Lansky Sharpening System...thoughts?

M

Maxpowerman

Joined
Dec 27, 2009
Messages
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I am trying to find a sharpening system to learn how to properly sharpen my knives. I've never really worried about getting it right but now that I have some quality blades (thanks to you guys on the forum I've gotten obsessed:D ) I know I need to learn how to get them razor sharp.

Does the Lansky system work well? I like the idea of it being a kind of guided system that I'll be able to get the angles correct.

Any thoughts on this or other sharpening systems, say Lansky versus the Spyderco one?

Thanks guys, I appreciate it.
 
I know that a sharmaker works for me. I am in th process of learning freehand or bench but i still am not consistent with different knives and edges so I'm using the sharpmaker as a crutch in the meantime. but i can get my knives sharp enough for my satisfaction.
 
The Lansky was my first sharpening tool after I tired of constantly failing to get the results I wanted with a stone.

The short answer is yes, the Lansky will get your knife sharp.

After using it for a bit I found it finicky messing with the rods and ensuring they were straight all the time. I was also disappointed in the quality after having a few of the stones detach from the plastic carrier. It now sits in a drawer unused.

I convex my edges now and use a belt sander or mousepad/sandpaper method and get excellent results.

This method isn't for everyone, but it's working for me. You may find the Lansky the greatest thing since sliced bread, but I tired of it quickly.

I really need to practice more with a stone.

Kevin
 
I had one years ago, never liked it from the start, and I really tried to like it.

Bought the Spyderco tri-angle sharpener over 10 years ago, been using the same one all this time. Came with a vid too! Very simple, no attaching anything, easy, quick, done in 5 minutes, often just 2 minutes. Check it out.
 
A few things to note with the Lansky:

1. Stick some leather, felt or other soft material to the clamp jaws to prevent scratching.
2. Make a mental note of where you clamp the blade. For me, it's always about an inch down from the Spyderco logo.
3. First use is going to be a complete, time-consuming reprofile. Use the lowest angle.
4. It does get your knives sharp, especially if you have the finest (yellow holder/white stone, or Super Sapphire) hone.

I use the Lansky clamp over the DMT one, but use the DMT hones mostly. The Lansky white is still my final step though.
 
The Lansky is OK for the price, but it's quite limited. It doesn't work well on convex ground blades, recurves, etc (or blades that are either very big or very small). As wongKI mentioned, if the knive's edge angle doesn't match any of the Lansky's angle settings (quite likely), you'll need to reprofile the blade.

Free hand sharpening is MUCH better, you can easily adapt to all kinds of grinds, sizes and shapes. It's easier to do out in the field (I'd never carry something as cumbersome as a Lansky in my backpack). And since you don't need any jigs, all your money can go into quality sharpening stones.
 
I bought one and was very disappointed with the clamp, it didn't matter how I put the blade in it would pop out or shift. I went out and bought a couple of cheap water stones and haven't looked back since. I still use the stones from the lansky to sharpen recurves but I clamp them in a small vise and go free hand
 
Since you mentioned quality blades: Perhaps the sharpening system with the shortest learning curve and least opportunity to screw up a blade is the Spyderco Sharpmaker. It is probably the easiest to use without prior sharpening experience. The Sharpmaker is excellent for maintaining a sharp edge. It can also be used to reprofile but is very time consumptive. You are however limited to two preset sharpening angles of either 30 and 40 degrees. It will get the job done and produce a consistently even and sharp edge. At about $50.00, it comes with medium and fine grit ceramic rods, a DVD and instruction booklet. Many persons who use other sharpening methods still use a Sharpmaker for touch-ups. OldDude1
 
I have given up on the Lansky although it worked well for me. It is just very limiting. While you really have to practice a lot and have the right tools, you will always get better results on a wider variety of blades free-handing. Once you learn to free-hand, you could, conceivable, get by for the rest of you life with one stone...although why would you want to...I got a million of em and have now branched out into the sandpaper/mousepad world and I'm getting great results.

Freehand!
 
The Lanski was the first system I ever bought that realy worked. It will put a fine edge on most small to medium size blades, and using it realy helped me to understand all the basics of sharpening with stones.

I now do everything free-hand, but I think the Lanski is great for a beginner. :thumbup: And if you have any trouble with it, there are plenty of us guys here who can help you out with a little trouble shooting advice.
 
I convex my edges now and use a belt sander or mousepad/sandpaper method and get excellent results.
Click to expand...

I stripped the paint off of a new Izula, forced a patina on it, then used the mousepad/sandpaper with 600 grit sandpaper and got a super sharp edge. I took it to a strop next and it's a sharp, cool looking blade now.

I didn't lose anything in extracting the knife - tension wise - from the sheath. But if I hold the handle and shake it, there's a little clicking sound from the removal of the heavy layer of paint.

Next time I take pics, I'll post it. It looks old and rugged now. Something different for a change??

I use a Sharpmaker and have all of the rods available for it. It's a great system. I'd recommend it for anyone.

Be sure to scrub those rods with a pad or brush full of Comet or Ajax powder to keep them from getting slippery and not working so well.
 
