Frustrated Lansky user...

J

Joe-Dirt

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May 22, 2006
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Is the Spyderco Sharpmaker a lot better than the Lansky?

I ask because I'm tired of using that little clamp thing and half way through sharpening a knife having the knife fall out of the thing.

I just sharpened a black bladed Paramilitary today and it marred up the black finish on the blade.

I can get knives sharp on a Lansky but I'm tired of the setup.

Anyone else used to use a Lansky and now use a Sharpmaker?

I'm thinking of buying one but I'm just not sure.
 
Hi David!

I used to use a Lansky. In some ways it's better than the Sharpmaker (can cut faster and has more choices in angles), but the Sharpmaker is easier to use and master, often less risky to finishes, and more suited for curved and serrated blades. Also better suited for scissors and nail-clippers and screwdrivers and many other tools around the house.

No one device/method does it all, but the Sharpmaker is a must-have.
 
I've used several sharpeners and the lansky has been the one that works best for me. The clamp can be tricky to get used to but I find that if I set the screw to the thickness of the blade then the thumbscrew will tighten and still hold the brackets parallel. I'm sure you are doing this too, but when I started taking the time to line everything up it really made a difference,also the wire that holds the stone can get bent on the end . Try checking the angle make sure your wire is 90 degrees all the way across. also do you use the holder or a vise to hold the brackets?
 
I had a Lansky diamond kit for a long time, I amazed my friends on how sharp my small to medium knives were. Trick is to line up everything, be consistent and it works. I could not do larger knives so I changed to the Edge Pro Apex, I can do all sizes with this unit, including machetes and swords.....Yes it marks the blade surface but its ok with me because I only have cutlery that I use and the blades get marked anyway. I also have a Sharpmaker, I use this unit seldom, its ok for touch ups on thin knives but not to my liking on thicker blades, too much variation, one day the angle is "this", the next time the angle is slightly "that". On the Apex I can get a nice polished result like I used to get on the Lansky....My experience anyway.....
 
harleyvato said:
I've used several sharpeners and the lansky has been the one that works best for me. The clamp can be tricky to get used to but I find that if I set the screw to the thickness of the blade then the thumbscrew will tighten and still hold the brackets parallel. I'm sure you are doing this too, but when I started taking the time to line everything up it really made a difference,also the wire that holds the stone can get bent on the end . Try checking the angle make sure your wire is 90 degrees all the way across. also do you use the holder or a vise to hold the brackets?
Click to expand...

That's a good idea. I was not setting the screw to the thickness of the blade. I just made sure it opened far enough to get the knife in.

I do check all the rods and make sure they are all ok when they are connected to the stone.

I just use the holder and I hold it in my hand. It's kind of a pain like that :)
 
what ended up working best for me was a small machinists vise attatched to a board. the vise is not metal but mostly plastic,but works great to hold the lansky. I tried the lansky "post" type holder but it moved too much,with the vise everything is stable and I can really watch what I'm doing to the knife edge. Another plus is that I can put it in a drawer in my shop and return later without having to reattach the knife and not have my knives out where they can fall get scratched,knocked over ,moved,etc. by someone looking for a screwdriver ,etc
 
Use some contact glow in the clamp. Put on a thin layer and let it dry. You then get a sort of a “rubber” layer in the grip and the knife fasten better - and it also get protection from the “rubber” layer.

Do not press hard when you sharpen, let the sharpener do the job for you.

Try to make small circles with the sharpener during the sharpening. That way you always cross the scratches the sharpener did before. Make circles all the time along the blade, smaller circles on the tip of the knife.
Circles also helps you to not get any deeper scratches on the edge during sharpening.

Thomas
 
I have the Smith's and Lansky sharpeners. The Smith's does not have all of the angles but that was easily fixed by adding some holes for lower angles. Smith's is a much sturdier setup IMHO but both do take some time to find the best way to lock up the blade.
 
I had the lansky and had mixed results, especially with a CRKT M18 that has a uneven ground recurve. I bought the sharpmaker and I am extremely pleased. I get much better results, and it is a lot more versatile than the Lansky. For reprofiling the sharpmaker won't work that good, but after listening to advice on this forum I now use a cheap bench stone for that work anyway.
 
I havent tried a lansky but I have a couple of smiths sharpeners that use a near identical setup. I found that removing the cheesy red plastic knobs on the tension adjustments reveal a hex screw underneath that can be tightened better vs hand tightening. In fact I broke the clamp while trying to tighten a knife blade that just wouldnt stay put. Maybe lanskys do the same but Im not sure. I recommend rubber electrical tape in between the blade and the clamp on both sides. It protects the blade from scratches and adds some extra grip.

I do get shaving sharp edges with the fine stone and without a leather strop which I need.
 
I find the Lansky to be a pain. I can resharpen a kitchen knife with my Sharpmaker faster than I can put the Lansky rig together.
Just my two cents.
 
Fot inexpensive funtionality Lansky's are an all around good buy. The learning curve is higher than the Sharpmaker though but what it lacks in speed it makes up for in economy and portability. It doesn't handle big knives well, will scratch blades if not protected, and doesn't provide needed repeatability like the Edge Pro but will reprofile a blade and sharpen the dickens out of most 3-4" blades quite effectively. With additional accessories can be bench fixed, buy a serrated stone for serrated edges, add diamond stones for premium steels and complete the package with ceramic alumina or saphire stones that will polish a finished edge to near custom quality ... all for less than $100 bucks. Take your time, ask for helpful hints and you won't have any problems. Use what works for you and your budget. My $.02 worth. :D
 
I used to use a Lansky and got decent results. However, I was never able to get my knives super sharp. A few months ago, I finally got a Sharpmaker. It is geat. I can get my knives a lot sharper with it that when using the Lansky. I recommend the Sharpmaker over the Lansky in just about every application except for reprofiling. I have a cheap extra course stone for my lansky that works well. I haven't, however, gotten the course diamond sticks for my Sharpmaker, so I can't really do an accurate comparison.

My advice is to spend the $45 or so and get a Sharpmaker. I doubt that you will be disappointed.
 
i get sharper, more consistent edges with the lansky than the sharpmaker. it takes some time to set up but the results are worth it. more choice of angles, more choice of grit. of course if you come to bladeforums then you should obviously buy them both. later on you'll grow tired of those and start asking about the edge pro.
 
If ya like the clamp style systems, try the dmt aligner, works good for me, several angles and much better stones. I also have a sharpmaker. Like em both. Steve
 
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