And another Lansky question...

[miden]

Hi Guys,
I recently finally acquired a Lansky sharpening kit. (Deluxe) It has the very course and the very fine stone along with the regular course, medium and fine stones.

I noticed the stones clogg up as can be expected but in the instructions that come with the tool it says to just wipe the stones off with a damp rag to get rid of the deposits but this does not work well.

Can somebody give a tip here please? Will a bit of Varsol and a paint brush do the job? I am concerned that the Varsol might soak into the stone and loosen it from the adhesive that holds it to the handle.

Any advice regarding sharpening techniques will also be appreciated because I am battling to get a really good edge.

Thanks

Mike

 

[J.Marsillo]

Miden i dont know if its wrong to do but i just use a brass wire brush and scrub clean.then again i dont put too much use on my lansky it makes my hands cramp.

 

[Mike Hull]

Why would you want to sharpen with that when you have a belt grinder(I think I saw on here that you did)?

You can sharpen a couple of different ways(V grind, convex) in just a couple of minutes and finish on a felt wheel loaded with green compound.

 

[miden]

Would you care to elaborate on the v grind and the convex grind Mike?

Also, on this subject, a different question that has been thrown at me before.

When one sells a knife to somebody and they ask how they should sharpen it in future, the steel being hardened and all, how should one advise the purchaser to do this because they seldom have a belt grinder. No nastiness or sarcasm intended, this is a valid question that is an important part of after sale service.

I made a knife for a guy once and he informed me later that when it needed a sharpen he used his bench grinder!!!

Mike

 

[fitzo]

Mike, I grind edges on with a slack belt (convex edge) with the edge pointed into the moving belt, so I do it in a "non-perscribed" manner and we shouldn't talk about that. V-edges can be done on the platen or wheel. 220, 600 to "wire edge" bur, buff like Mike said.

For touch-up of a slightly less than optimum edge, I recommend ceramic rods (CrockSticks). Some places sell two grits for those who let it get a little too dull before re-honing. I probably have 20 sharpening stones, and haven't touched a knife to one in years.

Stones are usually recommended to be used with a liquid. In the case of western-style stones, the oil serves the purpose of keeping the metal bits from sticking in the pores on the stones. Does Lansky recommend dry stones?

 

[miden]

Hi Fitzo, thanks for the reply. Sounds like a good tip, I will try that.

When you use a crock stick do you push into the blade, drag it away from the edge or how about a 45 degree angle?

Mike

 

[fitzo]

Mike, the sticks I use come with a holder that holds the two sticks at the "proper" angle (22*?). You use them by holding the blade exactly like normal and act like you're trying to "take slices" off the sticks. Ricasso to tip, like slicing bread. They're so simple it's silly. They get a little loaded with use, so periodically you turn the sticks a tiiny bit. After awhile, you just clean 'em with good old cleanser. After many years, I soak mine in ferric chloride solution and they come out like new. As long as you don't drop them, they oughtta last forever.

AG Russell sells some nice sticks. Smooth with no bumps and fine grain is key. Cheapos are coarse and bumpy.

 

[miden]

Thanks Mike, I will look into this.
Dunno what happened to other Mike (Hull), talking to Yoda he may be.
Take care Sir.

Mike

 

[fitzo]

Certainly back he will be. Walks daily he does.

YW, Mike.

 

[miden]

Lol, :thumbup:
just visited AG Russell's site, are the crock sticks you mentioned the Lansky or the Messerschmitt type Mike?

Mike

 

[fitzo]

Two round rods, wooden base/storage:

http://www.agrussell.com/accessories/sharpening/a_g_russell_ceramic_sharpener.html

 

[miden]

Thanks for link Mike, I did not see this one on the site.

If you say it is so good then I will get it and also recommend it to future customers.

The least I can do is get one from AG Russell seeing as I recently ripped off one of their blade designs.

Mike

PS, I did not answer a previous question. Lansky does in fact supply a little bottle of oil with the kit and they advise the use of it. The stones still clogg up though.

 

[fitzo]

YW, Mike. I don't think you'll dislike them.

 

[MCoughlin]

Hi Guys,
I recently finally acquired a Lansky sharpening kit. (Deluxe) It has the very course and the very fine stone along with the regular course, medium and fine stones.

I noticed the stones clogg up as can be expected but in the instructions that come with the tool it says to just wipe the stones off with a damp rag to get rid of the deposits but this does not work well.

