Gatco, dmt, lansky, or spyderco

D

Dorkhedeos

Joined
Aug 25, 2009
Messages
138
I dont really have much experience with sharpening and I like having things even so I was thinking about buying a new sharpener. I have a dmt stone that I use on small kitchen knives, but those blades are about a dollar or 2 a piece, so I dont mind changing the angle on those.

I was wondering which of these systems you guys would choose for durability and precision. Besides the spyderco, if I were to get any of these, they will be diamond.

http://www.cabelas.com/cabelas/en/t...h-box.jsp.form1&Go.x=0&_dyncharset=ISO-8859-1

http://newgraham.com/store/product/1350/Lansky-Standard-System-LS-3900/

http://theconsumerlink.com/DIAMONDMACHININGTECHNOLOGY/detail/TCL+ADELUXE/118

http://newgraham.com/store/product/795/Triangle-Sharpmaker-Kit-SC204MF/


Thanks
 
None, go for the EdgePro Apex. They offer diamond stones, and are faster than any of these. Basically the system takes the human out of the equation, there is very little skill required for a consistant angle or reprofiling the angle of the edge.
 
http://www.edgeproinc.com/

The EdgePro would IMO be the "best". There's no clamp involved, but the angles are still pretty precise. There are diamond stones available, but Ben(the maker) doesn't recommend using them on steel knives because they wear out the diamond stones faster compared to the aluminum oxide waterstones. He says that the diamond stones are specifically for ceramic knives.

The Apex model doesn't seem as "rock solid" as the Pro model, but the price is preferable for anyone who's not a complete knife maniac. I'm personally looking forward to upgrading to a Pro model, but I think it's best to use my Apex for at least another 5 years before doing so.

Now, there IS a bit of a learning curve with the EdgePro, but I personally feel that the edge you put on a knife with it can easily rival a professional freehand sharpener.

I would suggest getting 120-1,000 grits. However, my personal opinion is that a DMT XX Coarse stone would be faster in removing chips and making drastic edge angle changes(10+ degrees). Though diamond stones should probably be avoided for any knives with a hardness rating that's lower than HRC 64. Anything softer should quickly be eaten up by the 120 grit stone on the EdgePro.

Your edge will begin to have a mirror finish with the 600 grit stone. The polish tapes might be a bit excessive for putting a mirror polish on the edge, though I suppose you can use them to slap a hair-popping edge on your knife. I personally don't use the polish tapes as I don't know how long they last, nor how fast they cut. I prefer to strop my edge on 1 micron diamond paste after the 1,000 grit stone.

If I'm looking for a way to kill some time and enjoy myself, I use my DMT Duosharp Benchstones. If I'm looking for an extremely precise and PRACTICAL edge on my knife, I turn to my EdgePro Apex.
 
Save up. I don't think it'll be too long before you'll want to upgrade to an EdgePro and your old sharpening system becomes obsolete.

I think it's also important to mention that diamonds simply can't seem to achieve as fine a finish as aluminum oxide stones. My DMT Extra Fine stone (1,200 grit) doesn't seem to do much in the way of putting a mirror finish on my knives, whereas the EdgePro 600 grit stone makes the edge pretty shiny. I also can't seem to get a hair whittling edge with my DMT stones, but that could simply be due to sloppy freehand.

However, if you really have no choice, I would suggest the Spyderco Sharpmaker. Though I should warn you that the diamond rods for the Sharpmaker ranges around the $60 mark for just the rods.
 
Edgepros are VERY expensive. Get the DMT, the original daimond abrasive company. The system is inexpensive and the daimonds are "forever" :). You should also pick up the extra extra fine stone for it. These daimonds eat ZDP-189 for breakfast, even though you won't need to.
 
I've tried all the clamped or v-stick sharpeners I could find. The Edgepros are the best out there, though they are expensive. I would recommend you at least try convex sharpening with wet/dry sandpaper. I think you'd be very happy with the results, and it's a lot cheaper than most gadgets you can buy. You can always grind your convexed knives back to a "V" edge with whatever gadget you get.
 
I am partial to the GATCO. I have the Professional. I also bought mine at Cabela's.

I have added the extra fine and ultimate finishing hones. I also added a stropping step.

I like the price, ease of use, small footprint, number of angles, storage, and most importantly the end result on the sharpened edges.
 
Hard H2O said:
I am partial to the GATCO. I have the Professional. I also bought mine at Cabela's.

I have added the extra fine and ultimate finishing hones. I also added a stropping step.

