Cheapest way to sharpen my Spyderco Delica

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xpawel18x

Joined
Oct 27, 2009
Messages
17
I don't want to get the Spyderco sharpmaker. Can I just get a lansky systems stone and use that to sharpen my Delica 4? There's an outdoor store here that has a lot of knives and mostly lansky sharpening stones so I guess that's how people sharpen their knives around here. I am sharpening the knife for my first time. Which grit should I get?
 
I have both a Lansky and a Sharpmaker. Its the SharpMaker Hand Down!!

There is No Comparision between the Lansky and the Sharpmaker IMO..none

at all. SM is Much Easier to use with better & faster results. I havent used

my Lansky since I got my SM. ;)
 
lansky crocstick set with medium and fine sticks can be found at sub $25 category. They make most knives sharp easily.
 
Welcome to BF.
You actually are better off with the Sharpmaker. The CD included has a lot of information regarding angle/edge geometry and techniques to produce the best results. Does the knife really need sharpening? You can send it for factory sharpening for $5 (the price of return shipping the sharpening is free of charge).

From what I've seen, mom & pop outdoor stores carry more practical equipment than Big 5 or Sports Authority sized stores. The bigger stores carry whatever is cheap and whatever they can sell (profit is their concern over practicality). The problem with the Lansky clamp is that every time you sharpen the knife, you MUST place the clamp at the exact same position or else you will not hit the edge in the same place. Given the way some blades are shaped (full flat grinds) the blade will wobble in the clamp because it's only secured on 1 side (the blade tapers) and the clamp does not compensate for this.
Sharpmaker is better.
 
I've done this rout before, trying to get the cheapest method of sharpening. every attempt was unsatisfactory, and this week i ended up buying a sharpmaker anyway ($45). Ended up burning more money on the smiths, lanksy and others, than if i had just bought the sharpmaker in the first place.
 
For general light maintenance of your edge, a Sharpmaker would be fine. The Lansky is best suited for reprofiling jobs (grinding a completely new bevel on the edge). With regard to the Lansky:

RevDevil said:
Given the way some blades are shaped (full flat grinds) the blade will wobble in the clamp because it's only secured on 1 side (the blade tapers) and the clamp does not compensate for this.
Click to expand...

The taper, from tang to tip, would have to be extreme to be a problem on an FFG blade. Unless an FFG blade is VERY THICK and SHORT (in length), or VERY THICK and NARROW (spine to edge), FFG blades are a cinch to set up. Probably easier than most, in fact. To say that the clamp 'does not compensate' at all on an FFG blade is a gross exaggeration.

More often than not, an FFG blade (like a Spyderco Military, for example), provides a lot of nice, flat contact area for the clamp to get a grip. If it's wobbling on a blade like this, something else isn't right (the setup). It's not because the clamp 'does not compensate'.
 
xpawel18x said:
Can I just get a lansky systems stone and use that to sharpen my Delica 4?
Click to expand...

You can. Get a set that offers at least two different grits (coarse and fine or medium and fine) and some printed instructions.

Better yet, search the internet for freehand sharpening tips and practice with wet/dry sandpaper while saving up for a good sharpening system.
 
thombrogan said:
You can. Get a set that offers at least two different grits (coarse and fine or medium and fine) and some printed instructions.

Better yet, search the internet for freehand sharpening tips and practice with wet/dry sandpaper while saving up for a good sharpening system.
Click to expand...

If you really are interested in the Lansky:

All of the Lansky components (clamp, rods, hones) can be purchased separately. Don't have to buy a whole 'set', per se. A coarse diamond hone would handle any heavy metal removal with ease, and you could then finish with the med/fine stones of the 'standard' type. That would be enough to get you started.

The printed instructions can be downloaded from the Lansky site:

http://www.lanskysharpeners.com/Lansky_instructions.pdf

As thombrogan indicated, it's never a bad idea to read about/learn/practice freehand sharpening too, regardless of whichever method you try first.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
For general light maintenance of your edge, a Sharpmaker would be fine. The Lansky is best suited for reprofiling jobs (grinding a completely new bevel on the edge). With regard to the Lansky:



The taper, from tang to tip, would have to be extreme to be a problem on an FFG blade. Unless an FFG blade is VERY THICK and SHORT (in length), or VERY THICK and NARROW (spine to edge), FFG blades are a cinch to set up. Probably easier than most, in fact. To say that the clamp 'does not compensate' at all on an FFG blade is a gross exaggeration.

