Darex

What Darex does

Darex (legally Darex Ind Inc) is a US-based industrial drill sharpener manufacturer founded in 1973 and headquartered at 660 Brian Way, Medford, Oregon, where all design, engineering, assembly, quality control, customer service, sales, and administration functions are co-located. The company sells primarily hardware — drill sharpening machines across a portfolio ranging from the entry-level V-390 at $1,995 to the high-end XPS-16+ CNC at $30,000-$37,000, with the XT-3000 line ($4,895-$6,895 standalone; $6,091-$8,841 bundled with stand and vacuum) serving as the mid-tier workhorse. Differentiated technology includes proprietary Hybrid grind wheels that sharpen HSS, Cobalt, and Carbide on a single wheel, as well as 4-axis CNC automation with automatic drill geometry detection on the XPS-16+. Recurring revenue comes from accessories and consumables: CBN, diamond, and hybrid replacement wheels; end mill, countersink, step drill, and large drill attachments; machine stands; vacuum grit removal systems; and replacement electronics. The portfolio operates under three sub-brands: Darex Industrial (industrial drill sharpeners), Drill Doctor (professional and DIY drill bit sharpeners), and Work Sharp (precision wood and knife/tool sharpening). Darex is a fourth-generation family-owned business under the Bernard family (Matthew Bernard as the current generation owner since 2008) with no external institutional funding and no public stock listing. Distribution is hybrid: direct-to-consumer e-commerce through darex.com with a 30-day performance guarantee, ROI calculator, comparison tools, and free-shipping promotions, supplemented by an authorized dealer/distributor network for select products. Customer segments include industrial and manufacturing operations, small and medium machine shops, high-tech facilities working with carbide drills, and professional trades/DIY consumers, with pricing models anchored on one-time hardware sales augmented by ongoing consumable and replacement-part purchases.

Name

Darex

Legal name

Darex Ind Inc

Website

https://darex.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1973

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Darex is a fourth-generation, family-owned US manufacturer of industrial, prosumer, and consumer drill, end mill, and knife/tool sharpeners, headquartered in Medford, Oregon, selling under the Darex Industrial, Drill Doctor, and Work Sharp brands via direct e-commerce and dealers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industrial Drill Sharpeners

NAICS

Machine Tool Manufacturing (333517)

SIC

Machine Tools, Metal Cutting Types (3541), Cutlery, Handtools & General Hardware (3420)

akta.pro primary industry

Industrial Saws & Cutting Systems (Band/Circular Saws, Abrasive Cutting) (IMAHADAL)

Keywords

• Industrial drill sharpeners
• Drill bit sharpening equipment
• CNC drill grinders
• End mill sharpeners
• Tool sharpening machines

Headquarters

HQ city

Medford

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: One-time sale of drill sharpening machines including V-390, XT-3000 (Manual and Auto), XPS-16+ CNC, and Hybrid variants. Primary revenue stream with accessories, attachments, and replacement parts as complementary sales.
2. Accessories and Attachments: Replacement parts, grinding wheels, chucks, collets, attachments (countersink, step drill, end mill, large drill), machine stands, and vacuum systems sold separately
3. Bundles and Packages: Pre-configured bundles combining sharpener, stand, and vacuum with 10% discount vs. individual purchase

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Darex designs, engineers, and assembles industrial drill bit sharpeners and related accessories at its Medford, Oregon facility. Its core lineup spans the entry-level V-390, the XT-3000 Manual/Auto and Hybrid variants for standard-to-heavy duty work, and the XPS-16+ 4-axis CNC sharpener for high-precision HSS and carbide applications. The company also sells replacement grinding wheels, attachments (end mill, countersink, step drill, large drill), machine stands, and vacuum grit removal systems under its Darex Industrial, Drill Doctor, and Work Sharp brands.