I like the price, ease of use, small footprint, number of angles, storage, and most importantly the end result on the sharpened edges.
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I second this. I have been using one for years and it has served me well. It is good value for the money. An EdgePro would be nice but certainly isn't necessary.
 
zephy5 said:
I second this. I have been using one for years and it has served me well. It is good value for the money. An EdgePro would be nice but certainly isn't necessary.
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If I sharpened more often or if I tried to make some money from it then I could justify the expense. For smeone just starting out with a sharpenin kit it is a bit much. For a college student with limited funds and maybe limited space it might be a bit much.
 
So right now I think its 2 for edgepro, 2 gatco, 2 dmt, 2 sandpaper, and 1 sharpmaker. The edgepro is nice, but its way out of my budget for now. That can probably come after I get a real job
 
And another for the DMT. I've been sharpening for many years but, to me, the DMT Aligner or Magna-Guide is the best solution: inexpensive, small, light, lasts forever (my forevers may be different than yours), and puts an incredible edge on a blade really fast. In conjunction with a strop, you're talking a truly amazing edge.
 
Supmonkeyface said:
Get the DMT, the original daimond abrasive company. The system is inexpensive and the daimonds are "forever" :).
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Haha how ironic as the DMT stones last the least long, and cost more than equivalent ceramic stones. You only have a thin surface and once you wear that out, all you have is a useless nickel plate.
 
cotdt said:
Haha how ironic as the DMT stones last the least long, and cost more than equivalent ceramic stones. You only have a thin surface and once you wear that out, all you have is a useless nickel plate.
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Least long? How does one wear out a diamond? Have you ever worn one out? You would have to really, really abuse a DMT to "wear it out." Personally, I don't think it can be done.
 
dawsonbob said:
Least long? How does one wear out a diamond? Have you ever worn one out? You would have to really, really abuse a DMT to "wear it out." Personally, I don't think it can be done.
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I've worn out many, both the ones by DMT and the ones by other companies. Those small DMT sticks last maybe 30 knives in my experience, the large benchstones maybe 100-200 knives. I use light to medium pressure depending on the grit. By light pressure I mean I only use the weight of the knife itself to sharpen.

How long have you sharpened? After just 5 knives, you should be able to feel the stone getting finer. That's the diamond wearing down and breaking out from the nickel matrix. It just gets finer and finer until it's all gone and no longer sharpens.
 
Dorkhedeos said:
So right now I think its 2 for edgepro, 2 gatco, 2 dmt, 2 sandpaper, and 1 sharpmaker. The edgepro is nice, but its way out of my budget for now. That can probably come after I get a real job
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Kind of goes to show you that they all work when used properly and within limitations.

The only limitation I have found with the GATCO is with very narrow blades such as a Victorinox Classic. I have successfully sharpened every blade I own from my folders up to my 10" chef with the GATCO.

I do my fillet knives on an Arkansas tri-hone due to the flex and the narrowness in the blades. I could use the GATCO but choose not to.

You mentioned in your original post that you do not mind changng the angle in your cheap blades. With some of the systems youhave mentioned you will have to change angles a bit due to the fixed nature of the angel guides.

I almost always go to a lower angle. I have not run across a blade that didn't support and benefit from a shallower angle.
 
cotdt said:
I've worn out many, both the ones by DMT and the ones by other companies. Those small DMT sticks last maybe 30 knives in my experience, the large benchstones maybe 100-200 knives. I use light to medium pressure depending on the grit. By light pressure I mean I only use the weight of the knife itself to sharpen.

How long have you sharpened? After just 5 knives, you should be able to feel the stone getting finer. That's the diamond wearing down and breaking out from the nickel matrix. It just gets finer and finer until it's all gone and no longer sharpens.
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Wow! You've worn out a diamond stone in only 5 knives? You do know that there is a break in period on those stones, and they don't begin to sharpen properly till you've done around 5-10 blades, don't you? How long have I been sharpening? Oh, around 45 to 50 years. Over that time I've used all kinds of stones, from the cheap hardware store double-sided things to diamond stones from EZ-Lap and DMT. So far, I like the diamond DMT's best. I have never worn one out to the point it no longer sharpens. Treat 'em well, clean them, and they should last a life time. I've never even heard of anyone wearing one out. Your experience, obviously, may be different than mine, or that of many others. Perhaps you should ask on the Maintenance, Tinkering & Embellishment board how many people have ever worn out a DMT. I would be interested in knowing.
 
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