Lansky Pro with diamond and stand

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

Hey guys. I'm looking for a guided system that I can reprofile with to get consistent results everytime. My sharpener for the last 15 years has been a sharp maker and a bench diamond stone. I'd like to get a guided system for ease of use on my knives. I'm looking at the lansky. For under 90$ I can get a kit that rounds out what i'd like to do with it. I'm looking to reprofile as well as consistently sharpen. My Large sebenza 21 being the first knife I plan to reprofile. My question is, how easy is it to reprofile with this system and achieve good results? Also, will it take off a ton of material and how do I know when I've done what I need to? I do not plan to use my sebenza the first day I get it, but I would like to get the sebenza to where I can touch it up on the sharpmaker or hit it with a few passes on a fine stone on the lansky. I don't want to send it back to CRK because I know they don't do V grinds, and I don't want to send it off to someone if I can do it myself. The other guided systems I've looked at are a few hundred bucks, that's way out of my price range. Also, are there any other accessories I should get? Would you recommend a lesser kit with a few separate hones thrown in? I figured the pro kit offered a good range, but coming from a sharpmaker with two grits, any of the kits have more options... lol. Spending less and having a versatile kit is what i'm looking at, but as with all my other hobbies, I know there's a line between "cheap" and worth your money and cheap and not worth the hassle for a few more bucks.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

"My question is, how easy is it to reprofile with this system and achieve good results? Also, will it take off a ton of material and how do I know when I've done what I need to?"

If you really want something for an angle guide, DMT's Aligner clamp can be used with your existing bench stone, and it'll only cost about $12-$15. And especially for reprofiling, that'll be much faster anyway; abrasive surface area makes the biggest difference in grinding speed. Using the clamp with the bench stone will more closely emulate a normal sharpening stroke as well, which helps train the hands for it. Even in diamond, Lansky's small hones (4" x 1/2") are a significant limitation on speed; more so with large and/or wear-resistant blades.

The Lansky can be helpful with smaller & thinner blades like traditional pocketknives, which usually don't take as much grinding time with the smaller hones. Otherwise, for larger blades and big grinding/reprofiling jobs, I'd take advantage of a bench stone if it's available. The DMT clamp will make that an easier transition, if you're worried about your freehand technique right now.


David

 

[cbwx34]

Even in diamond, Lansky's small hones (4" x 1/2") are a significant limitation on speed; more so with large and/or wear-resistant blades.

The Lansky can be helpful with smaller & thinner blades like traditional pocketknives, which usually don't take as much grinding time with the smaller hones. Otherwise, for larger blades and big grinding/reprofiling jobs, I'd take advantage of a bench stone if it's available. The DMT clamp will make that an easier transition, if you're worried about your freehand technique right now.
David

Yup... I wouldn't look to a Lansky as a good way to reprofile, especially larger knives. Can it be done... yes, but it can be a long haul. Lansky was one of the first sharpeners I got, and even on medium kitchen knives I soon found myself wanting something else.

Haven't used the DMT much as OWE described... but there's also clamps like the ones from Razor Edge Systems, that can be used with bench stones... and also a way to improve freehanding skill. I'd also look at WorkSharp's Guided Sharpener (not the powered one, unless of course a powered sharpener interests you... their KO belt sharpener would be something to consider).

 

[Indianbladenoob]

I've been having trouble with bigger and differently shaped blades on the Lansky Diamond kit. It works well on smaller blades as OWE said and I have reprofiled Elmax (ZT0566) and S30V (WRKT Backpacker) and The Sandvik steels (Kershaw Field Knife and Leek) on it. The ZT took me 2 days because I had to stop and restart the next evening even with the extra coarse diamond hone but it took a wonderful edge that has held up better than anything else I have assuming parity of use.
So it works but has limitations. If you aren't really a big blade guy and/or are constrained in the time you can spend on sharpening, the kit would work well for you.

 

[SuzukiGS750EZ]

The largest blade I will carry on my person is a spyderco military. But the one I have my eyes set on reprofiling is my large sebenza. It's the only knife I have trouble getting sharp.