lansky or gatco sharpener?

[razorsdescent]

i have the gatco sharpener with the 5 rods but i cna never get my knives razor sharp would buying a lansky delux sharpener help me towards this end?


thans for any info.

 

[Sep]

Questions:
- Is this the Gatco Edgemate Professional with clamp?
- What kind of steel your knives made of?

 

[Roger999]

i have the gatco sharpener with the 5 rods but i cna never get my knives razor sharp would buying a lansky delux sharpener help me towards this end?


thans for any info.

Are you hitting the edge? use a permanent marker to mark the edge and sharpen to see if you are removing ink at the very edge. If it is removing the ink at the edge, are you forming a burr on the coarse stones?

 

[cj65]

I would not buy a Lansky if you have a Gatco. Clean the stones regularly. If you see any metal clinging to the stones, clean them with Bar Keepers Friend. It will disolve off the metal, helping the stones to cut again. It may feel like you are sharpening a long time but not getting sharp edge. You have to produce a burr on the non sharpened edge. If you are not angled correctly and consistently you will not get where you want. Sharpie and a magnifying glass and feeling the opposite side for a burr is what you need to do. The coarsest stone does most of the work, do not switch to the next stone til you feel a burr on one side, and then produce a burr on the other side, and then move to the next finer stone. Once you produce a burr with a coarse stone on both edges, you will start to develop a sharp edge. If you try to jump to a finer stone too soon, you will not get anywhere. Hope this helps.

 

[razorsdescent]

thanks for the info ive been using the sharpie method but it still isnt getting as sharp as i want. the thing i dont get about the gatco is that it tells you to push the sharpener away from the edge towards the spine so how can there be a bur?

 

[dee bee]

thanks for the info ive been using the sharpie method but it still isnt getting as sharp as i want. the thing i dont get about the gatco is that it tells you to push the sharpener away from the edge towards the spine so how can there be a bur?

It takes little effort to produce a burr when sharpening. The key is how much pressure you are useing,weather or not you are sharpening all the way to the edge, or just sneaking up on it.

 

[cj65]

If your stones are loaded with metal, they are not cutting, and then you are sneaking up on a bur, but never obtaining a bur. As your stones move across the edge towards the spine, the edge will fold and curl to the opposite side. Once a bur is achieved, you can take the blade rake it across your finger nail or thumb nail on the bur (opposite side you are sharpening) and it will peel or shave some of your nail off. You can also use the tip of your fingernail and scratch at the opposite bur edge to see if you feel a ridge. It will be there. Once you have gotten the bur, and not until there is one, do you repeat on the opposite side and then move to the next finer stone. You will get it. Remember to clean your stones, Bar Keeper's Friend. Clean stones cut nice and fast. Make sure your angles stay constant. Once you have reprofiled your bevels with the coarse stone, the bur raises quickly with each finer stone. 85% of the time is spent with the coarse stone to get it reprofiled at your desired angle. I use the 22 on the Lansky. Once you have achieved the reprofiled angle being tested by the bur, and moved through all of your stones, take your honing stone, the finest and set it one or two angles steeper, say 30 degrees and set a micro bevel. This will be with very easy pressure, not hard. This makes your blade geometry that of a razor blade. I first did this with my Lansky and then could get hairs jumping. I got so happy, the back of my hands were bald! Keep it up, do not give up, get a good magnifying glass or jewelers lens. Keep obsessing about it, it is healthy. Good luck Mr. Edgy!

 

[Hard H2O]

Here is a post of mine from a thread on another forum:

I have the GATCO Professional. In addition to the extra coarse through fine stones that came with it I have the extra fine and ultimate finishing stones.

I also have a couple of leather strops loaded with red and white polishing compound.

The only problem blades I have found have been very narrow blades like on the smallest Victorinox SAKs.

The GATCO for me has sharpened every other blade I have tried from small folders up to a 10" chefs. It sharpens them beyond shaving sharp. If I worked at it more I am sure I could achieve scary sharp.

I have used most of the angle options and am glad I have them. THe lower angles are great for kitchen cutlery. The higher angles are great for general use blades. I always try to sharpen a bit lower than the factory angle. I have not seen a blade that will not support or benefit from a shallower angle.

I am very happy with the GATCO. For the money and size it is a great system.