Advice on the BK15 and Lanksky Diamond kit.

I

Indianbladenoob

Joined
Feb 8, 2012
Messages
598
I was wondering if anyone could offer a fix concerning fixing the 15's back-bevelled blade on the Lansky clamp. I have the newer one without the lip. The bevel makes it difficult to set in a centered manner.

Thanks in advance.
 
I have never tried it with the BK15 but masking tape on the knife has helped me before with knives I couldn't get a good grip on in the lansky. Might be worth a try.
 
B.Mauser said:
I have never tried it with the BK15 but masking tape on the knife has helped me before with knives I couldn't get a good grip on in the lansky. Might be worth a try.
Click to expand...

Thank you, Mauser. The problem is, its an acute bevel with 6(odd)mm height. I am trying to fill it in with cardboard and tape but that hasn't worked. I am not confident of my skill enough to use a sander or any power tools to sharpen it without taking off too much or messing with the HT.
 
I was thinking strips of wood or plastic, like the shims you might get at the hardware store.

Let us know how it works out.

Zieg
 
Indianbladenoob said:
Thank you, Mauser. The problem is, its an acute bevel with 6(odd)mm height. I am trying to fill it in with cardboard and tape but that hasn't worked. I am not confident of my skill enough to use a sander or any power tools to sharpen it without taking off too much or messing with the HT.
Click to expand...

Buy a flat diamond hone and learn to sharpen on the bench.
Or buy a medium-size hand-held one and do it freehand. Some learning will take place, and then you will be a superhero.
 
I have a Lansky clamp, though I don't have any of the stones or other stuff. Here's what I would do: get yourself a longer adjustment (pivot) screw and a longer screw for the clamping knob. That way you can angle the jaws to clamp the primary grind of the 15 - thus centering the edge angle-wise. Pretty sure they're both 10-24 screws, so should be pretty easy to find for a couple bucks at Slowe's or Gnome Despot or even your local hardware store. In case you're wondering, I got that Lansky clamp to use with my DMT Aligner stones because the DMT clamp I had (at the time) wouldn't fit the thicker blades I had. Don't use it anymore (a new DMT clamp and more hand sharpening) but that was my solution to a similar problem. Good luck!
 
Yeah, what GSOM said makes sense. Most of my blades don't exactly match the angle for my clamp. I've read where ppl bend the rods to line it up but that doesn't sound like a good idea to me. I just reprofile to match my sharpener. Works much better for me, no adjusting for every Blade. I'm not so hung up on exact angles and such. I just like uniformity and convenience.

Unfortunately my Smiths diamond stone is smoothing down and a new stone alone is around $15shipped and a new Lansky system is about $35...

I got a new HF 1x30 for Xmas still in the box. One of these days ill get it set up and hope to work out a sharpening system for that.

I'm just such a shut in lazy couch potato in the winter.
 
NCSlice said:
Yeah, what GSOM said makes sense. Most of my blades don't exactly match the angle for my clamp. I've read where ppl bend the rods to line it up but that doesn't sound like a good idea to me. I just reprofile to match my sharpener. Works much better for me, no adjusting for every Blade. I'm not so hung up on exact angles and such. I just like uniformity and convenience.

Unfortunately my Smiths diamond stone is smoothing down and a new stone alone is around $15shipped and a new Lansky system is about $35...

I got a new HF 1x30 for Xmas still in the box. One of these days ill get it set up and hope to work out a sharpening system for that.

I'm just such a shut in lazy couch potato in the winter.
Click to expand...

Winter in NC? HAH! ........perfect time for sharpening - at least here in NH. Too damned cold to go outside and use knives - it's 4°F right now. Get that 1x30 set up! But go slow.....and use some crappy knives first! It takes a bit to get the hang of belt sharpening. I'm still working on it.....
 
granitestateofmind said:
Winter in NC? HAH! ........perfect time for sharpening - at least here in NH. Too damned cold to go outside and use knives - it's 4°F right now. Get that 1x30 set up! But go slow.....and use some crappy knives first! It takes a bit to get the hang of belt sharpening. I'm still working on it.....
Click to expand...

Yeah, its just that it's dark when I leave and dark when I get home. I work out in the cold all day, then don't feel like hanging out in the shed waiting for it to warm up etc.

I'll start with mods and all that. Got a bunch of old Hicks and such to play with. It'll be a while before any Becker edges hit it tho heh
 
i did what granitestateofmind did, worked fine. though when using it on my 15 (and other longer blades) i clamped it in two different places along the blade's length. took a bit longer, but i feel like the angles were more consistant. no issues at all with my 11.

what i'd recommend though, is practice free hand. i'd go freehand 3 or 4 times then use the lansky for the 4th or 5th. now i hardly use it at all. i still can't get a smooth shave, but i like not having to use guides and clamps and such.

just my $0.02.
 
I have a Lansky and seldom if ever use it. I mostly freehand. Sharpening the BK-15 doesn't take long. If you want a finer edge than ultra-fine, use a strop.
 
dgir said:
You could pull off the handle scales and clamp it to the flat stock.
Click to expand...

Tried this. Knife is too long for the rods to effectively reach the tip without changing the angle significantly.

The Zieg said:
I was thinking strips of wood or plastic, like the shims you might get at the hardware store.

Let us know how it works out.

