Recommendation? Buying Lansky system for "super" steels?

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Shaggy8675

Joined
Jul 19, 2006
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117
Hey guys,
I've been looking to buy the Lansky sharpening system to sharpen my knives. I know there have been ongoing debates on the usability of stones vs diamond on modern supersteels like CTS-204P, S35VN, S30N, CPM 20CV etc. etc.

So I think my best option for those kinds of steel wil be the 4x Diamondstone set. Perfect, but the most fine diamondstone they have seems to be 600grit. That won't leave a mirror edge. So what would be a wise stone/stones to get besides the 4x set?
I've been looking at the 2000grit Super Sapphire Polishing Hone. Wil this do the trick, or will it do nothing on these metals?

What would be a good way to go in this kind of setup? Any advise?
 
Even though there is alot info on BF you can also look up Michael Christy, BIg Brown Bear, some other guys on YouTube . Not only they work with super steel, use many different stones, but you can also pick up "technique".
 
I bought the diamond set a while back, just because I already owned a standard Lansky. And it works, they get sharp, even if I don't really know what I'm doing.

But, that said, I wish I'd bought a KME or something instead back when I started out.

More stones, better built, nicer...
 
the lansky will work, but you are limited on your diamond stones.

the 1000, and 2000 grit ceramics will do some polishing on a super steel, but if you are really looking for something more, I'd look at strops with appropriatly sized diamond grit compound.

or I'd go KME, or another system that offers more options on stones
 
The Lansky ceramic hones (1000 & 'Super Sapphire') are smooth & flat enough, they could be used as a backer for a polishing strop of paper, tape or other material used with diamond compound. If you want a mirror-polished edge on such 'super steels' using the Lansky, that'd be one way to do it, following the diamond hones.

3-micron diamond compound, in particular, works pretty fast following an EF-grade hone. The ceramic hones can do some polishing on such steels, but will hit sort of a 'wall' in their effectiveness when trying to polish the carbides themselves. You'd progress no further than a hazy mirror finish. That's where the hone might then become more useful as a backing for a diamond-compounded paper (or cloth) strop, to bring it up to a bright mirror.
 
Mmhh, so most say it's about ok, but not really ;)

KME is something I can't get were I live. The only alternative I can get is the Edge Pro Apex 1-4. But this comes with stones up to 1000 grit.
 
Shaggy8675 said:
Hey guys,
I've been looking to buy the Lansky sharpening system to sharpen my knives. I know there have been ongoing debates on the usability of stones vs diamond on modern supersteels like CTS-204P, S35VN, S30N, CPM 20CV etc. etc.

So I think my best option for those kinds of steel wil be the 4x Diamondstone set. Perfect, but the most fine diamondstone they have seems to be 600grit. That won't leave a mirror edge. So what would be a wise stone/stones to get besides the 4x set?
I've been looking at the 2000grit Super Sapphire Polishing Hone. Wil this do the trick, or will it do nothing on these metals?

What would be a good way to go in this kind of setup? Any advise?
Click to expand...
Let me give my 2 cents.
You can get wonderful results with the lansky, and if it uses the diamond stones, it should be able to handle any steel. That being said, different steels require slightly different technique. The lucky part is that technique is FAR more important than the system you use. I would suggest pulling the trigger (My lansky system was used so much the standard stones wore out (not the diamond)) and practicing with the system. If it gets to a point that you notice specific flaws that don't work for you then think about upgrading.

as for the polish, Lansky sells a leather strop to go with their system, but I'd like to ask you, why do you want mirror polish? Most knives perform better with some tooth.
 
If you can't get a KME get a Hapstone from Gritomatic,you won't be sorry you got it instead of a Lansky or a KME.

The shorter stones take longer to sharpen then an edge format stone,plus if you go with a table version of a Hapstone they have a better table built into the M2.

I had the Lansky and KME and got a Tsprof and never looked back not even for a second.

Shaggy8675 said:
Hey guys,
I've been looking to buy the Lansky sharpening system to sharpen my knives. I know there have been ongoing debates on the usability of stones vs diamond on modern supersteels like CTS-204P, S35VN, S30N, CPM 20CV etc. etc.

So I think my best option for those kinds of steel wil be the 4x Diamondstone set. Perfect, but the most fine diamondstone they have seems to be 600grit. That won't leave a mirror edge. So what would be a wise stone/stones to get besides the 4x set?
I've been looking at the 2000grit Super Sapphire Polishing Hone. Wil this do the trick, or will it do nothing on these metals?

