Originally posted by lagarto
what I'm looking for is a way to maintain say a constant 12 degees throughout the sharpening process.
Lagarto--
I've used the Lansky system, too, and Dexter is right. It does its job. If you can find a sharpening angle on the Lansky that suits you, for a particular blade, you'll have what you're looking for. Also, Lansky's diamond hones are excellent for all kinds of blade steel.
Three caveats.
First, because of the clamp design, you can't get below an angle of about 17 degrees per side on blades of 1" width or less. Second, the distance from the rod pivot hole to the plane of the blade is fixed, which means the width of the blade and how deep you mount it in the clamp affects the sharpening angle. Third, the angle also changes somewhat along the length of the edge, as you sharpen from ricasso to point, for the same reason.
In my opinion, a better, though more expensive, solution is the Edge Pro system, which has a broader and infinitely adjustable sharpening angle range. Also, instead of the hone's angle to the blade changing over the length of the edge, you are actually moving the blade into position as you sharpen, so that the orientation (and the sharpening angle) remains more constant.
-Will