More often than not, an FFG blade (like a Spyderco Military, for example), provides a lot of nice, flat contact area for the clamp to get a grip. If it's wobbling on a blade like this, something else isn't right (the setup). It's not because the clamp 'does not compensate'.
Click to expand...

How exactly can you demonstrate that the clamp does compensate on say a Para Military or Military? You'd have to clamp the blade over the hole. The Lansky works great on Saber grinds, again it is necessary to clamp the same spot otherwise you end up hitting a different angle every time you sharpen the knife. That does nto seem user friendly, especially for a beginner.
imag0122vm.jpg

I don't know about you, but as you can see in the picture, the clamp I have does NOT compensate for the facts that:
-The blade tapers from the handle to the tip
-The blade tapers from teh spine to the cutting edge
The clamp is just parallel, the blades are not. But as stated, ymmv.

I'll still say, get a Sharpmaker.
 
You can just get a $2 double sided fine/coarse stone from the flea market or $5 stone from home depot or lowes. Both will work fine and can give a hair shaving edge, but it takes a lot of practice. I'd recommend 20 strokes per side until you can feel a burr on each side after the 20th stroke. Then increase the angle about 5 degrees and do light alternating strokes on the fine side to remove the burr. Try the edge on some paper or, if you're careful, arm hair. For that extra umph, make a home made strop with an old belt, a board to glue it to, and some white or green buffing compound. The compound is about $2 for a stick that will last years. I've had mine for 15 years and I'm not half through it yet.
 
RevDevil said:
How exactly can you demonstrate that the clamp does compensate on say a Para Military or Military? You'd have to clamp the blade over the hole. The Lansky works great on Saber grinds, again it is necessary to clamp the same spot otherwise you end up hitting a different angle every time you sharpen the knife. That does nto seem user friendly, especially for a beginner.
imag0122vm.jpg

I don't know about you, but as you can see in the picture, the clamp I have does NOT compensate for the facts that:
-The blade tapers from the handle to the tip
-The blade tapers from teh spine to the cutting edge
The clamp is just parallel, the blades are not. But as stated, ymmv.

I'll still say, get a Sharpmaker.
Click to expand...


What I do on my DMT Aligner clamp is pinch the jaws together and adjust the fowrd screws until it's somewhat snug. Then I turn the rear screw just until there's little movement of the jaws. Then I turn the forward screw about a quarter turn or less. Then adjust the rear screw for a snug hold. Pinching the jaws while tightening the forward screws allows the clamp the take on the contour of the blade.

PS: Sharpmaker's excellent too.
 
RevDevil said:
How exactly can you demonstrate that the clamp does compensate on say a Para Military or Military? You'd have to clamp the blade over the hole. The Lansky works great on Saber grinds, again it is necessary to clamp the same spot otherwise you end up hitting a different angle every time you sharpen the knife. That does nto seem user friendly, especially for a beginner.

I don't know about you, but as you can see in the picture, the clamp I have does NOT compensate for the facts that:
-The blade tapers from the handle to the tip
-The blade tapers from teh spine to the cutting edge
The clamp is just parallel, the blades are not. But as stated, ymmv.

I'll still say, get a Sharpmaker.
Click to expand...

This FFG issue came up in another recent thread. Here's what I posted. It's worked just fine, every time I've set it up as follows (pay particular attention to step #3 below; I can see from your pic that you aren't setting the clamp angle correctly, to match the spine-to-edge taper):

With regard to the Lansky (or GATCO), the clamp will work with most FFG blades, the only possible exception being those that are both SHORT and very thick, with an extreme taper towards the tip. A FFG blade like the Spyderco Military (or Para) is a cinch to set up, by comparison. Most blades have a relatively flat or shallow taper, at least in the rearward 1/3rd of so of the blade (towards the tang). That's usually where I position the clamp. The key to the whole thing is patience, and paying close attention to the contact area between the clamp & blade.

