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Lansky sharpening system and the SAK.

W

Woods Walker

Joined
Jun 3, 2010
Messages
1,516
I spoke with a SAK rep at their factory store today during the sidewalk sale. I needed a set of tweezers and toothpicks for a SAK plus a new small SAK to make up for one that decided to walk aka loaned out..forever :rolleyes: I enquired as to the angle the factory uses to sharpen them. He said 23.

So now for my question. I have a 5 stone Lansky sharpening system and it has both 20 and 25 degree slots. Most of my knives get the 25 but given the size of these blades I am not sure. Clearly I am uncertain and hope those with greater Lansky/sharpening mojo than myself could offer up some advice.

Thanks.

Kevin.
 
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My typical preference is to go as low as I can, with the angle. With a clamped system, that means I use the lowest setting that will allow full access to the edge, without the clamp being in the way. EDIT: I'm taking a look at my Lansky clamp now, with a Victorinox SAK's main blade clamped in it. Using the notch at the forward end of the clamp's jaws, I can utilize the 17 degree setting, without the hone running into the clamp (I have a 4-position clamp, with settings at 17, 20, 25, 30).

Having said that, the steel used in SAKs is known to be pretty softish. It'll take a very fine shaving edge, if you want it. But it's very easy to blunt or roll the edge, if it's too thin. In your case, I'd give the 20 degree setting a try, and see how the edge holds up for your uses. If you find it not durable enough, it would be very easy to use the 25 setting to put a microbevel on the 20 degree edge. Wouldn't have to re-bevel the entire thing. The 'thinner shoulders' of the 20-degree edge would improve slicing geometry, while the 25-degree micro bevel would add some durability to the very edge itself.
 
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The Lansky system isn't really that precise. The degrees they give for the slots are just general angles, it really depends on the width of the blade, if the guide rod riding the top or bottom of the channel, blade position in the clamp, etc.

I'd just pick one of the angles and go with it. 20 degrees if you use it more for slicing, 25 if you use it more for general utility. Just my $.02, sure others will chime in.

-sh00ter
 
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sh00ter01 said:
The Lansky system isn't really that precise. The degrees they give for the slots are just general angles, it really depends on the width of the blade, if the guide rod riding the top or bottom of the channel, blade position in the clamp, etc.

I'd just pic one of the angle and go with it. 20 degrees if you use it more for slicing, 25 if you use it more for general utility. Just my $.02, sure others will chime in.

-sh00ter
Click to expand...

Yes, that's a valid point. I suspect Lansky envisioned a somewhat wider blade as the 'hypothetical', when setting up the angles for the clamp. With a small, narrow blade like the SAK's, I'd bet the actual (real) angle will end up more obtuse than indicated by the marked setting on the clamp. The cutting edge of the narrower blade will be closer to the clamp, which makes the angle a bit larger. For this reason, I don't think there's much risk in using the lowest setting you can. The angle will likely end up at a fairly conservative value, anyway.

I'm going to retract the assumption about the 'hypothetical' blade size. Seems they might've had smaller blades in mind, when they set up the angles on the clamp. I'm taking some measurements and plugging them into a trig angle calculator. With my SAK's main blade set up in the 'notch' of my clamp, and the hone/guide rod at the '17' setting, the calculated angle I'm seeing at the edge is ~15.3 degrees. At the '20' setting, the calculated angle is ~18.7 degrees. At the '25' setting, the calculated angle is ~22.7 degrees. At the '30' setting, the calculated angle is ~25.8 degrees. This is with the blade clamped into the notch of the clamp, with the cutting edge ~11/32" from the front of the clamp's jaws.
 
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After calculating the angles in my previous post, I did some more calculations to figure out what dimensions of the 'hypothetical' triangle (formed by the clamp, blade and guide rod/hone) would 'best fit' the marked angle settings on the clamp. It seems the angles were set based upon the 'hypothetical edge' being flush to the forward end of the clamp itself (as if with no blade in the clamp at all). This implies that any blade, no matter how narrow, will extend the 'base' of the right triangle further out, which will result in an edge angle lower than what's marked on the clamp.

Wish I'd done these calculations a long time ago. Based on the very wide bevels I've produced on some larger blades, it's all making perfect sense now. :)
 
Obsessed with Edges said:
Yes, that's a valid point. I suspect Lansky envisioned a somewhat wider blade as the 'hypothetical', when setting up the angles for the clamp. With a small, narrow blade like the SAK's, I'd bet the actual (real) angle will end up more obtuse than indicated by the marked setting on the clamp. The cutting edge of the narrower blade will be closer to the clamp, which makes the angle a bit larger. For this reason, I don't think there's much risk in using the lowest setting you can. The angle will likely end up at a fairly conservative value, anyway.

I'm going to retract the assumption about the 'hypothetical' blade size. Seems they might've had smaller blades in mind, when they set up the angles on the clamp. I'm taking some measurements and plugging them into a trig angle calculator. With my SAK's main blade set up in the 'notch' of my clamp, and the hone/guide rod at the '17' setting, the calculated angle I'm seeing at the edge is ~15.3 degrees. At the '20' setting, the calculated angle is ~18.7 degrees. At the '25' setting, the calculated angle is ~22.7 degrees. At the '30' setting, the calculated angle is ~25.8 degrees. This is with the blade clamped into the notch of the clamp, with the cutting edge ~11/32" from the front of the clamp's jaws.
Click to expand...

Obsessed with Edges said:
After calculating the angles in my previous post, I did some more calculations to figure out what dimensions of the 'hypothetical' triangle (formed by the clamp, blade and guide rod/hone) would 'best fit' the marked angle settings on the clamp. It seems the angles were set based upon the 'hypothetical edge' being flush to the forward end of the clamp itself (as if with no blade in the clamp at all). This implies that any blade, no matter how narrow, will extend the 'base' of the right triangle further out, which will result in an edge angle lower than what's marked on the clamp.

Wish I'd done these calculations a long time ago. Based on the very wide bevels I've produced on some larger blades, it's all making perfect sense now. :)
Click to expand...

Well there you go, set it to 25 and you'll be sharpening at about the 23 degrees factory edge:thumbup:

-sh00ter
 
I've been using the 20 degree slot for my Victorinox Tinker and it is hair shaving sharp and smooth. I also use a strop with green polish on one side and leather treated with Neets Foot oil on the other to finish it and all my knives.
 
Wow. Great info here. :) I think the 25 degree angle might be best as many of my knives get used outdoors. I never been big on the secondary bevel thing but have dreams about putting a micro bevel on one of my Moras. Great info all.
 
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