Inherited a Lansky system with 4 diamond stones

[MikeMargolis]

do you all suggest 20, 25 or 30 degrees? Can't seem to get the hair-popping sharp edge.

Any tips?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Chang]

The angles on the Lansky are off. Usually they are 4 or 5 degrees too high, if you leave 1/2" distance between the clamp front edge and the knife edge. For most of the knives, the 25-degree slot (which is actually around 20-degrees) works well. Make sure you are raising the burr before moving on to a finer grit. If you don't raise a burr, you aren't getting to the very tip of the edge, and so you're accomplishing almost nothing. Reprofiling the edge is always the hardest part. Feel for the burr by feeling the opposite side of the edge, it should feel like some wire edge flipped over. Only then can you move to a finer grit.