Can somebody give a tip here please? Will a bit of Varsol and a paint brush do the job? I am concerned that the Varsol might soak into the stone and loosen it from the adhesive that holds it to the handle.

Any advice regarding sharpening techniques will also be appreciated because I am battling to get a really good edge.

Thanks
Mike

Hey,
I use a lansky to put the edge on my knives although I use the diamond set. I have found the lansky honing oil to be the best for use with the kit. All I do is take a bit of oil on my finger and gently rub back and forth on the stone/diamond thingy when it's binded up with steel, then wipe with a papertowel and you're good to go. It may be a bit different with the "stones" though.
Mike C.

 

[Mike Hull]

Thanks Mike, I will look into this.
Dunno what happened to other Mike (Hull), talking to Yoda he may be.
Take care Sir.

Mike

Hahahahaaaaaaa............I was away from the computer. nap, dinner etc.

I would have said basically what Mike Fitzgerald did(except he's more concise than I am), with the exception that I sharpen with the edge down, not going into the belt. It's easier for me to see the angle from the back of the blade in conjunction with the platen or wheel to determine the same angle on both sides.

For regular use, I generally would use a "V" grind edge as it's easier to sharpen for the majority of people. If someone wants a convex edge they'll tell you. It's hard to sharpen them the first time, leading people to think you sold them a knife with bad steel that just stays dull.
Buck knives had that problem years ago when they put convex edges on their most popular knife, the 110 folding hunter that's still made.

People tried to sharpen them on flat stones, about all that was available then and all they were doing was rubbing steel off the shoulders of the edge. If they would have dragged the knife towards them, raising the back of it as they went, or used a strop if would have made a world of difference.

Save the convex for those that know how to sharpen, and ask for them.

Edited to add: I would also recommend the angled crock sticks to my customers with V edges. It's very hard for most people to get a really good edge on a flat stone. The crock sticks take the guesswork out of it. All you have to do is hold the blade straight and push downward while drawing the knife towards the user.

 

[T Blade]

When I do use the Lansky's I will clean them with WD 40, I use the aresol and just spray the jet directly onto the cutting surface of the stone, you can see the debris flowing off

Larry T

 

[jhiggins]

When I do use the Lansky's I will clean them with WD 40, I use the aresol and just spray the jet directly onto the cutting surface of the stone, you can see the debris flowing off

Larry T

Thats a good method, Beave. I use a jar of mineral spirits. I take the top off when I begin sharpening, and put the stines in the jar to soak as I work up through the grits. When done, I simply pull them out and blow dry with compressed air. Works good!

 

[FlaMtnBkr]

Questions about the V crock sticks. Does anyone else notice that after using a blade on one for awhile it starts to round the tip? It like when you pull thru and off the rod it rounds the tip off after extended use. Of course this is probably just my inability to sharpen. Not sure how Im expecting to make knives when I can barely sharpen them...

Ryan

 

[linkshande]

hi Miden, I've been using the same setup for a while (until I get a belt grinder)
and like you I fought with it for a while but after a bit of practice I can even sharpen a m9 us military bayonnet. ( I know they arent designed to be sharpened because of the assymetrical edge, but I was in Kuwait at the time. What else is there to do?) One thing I found that helped alot is to just tighten the screw down just till finger tight, and then crank down theturn knob as much as reasonably possible. Just maker sure to check that the clamp looks even. Also if you are in decent light, you can see if you have removed enough metal. one other thing I do is to scrape my fingernail acrossthe edge first on one side then the other. By doing this I can feel when the edge is even, and I can progress to the next stone. I hope that made sense, and hope it helped.

 

[miden]

Hi Linkshande,

Good Heavens Sir! I thought it was against the Geneva Convension to have a sharp bayonet!:

I was in the SA army from '77 to '79 and our bayonets were so blunt you would probably just bruise a guy if you were to use it as intended.
Anyway, in a bush war you seldom use those things, we left them behind in the base camp for fancy parades and such.

Thanks for the headsup. I will pay better attention to the clamping for one.
Do you sharpen away from the edge or into it?
Yes, I guess it one of those things that have to be learned with practice like everything else to do with this wonderful craft.
Thanks for the reply and thanks to you too Larry, Mikxx1,Valimas and everyone else, much appreciated. WD 40 is so versatile.
Thanks Mikes.:thumbup:

Mike