Some things that have helped me a lot with the clamp setup:

1.) Use masking tape or painter's tape underneath the clamp jaws to minimize the chance of slippage/movement. Another thing I've tried for this, use a piece of med/fine wet/dry sandpaper with the BACKING against the blade (to prevent scratching), and the rough side against the clamp. This works particularly well if you are sharpening wet (with water or oil). The backing of the sandpaper is surprisingly grippy against the blade, especially when wet. And obviously, the rough side against the clamp will keep the clamp from slipping against the paper. Sometimes the masking tape or painter's tape will slip or move if wet.

2.) Get some longer screws with low-profile heads (size 10-24, in lengths between 1/2"to 1") for the clamp. The 10-24 size is commonly available (I get mine at Home Depot/Lowe's). You can also get these in brass, which helps to minimize digging into/damaging/stripping the aluminum clamp, as steel screws will do.

3.) When initially positioning the clamp, first pinch the forward end of the clamp against the blade with your fingers, so the clamp's jaws are flush with the blade's sides. Then, just finger-tighten the forward screw (nearest the blade), until it just starts to snug up. Then, adjust the rear screw until it just begins to tension up against the bottom side of the clamp. Maintain finger pressure on the clamp as before, and use a screwdriver to gently tighten the forward screw a little bit (quarter turn or less), then do the same with the rear screw. Alternate back & forth this way until you're sure the clamp is snug & flush against the blade on both sides.

4.) I NEVER USE the narrow, milled notch at the forward end of the clamp. It's too shallow to hold the blade effectively, and it's not accurately milled either. Tends to 'tilt' the blade up or down when clamped, which results in mis-matched bevels (wider on one side, narrower on the other). I always position the clamp so there's at least 1/8" - 1/4" of the clamp's (un-notched) surface against the blade, depending upon the blade's width.

I've reprofiled maybe 15 -20 knives so far with my Lansky & GATCO sharpeners. Using the tips & method above, I've not had any major setup issues with the clamp. Just be patient, and take your time to set it up. As per proper sharpening technique, use light pressure with the stones. That will also help to ensure there aren't any slippage/movement issues with the clamp.
 
me2 said:
You can just get a $2 double sided fine/coarse stone from the flea market or $5 stone from home depot or lowes. Both will work fine and can give a hair shaving edge, but it takes a lot of practice. I'd recommend 20 strokes per side until you can feel a burr on each side after the 20th stroke. Then increase the angle about 5 degrees and do light alternating strokes on the fine side to remove the burr. Try the edge on some paper or, if you're careful, arm hair. For that extra umph, make a home made strop with an old belt, a board to glue it to, and some white or green buffing compound. The compound is about $2 for a stick that will last years. I've had mine for 15 years and I'm not half through it yet.
Click to expand...

yep get a stone if your knife is dull it will take alot of licks on the sharpmaker.....stones get knives sharp plus itz a learning curve.
 
singularity35 said:
You want the cheapest? sandpaper and mousepad but it needs a long learning curve.
Click to expand...


That is for convex sharpening and would require a new profile to be set on the blade and depending on blade grind would either increase or decrease performance of the edge. Please understand what you are suggesting before you do so.



Now sandpaper on glass would be a option that would work and is cheap.
 
singularity35 said:
What I do on my DMT Aligner clamp is pinch the jaws together and adjust the fowrd screws until it's somewhat snug. Then I turn the rear screw just until there's little movement of the jaws. Then I turn the forward screw about a quarter turn or less. Then adjust the rear screw for a snug hold. Pinching the jaws while tightening the forward screws allows the clamp the take on the contour of the blade.

PS: Sharpmaker's excellent too.
Click to expand...

+1 :thumbup:

This is exactly how I do it with my Lansky/GATCO clamp. The whole key to it is adjusting the clamp to match the tapered grind of the blade, from spine to edge.
 
knifenut1013 said:
That is for convex sharpening and would require a new profile to be set on the blade and depending on blade grind would either increase or decrease performance of the edge. Please understand what you are suggesting before you do so.



Now sandpaper on glass would be a option that would work and is cheap.
Click to expand...

My bad. Thanks. :D
 
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