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Diamond Sharpeners

I

Illiya

Joined
Nov 17, 2000
Messages
58
Hello All. I am interested in buying the Lansky or Gatco Diamond Sharpening Systems. Is anyone out there familiar with these and have a preference for either companies product?
 
I think DMTs and EZ-Laps are the best.(not necessaraly in that order). They specialize in diamond systems.
 
Hi,there.
Gatco system has the best "jig" and is second for the diamond hones.
Lansky has a useful "jig", unfortunately the angles given are NOT correct, the diamond hones (IMO) are last of the three.
DMT has a weak "jig", the angles given are also NOT correct, but the hones are SUPER.

You can live with any of the three systems, but PLEASE do not try to use different systems combined, the angles won't match.

In case of doubt, I'd go for Gatco, because they also have nice "non diamond" hones.

Diamonds are perfect to create a modified angle or to correct a badly worn/chipped edge, but "stones" will give you a smoother edge.

Diamonds tend to cut like this: v-v-v-v-v
while stones cut more like this: ~~~~~~
Happy sharpening
smile.gif
 
Hello there,
I usually use a Lansky diamond set, Extra Coarse through Fine, finishing off with the Extra Fine stone hone.
I use no lubricant on the diamond hones and use oil on the stone one.
It cuts an angle easily and leaves a hair popping sharp edge.

------------------
-Compact
:)
 
Go for the DMT stones.
They seem to be the best, and I've been using them not only on knives, but router bits, and assorted machine tools, with excellent results.
The set I use is about 3 years old,is the bench type stones, and has not shown any significant wear. I always use water as a lubricant, as DMT recommends. the Lansky diamond set is also good.
 
Hello I don't own a diamond system. I've been using Lansky, Sharpmaker and 1000 and 3000 grit Japanese waterstones. Sometimes it has took time to get decent sharpness.(Waterstones are fast but take time before I can start with those).

Yesterday I loaned fellow BF DMT system. My reason was that the clamp in my lansky is filled up with metal chips that nowadays tend to scratch bladefinish when I use it. I was going to reprofile some knives that had took too much time with spyderco (continous washing slow cutting) without ruining bladefinish.

Clamp in DMT was poorly desigbned the two smallest angle were unusable when stones started cutting CLAMP!

It loosened by it self! (After assemlying it I had to put a pencil in that system so that it wont get loose)

Was made of plastic.


BUT OH MY GOD DID IT CUT FAST!
Despite of its (DMTs) problems it is definitely worth of getting if you need to reprofile knives.
For actual sharpening I used Spydercos white stones. I normally get my knives as sharp but it took only 1/5 of normal time.

I'm definitely going to get diamond stones - some system or bench stones.

------------------
"Good tools to sustain life, or at least make life more convenient"
-James Mattis
 
The Lansky system is crap. The diamonds wear off. I am now left with a 50.00 piece of junk. Get a DMT Aligner if you must have diamonds,otherwise get an Edgepro.
 
I bought the best stones in my opinion. The DMT waterstones. I then bought the razor edge guides (only a few bucks) and learned to sharpen that way.

Now I sharpen freehand and do an excellent job. My advice is to buy stones so you can learn the art of the freehand sharpening. It gives great satisfaction. (to me anyway.)
smile.gif


Later, Jeff
 
I agree with ZUT&ZUT completely with small addition: DMT clamp can be used as angle guide with their Diamond Whetstones.
Please look here for my review on some DMT sharpeners and here - on SPYDERCO ones.
I could strongly advise to count SPYDERCO Sharpmaker among probable buys.
 
Originally posted by ZUT&ZUT:
Hi,there.
Gatco system has the best "jig" and is second for the diamond hones.
Lansky has a useful "jig", unfortunately the angles given are NOT correct, the diamond hones (IMO) are last of the three.
DMT has a weak "jig", the angles given are also NOT correct, but the hones are SUPER.
Click to expand...
I don't know what you mean about angles being not correct.. If you mean that the marked angle is not what you are getting, then you are absolutely correct - except that that is precicely the reason why DMT doesn't even have any angles marked! The resulting angle depends on the width of the knife blade. So the angle Lansky gives is just some estimate - and if Gatco has some angles specified, then those are also not correct either. (Unless the knife is clamped somehow differently to it?)

I just sharpened my DragonFly and Calypso Jr. this weekend with DMT aligner. It's the one Tommi borrowed from me. I used the second smallest angle for both knifes, as I've done before. (I didn't have any problems with the second smallest angle. For very small blades, I know there can be problems, but the only one I can think of is the very narrow SAK blade.) The angle was almost exactly the same as before. Almost, as it seemed the same, but I know there will be some error from not being able to set up the clamp to exactly the same position... another potential source of error to the angles used between different sharpening sessions is how tightly do you fasten the clamp. It's made out of somekind of hard plastic, but it still bends. So it is possible to get a different angle if you don't pay attention to how tightly you will screw it. And yes, it has tendency to unscrew itself. I written about this before here. It seems though that it does not unscrew that easily if you don't "overtighten" it. (If you overtighten it the bent parts will try to force it loose...) This unscrewing is one of the major flaws in the clamp... the other is the overly large screw. The smallest angle is not useable on the other side of the clamp as the larger-than-necessary screw is in the way. So if you wan't to you se smallest angle, then you will have to change the side of the clamp all the time. (The smallest angle is in practice very small... you won't be using that so much anyways - but still)

Hugo.

 
I had a 4 hone Diamond Lansky and it was tollerable when I used the ceramic ultra fine to finish the edge off. I traded this one for a Sharpmaker 204 and that's what I use all the time now. I still have a regular Lansky but it is for reprofiling only kinda uses.
 
OKG,Laziness?Sharpening involves cutting,cutting involves hardness and nothing on earth,natural or synthetic is harder than diamond.
 
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