Another angle ?

T

Tar18

Joined
Oct 3, 2012
Messages
144
Hi folks.
On another thread it was suggested to me to get an Angle Cube to help me better understand my Lansky and getting the proper angle on the knife edges. I got the Angle cube and was able to figure out that the Lansky setting of 17 was around the 16 degree angle on a small neck knife. So far so good and I am beginning to understand about the angles and setting them. Thanks folks for those of you who suggested getting the Angle cube.
I realised yesterday that when I was using the Lansky that it was very loose on the metal stand that I could not seem to get a constant angle. I got the plastic stand first and when that was loose, I got the metal stand thinking that would be better.
I like the Lansky and just understanding how it works but not being able to hold, or hard to, so that I could get a constant angle.
Any advice or suggestions. I want to be able to hold a constant angle when sharpening.
This is in no way against Lansky just a ? so that I can do a better job with it.
Sorry folks this is a two part thread.
I slipped up because of not understanding how to operate the Lansky and did a knife up at the 30 degrees thinking it was 15. Now it is a cheap knife so thought I would learn on that. As noted above with the Angle Cube I figured out that on this small knife, it was just about the 15 or 16 degree angle. Now do I just go ahead and use the course stone until I get a edge? Or how do I bring the edge back to a bit better of an angle.
Any help that I could get is welcome.
Thanks again for all of the help.
Regards
Tar :)
 
When I used to use a Lansky and similar sharpeners like GATCO, I held the downward-facing arm of the clamp in a small hobby vise (Pana-Vise) mounted to a stable base. I used a fairly heavy piece of 3/4" melamine/countertop scrap material for the base, about 16" x 16", with some rubber feet on the bottom to keep it from moving around when placed on a bench or counter. Such a base could easily be clamped to a table or bench as well. This keeps everything much more stable and free of wobble or any other movement.

I never liked the stand options from Lansky or GATCO, for holding their clamps, pretty much for the reasons you've already noticed. They can work, but the added distraction of holding it steady against wobble or spinning around is something I didn't need or want, and also fatiguing on the hand steadying it.

On your second question:
If I understand you correctly, you want to take your edge thinner after realizing it's twice as wide as you wanted. If so, then yes, I'd just take the coarsest stone you have, and regrind your edge until it's fully apexed (with a full burr). It'll take a while*; but once it's done, it'll be much, much easier to keep sharp and maintain down the road.

* Edited to add:
You could do the thinning in stages, to spread the work over time. Take the edge one 'notch' thinner on the clamp each time you sharpen it, from 30 to 25, then 25 to 20, then 20 to 17. On a very big, thick blade, that might be the way to approach it. Smaller knives, like traditional pocketknives that aren't too thick-bladed, could still be done in one session though.


David
 
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Just a bit of a sidebar... the Lansky being loose on the stand... doesn't change the angle it sharpens at. The relationship between the stone and the knife doesn't change. (It will change the reading on the angle cube though).

But I do understand it can make it harder to sharpen if it wobbles around. The vise is a good idea.

I haven't used mine in a long while, but I recall that resting my 'pointer' finger on the top of the stone holder, helped keep the guide rod stable, so that it stayed in better contact with the knife... even on the loose stand.

On the second part of your question... I appreciate wanting to learn, but taking a knife from 30 to 15 deg. may become more of an exercise in frustration, rather than a learning experience... especially with the small stones of the Lansky. You may want to consider either not making such a big change (if it's a cheap knife it may not be worth it anyway), and just see what changing 5 deg. or so teaches you... or break the sharpening up into several sessions... working each side a few minutes at a time, until you're close to the edge... then establish the burr and sharpen. (You'll be able to see the progress... mark the edge with a Sharpie, if you want to see when you're getting close to the edge a bit easier).
 
Make sure your stones are all the same thickness as well. The course stones in particular tend to wear much faster and stones of different thicknesses don't sharpen at the same angle.

Once you've established that, its just sharpening basics. Use the course until you get a full length burr, repeat on the other side and then work your way up through the stones. Finishing on a strop can do a lot for an edge too.
 
Well thanks again folks for all of your info. Now I will have some more to learn. David thanks for confirming what I just started to do. I was not sure if it was the right way to do the change. I understand that going from 30 down to 15 is going to be a long haul. I will just continue to work it until it gets where it should be. I can at least follow what is going on and learn from that. I am retired so I have the time and do not mind spending it to learn.
I am happy to hear (well not really) that other folks have the same problem with the Lansky that I am having. Mine will move up and down almost a 1/4 inch which to me is a lot. I will try the way mentioned above to hold the rod down while sharpening and see if that helps. I really do like the Lansky and will help me learn more about angles and how they work. Oh and the Angle cube works just great.
Thanks again
Regards
Tar :)
 
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