Lansky Sharpening Kits: What's the Dif?

Confederate · Oct 13, 2007

No problem understanding the UNIVERSAL SHARPENING SYSTEM ($29, 4-hone).

But what's the difference between the DELUXE versions?

For example, there are the PROFESSIONAL HOME KNIFE SHARPENING KIT ($41, 5-hone), the DELUXE 5-HONE SHARPENING SYSTEM ($29) and the PROFESSIONAL HONING KIT ($71, 4-hone)?

Why would the 4-hone professional kit sell for more than the 5-hone deluxe kits? The deluxe model for $29 seems to be the best bet as it seems to be the same as the one sold by others for $39. Anyway, that's the one I'm leaning towards now. Any thoughts?

This 5-hone Deluxe Kit seems to be an Amazon offering.

The Professional 5-Hone Kit. What's the dif between this
professional kit and the $70+ kit?

sunshaker · Oct 13, 2007

The Lansky web site explains it all. The short and sweet of it is that there are 7 hones available (extra course, course, medium, fine, extra fine, medium serrated, and fine serrated) and which 3-5 you get in the kit that you buy determines the name of the kit (deluxe is extra course, course, medium, fine, and extra fine; professional is Medium Serrated, Coarse, Medium, Fine, and Ultra-Fine). To further complicate matters the hones also come in: Sapphire (Polishing), Diamond (Extra Course, Course, Medium and Fine) and Arkansas (Soft, Hard and Black Hard) for a total of 15 different hones that you can use with the Lansky system.

DrThunder88 · Oct 13, 2007

The $70 kit has diamond hones.

I'd suggest the five hone with the XC hone unless you sharpen serrated knives. I actually use a coarse diamond hone for rebeveling, but the extra coarse hone might work as well.

Phil in Alabama · Oct 13, 2007

The coarse and extra coarse conventional hones work OK on softer steels, but I found them to cut very very slowly on anything such as D2, S30V or ATS34. The coarse diamond hone cuts fairly quickly, works well. I bought the five hone deluxe kit with the conventional stones, and then got a coarse and fine diamond hone to go with it. I feel that a good setup would be the coarse diamond, fine diamond, fine conventional and ultrafine conventional stones. Buying the five stone deluxe kit and adding a couple of diamond hones adds to the cost, but you do end up with enough hone choices to handle about anything. You could spend less by getting the angle clamp and diamond hones from DMT, along with an inexpensive set of crock sticks for the final edge.

Confederate · Oct 13, 2007

Well, are the Lansky sharpening kits any better than a Sharpmaker? I'm now leaning away from any of these kits and just relying on my Sharpmaker. The only reason I considered the Lansky is because I can't get any of my CRKT chisel grind knives sharp with my current systems. I've tried different angles, some good and some not so good. But none is great. I'm rapidly coming to the conclusion that maybe it's not possible to put a hair-popping edge on these knives. I have no problem keeping my other knives sharp, but it's either the steel or the original angle that was ground onto the blades I'm trying to sharpen. I've even tried a course diamond stone without success.

upnorth · Oct 13, 2007

I have the five hone set and be advised that the coarsest stone will chew serious amounts of metal away. Be carefull with this one.

M. McCord · Oct 13, 2007

Confederate said:
Well, are the Lansky sharpening kits any better than a Sharpmaker?

I've never used a Sharpmaker but I have used the Lansky kits a lot over the last 15 years. The Lansky has its limitations. If you do a search you can find lots of threads that recount the problems with the system. Most problems seem to arise from the blade clamp. In my experience, if the blade clamp holds on the particular knife you're sharpening, you can achieve a very, very sharp edge.

I have the 5 conventional stone kit, with the sapphire polishing stone. I only use the extra course to reprofile a damaged blade. Since most of my blades are kept fairly sharp I routinely only need the fine stones and up.

Hard H2O · Oct 13, 2007

Take a look at the GATCO sets. Similar to the Lansky. I really like my GATCO. I have the GATCO Professional kit. I got my kit for $39.99 from Cabela's and it came with a free pedestal Mount.

The GATCO can do 6 angles. 11°, 15°, 19°, 22°, 25°, and 30°. The Lansky will do 17°, 20°, 25°, and 30°. I have been using mostly the 19° and 22° settings so I do not know how much of an advantage that is.

The GATCO rods pull out from the stone bases with no set screw to tighten and no need to align the rod. The stones on the GATCO are wider than those on the Lansky.

GATCO at Cabela's

GATCO

Lansky

The mount is handy because you can mount it to your bench or a base and you do not have to hold the angle guide in your hand. I assume the Lansky pedestal mount would be equally as handy for the Lansky system.

My kit came with extra-coarse(80-grit), coarse(120-grit), medium(220-grit), fine(320 to 400-grit) and serrated knife blade stones. The grits are what are listed on the Cabela's site. I purchased an Extra-Fine Sharpening Hone (600 grit) and a Ultimate Finishing Hone (1200 Grit) separately from GATCO.

I also purchased scrap leather from Tandy ($2.00) and polishing compound from Sears ($5.00) to finish with some stropping.

One nice thing about the Lansky is that they seem to be stocked in more stores. I am looking to pick up a coarse diamond stone for my GATCO. Gander Mountain and Sportsman's Warehouse both carry the Lansky stuff. Cabela's carries the kits and the basic stones for the GATCO. I think I will have to order online from GATCO to get the stome I want.

I have not used the Lansky but from what I have seen my GATCO system with my additions does a fine job.

Confederate · Oct 14, 2007

Thanks. I'll take a look at the GATCO.

M. McCord · Oct 14, 2007

Hard H2O said:
Take a look at the GATCO sets. ....I have not used the Lansky but from what I have seen my GATCO system with my additions does a fine job.

I've used both and like the Lanksy better, although to me the better point of the Gatco is how much wider the stones are and the method of which the guide rod attaches.

DrThunder88 · Oct 14, 2007

M. McCord said:
I've used both and like the Lanksy better, although to me the better point of the Gatco is how much wider the stones are and the method of which the guide rod attaches.

Are the hones interchangeable to the point where a user could buy a Gatco replacement hone for use on the Lansky guide?

Hard H2O · Oct 14, 2007

DrThunder88 said:
Are the hones interchangeable to the point where a user could buy a Gatco replacement hone for use on the Lansky guide?

I was looking at the Lansky stones for possible use with my GATCO angle guide due to the wider availability of the Lansky products. The rod on the GATCO comes straight out of the stone holder. The rod on the Lansky comes out of the top of the stone holder and then makes a 90° bend. I think that would negate any interchangeability among the two.