than it is cutting.

[@gregoutdoorsman4598]

Do you have a video already that would apply? I’d really like to see someone work through it so I can replicate the work. I have realistic expectations for the performance but nothing makes me more sad than a dull knife lol Hence why I asked my wife for your product for Christmas! Overall I’m very happy with the minimal learning curve!

[@christiansalazar4604]

I’ve seen people use drill collars at the base of the angle guide that’s supposed to compensate for varying stone thicknesses. Is that something that I should get with my set?

[@EdgePro]

Christian, it's not completely necessary but not a bad thing either. I normally don't encourage people who are just getting started to get a drill stop collar because there is enough to learn as it is. But if you already have a good understanding of knife sharpening and feel compelled then I'd say go for it. We have a lot of customers that have never noticed the angle change that you can get switching from one stone to the next, and still get amazing results. But it does add an extra level of accuracy/consistency. Thanks for the question I should probably do a video on this topic.

[@dofler]

Great vid, do you count passes per side to make sure you get an even bevel?

[@EdgePro]

I usually do not get an exact count but it certainly wouldn't hurt. And yes, you generally do want to remove an equal amount of metal from each side, unless the bevel is already off-center and you are intentionally moving it in one direction. I'll be doin a video on this soon.

[@RookieLock]

If you ever get a CRKT homefront I would love to see your approach on sharpening that.. The flat is tempting to use but I dont know If it would be a wise choice..

[@EdgePro]

From looking at pictures of the homefront, it looks like resting on the face would be the better of the two options.

[@RookieLock]

@@EdgePro Thanks for your feedback! I think your right, The flat is kind of small.. Thanks again !

[@jasonwat6564]

I’m a new subscriber and I hope you’re still making videos, they are very very informative, keep it up bro! What degree are you sharpening the 940 Benchmade at? Thanks!!

[@thornekimroberts8502]

Is this still Avalible?

[@EdgePro]

Yes, you can get them at www.edgeproinc.com

[@IMZDEVIL]

I'm gonna say the damage to the handles you pointed out was used to open many beers!!! Lol. Im not knocking the owner for it, I use the flippers on many of mine for that purpose haha. Also the wave opener from emerson also gets the job done nicely.

[@jacobpannell9652]

Love the 250 matrix stone. Worth the money.

[@wesscollette]

It was enjoyable to watch this. I have recently placed an order for some new stones, as well as the new slide guide. First up will be my trusty 940. I have gotten it sharpened by using it on the flat, but now that I watched how you used the face, I may get after it tomorrow with old stones. I was given the Apex and it came with stones up to 10,000 grit. Did you ever offer these stones?

[@EdgePro]

Wess, The 10,000 grit stone is an after market stone that we've never sold. Some people really like them and some people don't. But the same can be said about a lot of stuff. If you need any assistance while sharpening your 940 you can call us any time. I think you will find the slide guide to be very helpful with that knife in particular. I would also recommend the retractable magnet to be used together with the slide guide if you haven't already got it.

[@anthonywaldrep5982]

One tip that I have for hollow grinds is that you can cut a small zip tie to the length of the blade table and then tape the zip tie to the blade table. Cody: Would it be possible to develop a 3 point guide for the Edge Pro? It would really help with consistency on knives that don't have a parallel spine to the blade rest. I heard an interview with Ben, from 2 Guys And A Cooler, about a "slide guide" but haven't heard anything else about it.

[@EdgePro]

Anthony, Give me a call. I have a VERY LIMITED number of the first run that fit the Apex, I can sell you one of them if you want it. Unfortunately I don't have any that fit the Pro model yet. I'm not sure how long till I'll have more. I thought they'd be ready by now . . . but sometimes things take longer than we expect. -Cody

[@gmoorach]

It would be nice to see a product video on the slide guide.

[@Spadie]

I'd like to see a quick video about maintaining a sharp point on a knife, or even how to restore a blunted tip. It's the only thing I've struggled with using the system (Apex, bought in 2017)

[@AdamasOldblade]

SAME!

[@boazkyle]

I'll make it 3!

[@EdgePro]

Spadie, I realize this comment was a long time ago but in my most recent video - Sharpening the Buck Reaper I talk a little bit about this.