Zieg
Click to expand...

granitestateofmind said:
I have a Lansky clamp, though I don't have any of the stones or other stuff. Here's what I would do: get yourself a longer adjustment (pivot) screw and a longer screw for the clamping knob. That way you can angle the jaws to clamp the primary grind of the 15 - thus centering the edge angle-wise. Pretty sure they're both 10-24 screws, so should be pretty easy to find for a couple bucks at Slowe's or Gnome Despot or even your local hardware store. In case you're wondering, I got that Lansky clamp to use with my DMT Aligner stones because the DMT clamp I had (at the time) wouldn't fit the thicker blades I had. Don't use it anymore (a new DMT clamp and more hand sharpening) but that was my solution to a similar problem. Good luck!
Click to expand...

I will visit the hardware store in the morning and get longer screws and see if I can get some soft wood to carve said shims. Will try both independently and together and see how that works. PS. For GSOM. I know why you did it but "Gnome Despot", for some reason made think of Kim Jong Un.

NCSlice said:
Yeah, what GSOM said makes sense. Most of my blades don't exactly match the angle for my clamp. I've read where ppl bend the rods to line it up but that doesn't sound like a good idea to me. I just reprofile to match my sharpener. Works much better for me, no adjusting for every Blade. I'm not so hung up on exact angles and such. I just like uniformity and convenience.
Unfortunately my Smiths diamond stone is smoothing down and a new stone alone is around $15shipped and a new Lansky system is about $35...
I got a new HF 1x30 for Xmas still in the box. One of these days ill get it set up and hope to work out a sharpening system for that.
I'm just such a shut in lazy couch potato in the winter.
Click to expand...

Agree entirely. I don't particularly care about the exact angle either, as long as I can get a uniform angle along the length of the blade. The biggest blade I have sharpened on my Lansky is the SOG NW Ranger, and the 15 is about the same size blade but the SOG has a 90 deg spine so its easy.

JoberSeven said:
i did what granitestateofmind did, worked fine. though when using it on my 15 (and other longer blades) i clamped it in two different places along the blade's length. took a bit longer, but i feel like the angles were more consistant. no issues at all with my 11.

what i'd recommend though, is practice free hand. i'd go freehand 3 or 4 times then use the lansky for the 4th or 5th. now i hardly use it at all. i still can't get a smooth shave, but i like not having to use guides and clamps and such.

just my $0.02.
Click to expand...
Clamping at multiple places on the blade sounds interesting. Doesn't some part of the blade (however small) get ground twice as much as the rest?

daizee said:
Buy a flat diamond hone and learn to sharpen on the bench.
Or buy a medium-size hand-held one and do it freehand. Some learning will take place, and then you will be a superhero.
Click to expand...

22-rimfire said:
I have a Lansky and seldom if ever use it. I mostly freehand. Sharpening the BK-15 doesn't take long. If you want a finer edge than ultra-fine, use a strop.
Click to expand...

My attempts so far have been abortive. I sometimes tell myself that it is because I am unable to source really good sharpening stones at a reasonable price but the truth is that it takes a lot of patience and practice for such kung-fu to reach superhero levels. I will beg the excuse of corporate slavery once again here. One day........


Gentlemen, thank you again.
 
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I've freehanded with the stones pretty successfully on longer blades. I hold the Knife Blade up like I'm stabbing myself in the heart and use the stone motion as if it were clamped.

Kinda looks like I'm playing the violin lol
 
Indianbladenoob said:
My attempts so far have been abortive. I sometimes tell myself that it is because I am unable to source really good sharpening stones at a reasonable price but the truth is that it takes a lot of patience and practice for such kung-fu to reach superhero levels. I will beg the excuse of corporate slavery once again here. One day........
Click to expand...

All you need is the tool and a lesson. Cape shopping follows immediately.
 
I'll try to get a link on this...
Jesse Jarosz posted a sharpening tutorial video on Ka-Bars Facebook page last week or so. I liked it...
 
Indianbladenoob said:
Tried this. Knife is too long for the rods to effectively reach the tip without changing the angle significantly.





I will visit the hardware store in the morning and get longer screws and see if I can get some soft wood to carve said shims. Will try both independently and together and see how that works. PS. For GSOM. I know why you did it but "Gnome Despot", for some reason made think of Kim Jong Un.



Agree entirely. I don't particularly care about the exact angle either, as long as I can get a uniform angle along the length of the blade. The biggest blade I have sharpened on my Lansky is the SOG NW Ranger, and the 15 is about the same size blade but the SOG has a 90 deg spine so its easy.


Clamping at multiple places on the blade sounds interesting. Doesn't some part of the blade (however small) get ground twice as much as the rest?





My attempts so far have been abortive. I sometimes tell myself that it is because I am unable to source really good sharpening stones at a reasonable price but the truth is that it takes a lot of patience and practice for such kung-fu to reach superhero levels. I will beg the excuse of corporate slavery once again here. One day........


Gentlemen, thank you again.
Click to expand...
Get one of the guided sharpeners from worksharp. Either the field one or the bench one. They work great and soon you won't need the guides.
 
Ah well.
I guess its time to learn to freehand properly. Suspending the post strip sharpening on the 15 and buying some el-cheapo kitchen knives to practice.
I went and got the screws to fit the clamp, but I think I should be able to find a benchstone guide online to start me off.
 
Indianbladenoob said:
Clamping at multiple places on the blade sounds interesting. Doesn't some part of the blade (however small) get ground twice as much as the rest?
Click to expand...

i mark out sections with pencil and try to grind each section close to the same amount, but you're probably right. never thought of it really.
 
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