"Edge" is kind of a "sure thing".... like when an insider gets to buy stock before its IPO @ $.01/share. That's edge! Or when a desired person is recruited to a company and given stock options @ $.50/share while the stock is currently at $20. Retail traders get no such "edges".
That's like I said... "the best we can do as traders is like counting cards in Black Jack." You should know when the deck favors a bigger bet and when you should back off. Successful trading is the same
That is EXACTLY the correct question! Proper understanding and execution of Technical Analysis will be your personal Yellow Brick Road.
EDGE:an advantage that makes someone or something moresuccessful than other people or things http://www.macmillandictionary.com/dictionary
Like most of the time on ET discussions result in discussions about semantics. If it goes that way the discussion becomes irrelevant. I know that if somebody can make in the long run consistent profits, he has an edge, or call it whatever you like. The evolution of his account proofs what he has: an edge, continuous luck, probabilities, special behaviour... but he surely will have $$$$$$$$$$$$$. He does not care if he meets the criterion of "edge".
You can forward-test, though (initially on a demo account, if necessary/advisable), and then apply all the exact same mathematical/statistical parameters to your results as a back-tester would. I don't know whether it's helpful, and I'm not even certain it answers your question, but that's what I've always done, anyway.
The OP asked clearly "what is your edge?" If you believe that edges don't exist you cannot answer his question. If he asks about "your edge" it means he believes in edges. If he would ask: "do edges exist?", then your answer would be relevant. So the purpose if this thread is to find somebody who is stupid enough to give away his edge.