Lansky Basic…What Angle Should I Be Using for my EDC and Hunting Knives??

N

Nalapombu

Joined
Oct 26, 2001
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303
Hey all.

I am a rank novice. All I know is to put my pocket knives and folders in my basic Lansky and start the back and forth until I get a wire edge.

My main concern is whether I am using the right angle setting on my knives. Lansky gives very basic suggestions, but when I watch knife videos I’ll often hear the OP telling the angle he is using and they rarely match the Lansky suggestions I have been using.

On the Lansky I use the 25 degree hole for all my sharpening. I only have some pocket knives, a few lock back folders and some fixed blades. All the folding knives are carried from time to time and used for usually daily stuff. The fixed blades are used in the field.
So, it seems when going by the Lansky paper that came with the system, all of my knives should be sharpened at the 25 degree setting.

What do you think? Should I use this 25 degree on all my knives or should I go with the 20 degree or even the lowest, which is 17 degrees, I think.

Would you mind helping me with some advice and suggestions on how to choose the right angle to sharpen my knives?

Thank you again for your time and any help you care to give me.

Larry
 
17 will give you better edge retention at the cost of edge stability.

25 will be the opposite.

When I used a Lansky years ago before switching to freehand, I mainly used the 17 degree. It suited what I was doing and if you are not using your knives in a hard way that would be best, although each knife is different with geometry. It may be a good approach to try to match the factory edge somewhat, especially with taller or thicker knives. Some trial and error will give you an idea of how close you are to the existing edge. Using a sharpie or something before you start might help as well
 
Also keep in mind, if the blade is very wide, the actual angle created will be a lot lower than the implied angle setting as used on the clamp. The angle gets lower, the further the blade's sharpened edge is from the edge of the clamp. Each 1/2" of extra blade width beyond the forward edge of the clamp can make a difference of 3 degrees or so (like 14 degrees, when using the '17' setting, for example).
 
Unfortunately, with a Lansky you don't have the option of reprofiling the edge in one degree increments. Always remember, once you take steel off, it can't be put back.
If what you're doing now works for you and you're happy with the Lansky, don't change anything. If the folks in the video's you're watching don't give details about the steel and what is the best angle for performance without compromising the stability of the edge, then take it with a grain of salt.
Depending on your uses, a degree or two on a factory edge will improve the performance noticeability. On my work knives, I try to stay as close to the factory edge because I'm rough on the blade at times.
 
Lansky angles are per side, correct? If so, 25 is not suitable for just about any pocket knife. That's way too thick. That's like axe edge thickness.

20* should be the max you're using. A high quality steel, go with 17* if that's the lowest.
 
At 25 you will get a more robust edge that won't be as sharp and slice as well but will need less frequent sharpening and will withstand more abuse. If you want a sharper edge then take it down to the next notch and see how it goes for you. I would also add that if it does not match the original or previous edge angle you will need to spent a lot more time on the first stone to reprofile to the new angle.
 
Check your angel measurements with each knife your sharpen, if you can. I noticed some inconsistencies with the lansky.

17 or 20 degrees should be good for most knives. 20 can range from 20-22 depending on the knife. 17 degrees can range from 17-19.
 
Lansky based their guidance on edge angles on the old logical thinking that higher edge angles gives better edge retention... eventually it turned out that thinking was wrong. If your steel can handle it, a lower angle is better. Most modern steels (if properly heat treated), can hold a 15 degree angle (17 in your Lansky's case if need be), perfectly well enough and gives much better edge retention.

Only if you do a lot of chopping with your knives, then a higher angle will work better at protecting the edge.
 
I've had good luck with the 20 deg. slot on the Lansky and I touch up when needed on the 40 deg. setting on a SharpMaker for everything except very thin blades such as boning /fillet knives. For those I'll drop down to 17 deg.
 
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