Edge angles

Monofletch

Monofletch

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Jan 14, 2010
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What is the "best" angle to sharpen your knives? My Lansky has 30-25-20-17 and all my knives seem to fall somewere in between these. The instructions say 25 is the best "General Purpose" and 30 for "really tough cutting" but that doesn't explain much.
That said-- My new BK14 ESKaBar is suppose to be a work horse and it is 15 degree.

I have been getting some GREAT edges with this Lansky, but not without A LOT of grinding. I must be doing it Wrong? Please help--or explain.

LKUNV.jpg
 
bevel angles depend on several factors.
alloy type, blade length, typical usage, & sharpening skill. usually a medium folder will not have a more obtruse angle as a work horse hunting knife. an electrician stripping wires all day wo'nt desire the super acute bevel of a fine slicer, while wood carvers probably desire the most perfect demanding edge on their blades.--dennis
 
are these angle measurements inclusive or a value for each side of the edge. if it is for each side individually, I would probably stick to 20 a side unless i need a light duty super slicer, then i would use the 17. If they are inclusive (both sides together), I would use the 30 inclusive for edc. I am guessing that those measurments are for each side individually though.
 
The first time you use a preset-angle system you can't avoid a lot of grinding. This is because the factory edge will never match any of the preset settings exactly, so you're basically reprofiling it. However, once you're done with the initial reprofiling the subsequent resharpening should be pretty quick.

Lansky's angle setting is per side, so their 17 is 34 degree inclusive. I sharpen my EDC and kitchen carving knives to 30 degree inclusive. Other kitchen knives get around 35.

To put things in perspective, chisel ground Japanese kitchen knives and scandi ground Mora knives are about 20 degree inclusive.
 
Sep said:
The first time you use a preset-angle system you can't avoid a lot of grinding. This is because the factory edge will never match any of the preset settings exactly, so you're basically reprofiling it. However, once you're done with the initial reprofiling the subsequent resharpening should be pretty quick.

Lansky's angle setting is per side, so their 17 is 34 degree inclusive. I sharpen my EDC and kitchen carving knives to 30 degree inclusive. Other kitchen knives get around 35.

To put things in perspective, chisel ground Japanese kitchen knives and scandi ground Mora knives are about 20 degree inclusive.
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if that is the case, would it make more sence to have the course stone a diamond to speed up the process?
 
Not sure what my coarsest stone is, but it says in the instructions it is for "bulk metal removal" not sharpening. Even so, it takes an evening to get some of these better/harder steels down to size.

Will re-profiling ruin my blades? I seem to get them sharper than factory and shave with no effort at all
 
I like an edge angle around 20 degrees per side. Any less and it seems like I end up with more edge than blade:eek:.
 
LANSKY SHARPENING ANGLES
17° Angle - A severe angle reccommended for razor blades, X-Acto© blades, scalpels or similar tools. Provides an extremely sharp but delicate edge.
20° Angle - A commonly used angle for higher quality blades and provides an excellent edge for kitchen cutlery and filet knives.
25° Angle - The recommended angle for most knives that need a durable, sharp edge. Ideal for hunting and outdoor knives.
30° Angle - An outstanding angle for knives that see the heavy use of cutting cardboard, wire or carpets. Recomended for heavy duty use.
 
Reprofiling is "bulk metal removal", as you're removing a lot of metal to change the edge angle. Even with my DMT extra extra coarse the first step can easily take hours if the steel is decent and the profile is thick.

Manual profiling is not gonna ruin your blade because your hand can't possibly move fast enough to generate heat, unless you're superman.
 
Monofletch said:
LANSKY SHARPENING ANGLES
17° Angle - A severe angle reccommended for razor blades, X-Acto© blades, scalpels or similar tools. Provides an extremely sharp but delicate edge.
20° Angle - A commonly used angle for higher quality blades and provides an excellent edge for kitchen cutlery and filet knives.
25° Angle - The recommended angle for most knives that need a durable, sharp edge. Ideal for hunting and outdoor knives.
30° Angle - An outstanding angle for knives that see the heavy use of cutting cardboard, wire or carpets. Recomended for heavy duty use.
Click to expand...


Lansky's recommendations always struck me as too conservative. I'd reduce each of those recommendations by about 5 degrees.
 
Twindog said:
Lansky's recommendations always struck me as too conservative. I'd reduce each of those recommendations by about 5 degrees.
Click to expand...

Yeah, modern steel from a reputable manufacturer would handle 30 degree inclusive with no problem.
 
25 degree or 50 degree inclusive is what works for me. I have most everything at that angle & it works well. Kitchen knives & outdoors knives, it don't matter. Unless you have a very thin bladed japaneese style blade, then go as low as you can, without hitting the knife holder set screws with the stone/diamond.
I have the GATCO diamond system w/ceramic finishing stone.
 
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MORIMOTOM said:
i can't ever imagine having a 50-60 degree edge on anything but a machete or an axe.
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60 on a axe or machete! Still to much imo. I probably have a shallow convex at 20ish per side. Most of my edges on knives are between 13-18 per side.
 
It all depends on whether you plan on hitting rocks or not. A good tree felling axe is going to have a very thin edge, they want it to chop well.
A log splitting axe or a machete for clearing brush will probably be doing a lot of digging by accident.

On my bushwhackers, I always tell myself to sharpen them at a sturdy 20 degrees per side, but usually end up closer to 10 degrees per side because I just love the way that edge cuts.
And yes, I always end up with big dents in the blade. I'm just addicted to a smooth cutting stroke.
 
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