Lansky Deluxe Kit for high-end steels?

M

miro44

Joined
Oct 28, 2007
Messages
752
Hi,
Since my Spyderco Sharpmaker is starting to wear out after 2 years of heavy use I' ve been looking around for a new guided sharpening system for a while and have decided on a lansky kit. Now I' m torn between the Deluxe and the Diamond Deluxe kit.
So my question now is whether the Deluxe kit can handle high-end steels like M4, D2 etc. or if it' s really worth the extra money for the Diamond kit?
I mean these here:

http://www.amazon.com/Lansky-Deluxe...1?ie=UTF8&s=home-garden&qid=1279134423&sr=8-1

or

http://www.amazon.com/Lansky-Diamon...ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=hi&qid=1279134423&sr=8-2

PS: sorry for the mediocre english, but I' m only a German with American roots, so I' m not the best speaker of the language.
 
Get the DIAMOND.
Get the DIAMOND.
Get the DIAMOND.

Not trying to be cute, but I'm in somewhat of a holding pattern with my sharpening right now, because I've pretty much worn out my 'standard' hones (XC/Coarse/Med) from my 'Deluxe' kit. I'm currently WISHING that I'd bought the DIAMOND set from the start. I've sharpened carbon, 420HC, VG-10, D2, S30V and others. The D2 was hard enough, and the S30V pretty much killed off what was left of my standard hones. They're not flat anymore. So, as I 'hinted at' before:

GET THE DIAMOND!

By the way, the Fine/XF hones from the deluxe (non-diamond) kit are ceramic. They will last essentially forever, and they do a great job putting a final polish on the edge. You might think about picking them up separately, if they're not included w/the diamond kit. Not essential, but a very nice addition to your set.
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
Get the DIAMOND.
Get the DIAMOND.
Get the DIAMOND.

Not trying to be cute, but I'm in somewhat of a holding pattern with my sharpening right now, because I've pretty much worn out my 'standard' hones (XC/Coarse/Med) from my 'Deluxe' kit. I'm currently WISHING that I'd bought the DIAMOND set from the start. I've sharpened carbon, 420HC, VG-10, D2, S30V and others. The D2 was hard enough, and the S30V pretty much killed off what was left of my standard hones. They're not flat anymore. So, as I 'hinted at' before:

GET THE DIAMOND!

By the way, the Fine/XF hones from the deluxe (non-diamond) kit are ceramic. They will last essentially forever, and they do a great job putting a final polish on the edge. You might think about picking them up separately, if they're not included w/the diamond kit. Not essential, but a very nice addition to your set.
Click to expand...

:thumbup: +1,000,000

Diamonds are no longer a womans best friend! If you want to use stones, diamonds are definitely the way to go!!!
 
I suggest ordering the basic diamond kit and then a white ceramic (extra fine). The diamonds don't give that extra step of refinement.
 
Do yourself a favor and buy something else. The only knock I have with the Lansky is the clamping system. For me, I thought the clamping on the spine of the knife was not worth a crap. In fact, I don't think I ever fully sharpened a knife because the knife kept falling out of the groove.

By some DMT stones, get a couple of crappy knives and learn to freehand. Diamond on super steels is the only way to fly. Its quick, easy and alot less hassle.

SB
 
The key to setting up the clamp properly, is in making sure the clamp is adjusted to be fully flush with the blade's sides. This is usually very simple on a sabre grind blade (clamp to the flat portion near the spine). With a full flat grind, the clamp is adjusted to match the spine-to-edge taper of the blade. If care is taken to properly set up the clamp, the finished results will reflect that.

Some things that have helped me a lot with the clamp setup:

1.) Use masking tape or painter's tape underneath the clamp jaws to minimize the chance of slippage/movement. Another thing I've tried for this, use a piece of med/fine wet/dry sandpaper with the BACKING against the blade (to prevent scratching), and the rough side against the clamp. This works particularly well if you are sharpening wet (with water or oil). The backing of the sandpaper is surprisingly grippy against the blade, especially when wet. And obviously, the rough side against the clamp will keep the clamp from slipping against the paper. Sometimes the masking tape or painter's tape will slip or move if wet.