[@EdgePro]

@PalealYah Bayn Yisrael for blades with an inside curve like these we have half inch stones available. These narrower stones are able to get inside the curve to sharpen. Many times the standard 1 inch stones will still work just fine - but it all just depends on how extreme the curve is. We do offer a free sharpening demo - you're welcome to send one of those knives in and we can sharpen it for you and let you know whether we needed the half inch stones or not. -Cody

[@thomasdcompton]

So helpful

[@AdamasOldblade]

I absolutely love my EP Apex, but my god do I have a hit and miss times with the tips of knives... Sometimes my knives come out with an ultra mirror polish without a scuff on the blade from back to tip FLAWLESSLY, other times, with the same technique, the tip doesn't actually get sharpened, it's like the stone makes contact with all but the very tip-tip of the knife, leading to an awkward looking sharpening. A video regarding the TIPS of knives would be seriously excellent. I buy from Edge Pro all the time and love it except for this last little hiccup I have.

[@EdgePro]

Excellent feedback. I'll bounce some ideas and techniques off Ben and address this soon.

[@highvibration894]

Constantly mark the tip with sharpie and do not progress to the next stone until the sharpie has gone this may help you.

[@EdgePro]

I think I can help you on this. A lot of folding knives come from the factory with a higher angle ground at the tip (unlike the knife in this video). I believe they do this because the edge moves in to a thicker part of the blade at at the tip, so to maintain an even bevel they roll the knife to a higher angle while sharpening at the factory. If you maintain the same angle out to the tip, you generally end up with a wider bevel (at the tip). So the reason you aren't getting the tip sharp is because you just haven't removed enough metal there yet. This means that you might have to remove MORE metal towards the tip to get to an edge than you do the rest of the knife. Some people want the same angle along the whole knife AND a perfectly consistent width bevel, but on a lot of knives this just isn't geometrically possible. You have to decide if you're willing to put up with a wider bevel at the tip or not. There is one trick I can show you to help minimize the wider bevel, and to make your Edge Pro gradually gain a little angle as it gets closer to the tip. It works better on some knives than it does others. I talk about it briefly in my video where I sharpen a Tanto blade kzbin.info/www/bejne/a4bJcpWXhLeEY5o but I'm not really wild about this video as it was one of the first ones I made. I'll try to make a better video on this subject soon.

[@highvibration894]

The Jedi at work.

[@WristWatcher]

Hey would you review my Benchmade bail out 537gy-1, if I sent it in, it's a tanto m4 steel . Thanks! -bryce

[@EdgePro]

Bryce, Thanks for inquiring. I might be able to do that some time in the future but I'm currently way too busy to take anything on. Which is why I haven't been able to make any videos over the last couple of months. If you start seeing me post videos regularly then ask me again in the future. Best Regards. - Cody

[@BillySAw951]

That looks like a fake 940 clone

[@kennystahl1420]

BillySAw951 that’s what I’m thinking

[@brokcen2748]

What do you think makes it look fake it looks real to me but im no expert.

[@timbervandenhul9383]

Really? I don't see it. The only thing that is a little weird is the colour. But some runs of 940's just seem to have a slightly different tint of green. Also it could be his camera messing up the colour.

[@jeffhicks8428]

48 degree inclusive edge on what is a pry bar not a knife. end users and edc bros are weird people. spend all that money for "super steel" when it can be out cut by a $8 gas station knife made of 440A with a proper edge on it. i don't get it. what does he use this thing for? hammering pvc tubes? sidenote, anyone with the most basic skills could have fixed that thing freehand in about 3 minutes flat... rebeveled. sharpened. deburred. & polished to desired level, anywhere from 400 grit to a mirror. If that was my knife, first thing I'd do is regrind that atrocious blade into something with decent cutting geometry or chuck it in the trash and buy a better knife. i have no doubt you can find vastly better knives for a fraction of the money. id never give any of these edc bro companies a cent of my money.

[@yeetee2781]

So what is a good angle sir?

[@HaJoSchatz]

You're not seriously taking a USD200 knife and grinding the front part of the blade with a system that is centered around a single point! Think radius around a circle -- your angle is going to be entirely off around the tip of the blade! You need to reset the knife in the jig so that the blade you're sharpening is always about 90degrees angled off the stone! Which is why, sorry, those kind of sharpening systems work reasonably well on straight blades but really screw up curved blades. I use a system where the stone moves freely on the same plane as the knife so I can always keep it around 90degree to the curvature of the blade.

[@EdgePro]

Hajo, you could slide the knife across the table as you sharpen if you were really concerned about keeping it 90 degrees which is what I would do on a longer blade. The edge of this knife moves in to a thicker part of the blade towards the tip (as do a lot of knives), the way I positioned the knife allows a slight angle gain at the tip which helps reduce widening of the bevel. Is it a slightly higher angle? yes, but the bevel is more uniform. If I had done it the other way around then someone else would be commenting about how they can't believe I put on a wide bevel at the tip. Either way could be done it just depends on what you want to achieve.

[@johnd9357]

Absolutely nonsense. I have sharpened almost every blade shape imaginable with excellent results using the edge pro.