Product overview

Darex is an industrial drill sharpener manufacturer that produces a portfolio of sharpening solutions including manual, automated, and CNC-powered drill sharpeners. The core product line centers on the V-390 (entry-level), XT-3000 series (standard to heavy duty, available in Manual, Auto, and Hybrid variants), and XPS-16+ (high-performance CNC automatic sharpener). These are complemented by grinding wheels (CBN for HSS/cobalt, diamond for carbide, and hybrid for all materials), attachments (end mill, countersink, step drill, large drill), workholding components, machine stands, and vacuum grit removal systems. The XT-3000 bundles combine the sharpener with stand and vacuum for complete sharpening stations. The company also markets consumer/professional brands Drill Doctor and Work Sharp for drill and knife/tool sharpening. Products are designed, engineered, and assembled in Medford, Oregon, from US and imported parts.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Drill Doctor: Professional and DIY drill bit sharpeners
• Work Sharp
• Darex Industrial

Products and services

• V-390 Drill Sharpener Light duty, intermittent use drill sharpener priced for small shops, sharpening common point styles with capacity of 1/8"–3/4" (3–19 mm). Designed for economical in-house drill resharpening at an entry-level price point.
• XT-3000 Manual Drill Sharpener Standard duty manual drill sharpener that combines the ease of use of the SP series machines with the versatility and adjustments of the M series sharpeners. Sharpens 1/8"–13/16" (3–21 mm) drills at 118°–150° point angles.
• XT-3000 Auto Drill Sharpener Heavy duty, high capacity automated drill sharpener that automates the sharpening process on the XT-3000 platform for greater throughput and repeatability versus manual operation. Sharpens the same drill range with controlled cycle times and pre-drill setup.
• XPS-16+ CNC Drill Sharpener Extremely accurate fully automatic 4-axis CNC drill grinder and sharpener with one-touch simplicity, designed for high-tech applications. Can automatically detect drill stick-out, diameter, and web thickness and sharpen Solid Carbide, HSS, and Cobalt drills in one continuous process without operator involvement. Assembled in the USA from US and imported parts.

Quantifiable outcome

• XT-3000 can pay for itself in seconds based on drill cost savings
• +4 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ANCA: ANCA is an Australian manufacturer of CNC tool and cutter grinders, producing machines that sharpen drills, endmills, and other cutting tools. Its MX and TP product lines directly overlap with Darex's XPS-16+ in the high-precision CNC tool grinding category, targeting similar industrial customers.
• Vollmer Group: Vollmer is a German manufacturer of sharpening and erosion machines for metal-cutting tools, including drill and endmill grinders used in industrial production. It is a direct competitor to Darex in the industrial tool-sharpening machine market, particularly for carbide and HSS tooling.
• Rollomatic: Rollomatic is a Swiss manufacturer of precision tool grinding machines (drill, endmill, insert grinders) with CNC automation. Its GrindSmart series competes head-to-head with Darex's XPS-16+ in the high-end industrial tool sharpening category.
• Walter Maschinenbau: Walter Maschinenbau (part of United Grinding Group) produces tool grinding machines for drills, endmills, and inserts. It targets the same industrial metalworking customers as Darex and is a longstanding competitor in the tool-and-cutter grinder market.
• Tormach: Tormach manufactures small-format CNC milling machines, lathes, and accessories for small shops, educational institutions, and prosumer users. It shares Darex's customer base of small/mid machine shops and prosumer makers, with complementary rather than overlapping product lines.

Broad incumbents

• Grizzly Industrial: Grizzly Industrial is a US-based broad-line retailer and manufacturer of metalworking, woodworking, and shop machinery, including tool sharpeners. It overlaps with Darex on small-shop drill/bit sharpening equipment but offers a much wider portfolio of machines.
• MSC Industrial Direct: MSC Industrial is a large US industrial distributor offering cutting tools, abrasives, and shop equipment including tool sharpeners. While not a direct manufacturer competitor, MSC is a key channel and competitor for end-customer spend on tool maintenance products.
• Haas Automation: Haas Automation is a leading US CNC machine tool manufacturer serving small and mid-sized machine shops. It targets the same end customers as Darex, with adjacent (rather than overlapping) product lines in CNC milling and turning centers.

Emerging players

• Lansky Sharpeners: Lansky Sharpeners is a consumer sharpening brand for knives and tools, with controlled-angle sharpening systems. It competes with Darex's Work Sharp brand in the consumer/prosumer knife and tool sharpening segment.
• Smith's Sharpeners: Smith's Products is a consumer sharpening brand offering pull-through and rod sharpeners for knives, scissors, and tools. It competes with Darex's Work Sharp and Drill Doctor consumer lines in retail sporting goods and DIY channels.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/darex-industrial-182368298479797
• Instagraminstagram.com/darex.industrial?igsh=MWVjN3Vmd2c1bGpqNw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Xx.com/darexindustrial

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Darex