What would be a good way to go in this kind of setup? Any advise?
Click to expand...
 
Shaggy8675 said:
Mmhh, so most say it's about ok, but not really ;)

KME is something I can't get were I live. The only alternative I can get is the Edge Pro Apex 1-4. But this comes with stones up to 1000 grit.
Click to expand...
It gets the knives sharp, and it's reasonably cheap. I manage with it, but as I said... wish I sprung for a slightly more expensive option.
 
Shaggy8675 said:
Mmhh, so most say it's about ok, but not really ;)

KME is something I can't get were I live. The only alternative I can get is the Edge Pro Apex 1-4. But this comes with stones up to 1000 grit.
Click to expand...

Get one off ebay, a lot of sellers ship worldwide. Same goes for edge pro, wicked edge etc. Also KME has a page of authorized dealers for the U.S. and other countries.

As far as the lansky there is nothing wrong with the system but in many ways it's limited. The size/surface area of the stones are smaller than most, very limited number of grits/stones to choose from (you can of course tape something like SIC sandpaper on the stones) which come in much finer grits. Also the mount and overall system just isn't as accurate or as adjustable as many of the higher end units. If you can afford it I recommend looking at one of the higher end systems if you're goal is mirror edges on higher carbide / vanadium steels. And btw I have 25+ years of use on and off with the lansky for whatever that is worth.
 
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I've reprofiled Cpm3v with just the standard coarse stone in the Lansky kit. It took forever. But it worked.

I have had a Lansky kit forever. 20+ years. It is not my go to kit. And I wish I had not used it on my most recent reprofile....
I should have just waited a few weeks until I bought another set of diamond hand stones.


I wore my old one out. And bought a new coarse and fine diamond hone, and then a Spyderco sharpmaker ceramic kit.

If you are looking to do a fixed system, I'd steer you to a different system. The time and set up, etc is not ideal with Lansky. But on the upside, the system is much less expensive than many.

It is also a bit less than ideal for reprofiles on large knives.

I've used mine a lot, and definitely gotten my use out of it.
 
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I bought the Lansky Diamond and it worked well but when I switched to the “paper” wheels for a grinder there was no comparison. I watched several videos on YouTube before I bought them. The razor edge that is produced I was never able to get it with the Lansky. JMO
 
I use a Lansky, have the diamond extra coarse and coarse, and the medium, fine and extra fine ceramic stones. It works, and works well, but can take time. I've used it on 8cr13mov, s35vn, and 20cv, and no problem with any of them. However...

I only use it to reprofile to 15 dps, or close to it. Take it all the way to the extra fine hone, and then use my sharpmaker to finish it off (microbevel). If I have to thin out the edge later I use the diamond rods on the sharpmaker, which makes it pretty quick and painless as long as you're at or near 15 dps.

I like the lansky, but it is finicky, takes a while to get it set up right and get used to it. You can do great things with it, but I wouldn't use it for anything over 4 inches. And that might be stretching it. You can move the clamp, but then you have to be exact with your measurements and everything... Just too much hassle imo.

I want to get something better, but at the moment I can't justify it. My system works though, and I'm quite happy with it. I just want a kme or similar later on! Would make the process so much easier...
 
The Lansky will work fine with the diamond stones, the yellow and blue ceramics will produce as already stated a hazy mirror finish. You can also get the leather strop for it and use a diamond paste/spray and see what that does for you. The Lansky will take a little longer that other systems in my experience.
More importantly than getting a mirror finish on the edge is making sure you reach the apex of the edge. A mirrored edge won't do you any good if it's dull. That's the biggest issue I've had with the Lansky is that it adjusts in 3-5 degree increments. If you knife has a factory edge of 22 degrees, the Lansky will be more difficult to reach that specific angle. The KME has one degree increments. That's why I switched to a KME.
 
Got the diamond Lanksy kit w/ both ceramic stones & the strop. Use the strop w/ Mothers wheel polish. It works better than green &/or white jewelers rouge. Makes mirror edges. Do you need mirror edges? No. Are they pretty? Yes. Takes more time then the KME? Yes. Would I have bought the KME instead? Yes. Will I invest over $200 for the KME now? No. Below is a sample of the Lasky diamond kit.

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