Gatco Sharpener Opinions

M

made up name

Joined
Oct 9, 2007
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10
I am looking into a sharpening "system" and was wondering what the general consensus was on the Gatco sharpening kit. Personally, I like the idea of being able to set the edge angle.

I'll mostly be sharpening S30V and D2.
 
Everyone here likes Sharpmakers, but I'm a fan of rod-guided systems like Gatco and Lansky. Diamond hones seem to work best for D2 for me, especially when rebevelling is involved.
 
made up name said:
I am looking into a sharpening "system" and was wondering what the general consensus was on the Gatco sharpening kit. Personally, I like the idea of being able to set the edge angle.

I'll mostly be sharpening S30V and D2.
Click to expand...

Get the diamond stones if you are sharpening S30V and D2...otherwise you'll be at it a looooooooooong time. When using the diamond stones...resist the urge to push hard. you'll ruin the stone if you push to hard (i did).....light pressure and it will cut fine.
 
Have had a Gatco for about 10 years and it is great. I don't have the diamond stones and have had no problems sharpening S30V, D2, or 440V. It may take a little more time to re profile but I really don't think these new steels are all that much harder to sharpen than old 440C.
Once you have sharpened a knife once on it it is quite easy to quickly bring it back due to you now have it re profiled to the angle you want. I would also recommend if you do buy it you get the handle for it as it really helps in the process.

Cheers:thumbup:
 
I have a new one with the Diamond hones. It works well and I would recommend it.
 
I have used the lansky,for about 15 years,I recommend that system.
Take your time,look and be carefull,you will be rewarded with with the result.
 
Welcome to Bladeforums!

Let’s see if we can find the right forum …
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I've used both the Gatco and Lanksy systems. Some of the advantages of the Gatco system are wider stones, finer angles and a straight rod/stone attachment. I liked mine and got a lot of use out of it.
 
Don't want to steal the thread but you might want to look at the DMT Aligner systems first, before you buy. They are inexpensive and with the Magna-aligner you have the flexibility of using the Diafold for freehand or other sharpening purposes, and you have 2 grits in one tool (fine and coarse). This sytem works really well and is compact for packing. After having used the Lansky for years, this system was a refreshing surprise.

NJ
 
Do a search for GATCO and you will find a few threads that mention them.

I will cut and paste this from one of my posts in another thread.

For ease of use and relative cheapness I have a GATCO professional kit. I added their extra fine and ultimate finishing stones. Then I have $2.00 in scrap leather from Tandy that I load with the white and red polishing compunds from Sears. The compounds were under $5.00 for the two sticks.

After the GATCO and stropping I am very pleased with the edges I can produce.

The GATCO will do 11°, 15°, 19°, 22°, 25°, and 30°.

From a different thread:

Take a look at the GATCO sets. Similar to the Lansky. I really like my GATCO. I have the GATCO Professional kit. I got my kit for $39.99 from Cabela's and it came with a free pedestal Mount.

The GATCO can do 6 angles. 11°, 15°, 19°, 22°, 25°, and 30°. The Lansky will do 17°, 20°, 25°, and 30°. I have been using mostly the 19° and 22° settings so I do not know how much of an advantage that is.

The GATCO rods pull out from the stone bases with no set screw to tighten and no need to align the rod. The stones on the GATCO are wider than those on the Lansky.

Gatco at Cabela's

GATCO

Lansky

The mount is handy because you can mount it to your bench or a base and you do not have to hold the angle guide in your hand. I assume the Lansky pedestal mount would be equally as handy for the Lansky system.

My kit came with extra-coarse(80-grit), coarse(120-grit), medium(220-grit), fine(320 to 400-grit) and serrated knife blade stones. The grits are what are listed on the Cabela's site. I purchased an Extra-Fine Sharpening Hone (600 grit) and a Ultimate Finishing Hone (1200 Grit) separately from GATCO.

I also purchased scrap leather from Tandy ($2.00) and polishing compound from Sears ($5.00) to finish with some stropping.

One nice thing about the Lansky is that they seem to be stocked in more stores. I am looking to pick up a coarse diamond stone for my GATCO. Gander Mountain and Sportsman's Warehouse both carry the Lansky stuff. Cabela's carries the kits and the basic stones for the GATCO. I think I will have to order online from GATCO to get the stome I want.

I have not used the Lansky but from what I have seen my GATCO system with my additions does a fine job.
 
I own and use a Sharpmaker--excellent system.

Yet, I do believe a guided system like the Gatco might be as good, if not superior, as it removes the need to manually keep the blade vertical.
Human limitations abound here, and the Sharpmaker requires that you practice a good bit to overcome them.

I know purists tend to dislike guided systems (some people find manual sharpening relaxing), but I think they are a good idea, overall.
 
M. McCord said:
I've used both the Gatco and Lanksy systems. Some of the advantages of the Gatco system are wider stones, finer angles and a straight rod/stone attachment. I liked mine and got a lot of use out of it.
Click to expand...
+1 from me :)

I have both the Lansky and the Gatco diamond kits, and find that the wider stones on the Gatco make the job a little easier. I also like the Gatco's built in rod guide set up, that simply slides out of the stone holder.
The only reason I bought a Lansky kit as well is because it was damn near impossible to find a company that would ship the Gatco parts to Australia. I haven't been disappointed in it either, and have found that the serrated sharpeners work well too.
All in all, they're both good kits, but I'd lean towards the Gatco if it were more readily available to us Aussies :)
 
Hard H2O said:
Did you try to order directly from GATCO?

GATCO
Click to expand...

I tried a few years ago, before I bought the Lansky kit.
Thank you for the link, the site has changed quite a bit since I last saw it :thumbup:
I don't remember seeing an available option for international shipping before, but GATCO has included the option now by advising overseas customers to email them for postage. Great move! I'll be ordering once the fat man in the red suit has left town.
 
I used a Gatco for years with good results. I actually think it helped me learn to visualize the angles which helped me transition to free-hand sharpening.

One tip is to put black electrical tape on the spine of the blade before clamping it if it's a polished finish because even the aluminum clamps can scratch mirror finishes.
 
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