Lansky or Gatco??

J

jonnyt16

Joined
Jul 17, 2007
Messages
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I will be purchasing either the Gatco Edgemate or the Lansky sharpening system and was wondering which one you guys would recommend. I know most of you love the Spyderco Sharpmaker and I have tried that one and liked it but could never seem to get a razor sharp edge. Please refrain from offering me tips on technique with that as I have already decided to go with a Lansky or Gatco.

That being said, I know the Gatco and Lansky systems are almost identical (both use a clamp and guide rods) except that Lansky uses diamond hones? Anyway, wanted to see what you guys think and your experience with either one. Price isn't really a concern (as long as its under $90) Thanks!
 
I'll apologize in advance and suggest another course.

Go for the DMT Aligner or Magna-Guide (preferred) setup and you can add a Gatco clamp and base separately if you so desire. I still think you can come in close to your price range in doing so.

I have used that combination with excellent results. I prefer the Gatco clamp to the DMT as I can sharpen smaller knives (slipjoints) at shallower angles than the DMT would allow...and I think that the DMT hones are superior and they work great with the clamp by using the DMT Aligner rod or Magna-Guide attachment.

Just some food for thought while choosing your best option at the price.

(And, the 15 and 19 degree settings on the Gatco dovetail nicely with the 15* and 20* slots on the SM in case you might care to know.)

As I said, my apologies if my suggestion is totally out of bounds for you.
 
I have the Lansky sharpening system and its an ok system. I'd like to try a belt sander myself but have yet to find one at a resonable price.

I have the 5 peice deluxe kid and to be honest, I use a grinder to get the initial edge on a blade before I start with the roughest stone on the Lansky sharpening system because it just takes too long other wise.

another thing i which was different with the Lansky sharpening system is that they attach the stones to no moveable steel rods which do not bend. I find it hard to get them perfectly flat without bending them with a pair of pliers every so often.
 
I asked the same question on knife forums. and from the general feedback I was advised to get the GATCO. I have ordered it but not recieved it yet. One main reason I liked the Gatco was the angle measures the clamp has. I like the 22 degree angle slot where as the Lansky has 20 or 25 in that range.
 
Thanks for all the advice! Blues, you offer a very interesting option and one that I will definetly consider. Do the DMT hones really get your blades razor sharp, without stropping? Thanks. And s12.aaxtell, be sure to send me a message and let me know how you like your Gatco. I too am leaning towards it becuase of the more angle slots it provides.
 
Yes they do, jonny. The secret to getting 'em sharp is making sure you get down to the very edge (creating a burr in most cases) before moving on to the finer hones.

For example, if you started with the XC and brought it to a burr, by the time you've worked your way through the finer hones you'll have a very sharp edge.

(I personally like to finish on ceramic most of the time but if your last step is the XF diamond you'll still have a very, very sharp edge.)

I'm happy to try to answer your questions if you have more.
 
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