2.) To help with thicker blades (> 1/8" or so), or blades with a steep taper (spine to edge), get some longer screws with low-profile heads (size 10-24, in lengths between 1/2"to 1") for the clamp. The 10-24 size is commonly available (I get mine at Home Depot/Lowe's). You can also get these in brass, which helps to minimize digging into/damaging/stripping the aluminum clamp, as steel screws will do.

3.) When initially positioning the clamp, first pinch the forward end of the clamp against the blade with your fingers, so the clamp's jaws are flush with the blade's sides. Then, just finger-tighten the forward screw (nearest the blade), until it just starts to snug up. Then, adjust the rear screw until it just begins to tension up against the bottom side of the clamp. Maintain finger pressure on the clamp as before, and use a screwdriver to gently tighten the forward screw a little bit (quarter turn or less), then do the same with the rear screw. Alternate back & forth this way until you're sure the clamp is snug & flush against the blade on both sides.

4.) I NEVER USE the narrow, milled notch at the forward end of the clamp. It's too shallow to hold the blade effectively, and it's not accurately milled either. Tends to 'tilt' the blade up or down when clamped, which results in mis-matched bevels (wider on one side, narrower on the other). I always position the clamp so there's at least 1/8" - 1/4" of the clamp's (un-notched) surface against the blade, depending upon the blade's width.

I've reprofiled maybe 15 -20 knives so far with my Lansky & GATCO sharpeners. Using the tips & method above, I've not had any major setup issues with the clamp. Just be patient, and take your time to set it up. As per proper sharpening technique, use light pressure with the stones. That will also help to ensure there aren't any slippage/movement issues with the clamp.
 
Wow thanks for the long reply Obsessed with Edges (cool name btw).
Favorited this thread now so i can look up your tips when I get the system.
It will probably take a while though since I' m going to fly to the USA to visit some relatives in a few days and won' t order it before that. I might have the chance to take a look at it when I' m in the states to be sure I like the clamp setup.
Freehanding is not really an option because I don' t really have the time and a steady enough hand to be able to keep all of my knives sharp all the time (I have ALOT).
Thanks for the replys again.
 
miro44 said:
Wow thanks for the long reply Obsessed with Edges (cool name btw).
Favorited this thread now so i can look up your tips when I get the system.
It will probably take a while though since I' m going to fly to the USA to visit some relatives in a few days and won' t order it before that. I might have the chance to take a look at it when I' m in the states to be sure I like the clamp setup.
Freehanding is not really an option because I don' t really have the time and a steady enough hand to be able to keep all of my knives sharp all the time (I have ALOT).
Thanks for the replys again.
Click to expand...

You're welcome. The subject of 'the clamp doesn't work' has come up before. Most of my reply to you here was cut & pasted from another thread I replied to recently. Whether it be the Lansky or Gatco or Aligner, or any others, the clamp setup is key to all of them, for the same reason (to prevent movement of the blade in the clamp). So long as you are patient, and take the time to set it up right, you should be pleased with the results.

Patience is key to sharpening as a whole, no matter the method. I think most everybody (including me) would ideally like to be an expert at freehand, but that takes time. I like the guided sharpeners because, if used correctly, they demonstrate the importance of maintaining your angle. That, by itself, is a big motivator for me to keep learning & practicing. As my username would imply, I'm always at least thinking (OBSESSING :p) about this stuff. The only thing that slows me down is my budget.
 
Last edited:
That's true. I have tried freehand sharpening before and I actually own several stones but am just not happy with my results. I can get a knife to shave with the stones but only with pressure and it simply takes too much time for me. So until I get REALLY good at freehand sharpening I' ll stay with the guided systems.
 
What I suggest for the clamp is unscrewing, then positioning it perfectly flush with the blade grind, then re-screwing. For FFG blades, it'll help if you wiggle the blade downward a little. All of Obsessed's tips are good too.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top