For a complete beginner it is a great system to get a consistent edge and it's good for reprofiling the edge as well. But as mentioned, if none of the setting match the angle you'll have to reprofile the edge especially if the angles are different on each side, if you don't mind that and want an exact angle on your knives then it's good.

I've found that it's not good for blades over 4 inches or so and even 4 inches is stretching the limits a little bit. Anything under that is fine. Really aggressive and small recurves cause problems (for example Spyderco Cricket) but those could be sharpened with the hone meant for serrations.

There are a few trick to it as mentioned by wongKI:
wongKI said:
A few things to note with the Lansky:

1. Stick some leather, felt or other soft material to the clamp jaws to prevent scratching.
2. Make a mental note of where you clamp the blade. For me, it's always about an inch down from the Spyderco logo.
3. First use is going to be a complete, time-consuming reprofile. Use the lowest angle.
4. It does get your knives sharp, especially if you have the finest (yellow holder/white stone, or Super Sapphire) hone.
Click to expand...

1. Painters tape is the best for this IMO and you can find it in every house.
2. I made some measurements and calculations with the angles and made a handy guide for myself on how to get an EXACT angle:
First of all the numbers on the clamp are total BS, anyone with skills in trigonometry can verify this themselves.

This is how to get a real angle:
25 degrees (per side): Use the 30 degree setting with the edge 1cm (0.4") away from the clamp.
20 degrees: Use the 25 degree setting with the edge 1cm away from the clamp.
15 degrees: Use the 20 degree setting with the edge 2,5cm (1") away from the edge.

Getting the exact angle is crucial expecially if you are switching from system to system. For example if you use the Lansky to reprofile and sharpen real dull edges and a Spyderco Sharpmaker or a Lansky CrockStick set to maintain an edge.

And I do agree it is troublesome and slow to set up and it's not for sharpening on the go.
Lansky is good for reprofiling and and sharpening really dull edges.
The Sharpmaker on the other hand is much faster to set up and use, so it's best if you touch up your edges often.
 
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NO!! Stay away from the Lansky!!
Here are my legitimate gripes with the system, having used it and fussed over it for the last 12 years with mixed results.

The chief downfall of the system is the stupid clamp.
1. It's nearly impossible without scribing match marks on the spine of all of your blades to get it clamped on the blade in the same spot every time you use it.

2. If you don't clamp up the blade in exactly the same spot each time you're left with the only option of essentially regrinding the edge every time you sharpen the knife.

3. The system does not work well for long knives! Given that you clamp the knife in one spot, the angle at which the stone hits the edge is going to be at a different angle all along the length of the blade. You'll end up dramatically thinning out the tip of the blade since you cannot move the stones perpendicular to the edge at all points along the length of the blade.

I made up a homemade rig to hold the stone at a fixed angle and approximate the functionality of a Spyderco Sharpmaker system, and I can tell you that it's a very effective setup. Our eyes and hands have the ability to hold the knife straight up and down while using the sytem (as opposed to trying to maintain the sharpening angle on a flat bench stone). You'll be surprised at how well you are able to control the angle at which you sharpen. Also, with a sharpmaker you will be able to present the stone perpendicular to the knife edge because you are not limiting the relative motion to a quasi-circular arc.

Basically, my advice is to stay as far away from the Lansky system or anything else using a blade clamp.
 
I made up a homemade rig to hold the stone at a fixed angle and approximate the functionality of a Spyderco Sharpmaker system
Click to expand...

Good call. I've used sandpaper on my metal rods and laid a cheap benchstone against them too. Yours sounds a bit more sophisticated of a rig than that though. :thumbup:
 
i like my lansky over freehand. i use the thumbstud and the grind edge as guides for placing the clamp.

i have not had issues sharpening a blur's recurve and have produced arm hair shaving sharp results. ymmv of course.
 
I've been using the Lansky for years and like it a lot... The clamp is simple and takes away the human error on getting a good angle.. I tried free hand and spent more time dulling knives then sharpening. I can now get my blades hair shaving sharp and can cut free hanging 550 cord with a 3-4" blade after sharpening.

I agree that at first it may take some time as your knife blade edge may be different then the angle choices... for me, no big deal, I can conform easily to the different choices the lansky has as there the most common... once the blade has been re profiled to that angle, touch ups are easy...

I have not sharpened a larger 5"+ blade, and the Sharpmaker may be better for that application, but for the 4" or less Folders I carry... Lansky works great for me.
 
I like and use the sharpmaker but...

Id prefer to use a convex edge. I suck with the sandpaper thing though and Im not going to bugger up an expensive knife using it. I dont really have anything cheap to practice on though.
 
I suck with the sandpaper thing though
Click to expand...

That's what I thought too. I haven't buggered a knife on that method yet.

If you can strop you can do it. You just hold the angle and strop with a felt tip marker. Once you establish the right angle you just freeze that hand position and use your arm to make lots of circles on the paper.

I di my first one on a BM 940 and didn't put a nick on it. Didn't get it very sharp either though :D as the darn S30V is so tough that I went back to my Sharpmaker's diamond rods.

I've done an Izula with mousepad & sandpaper that I stripped the paint off and it's pretty darn sharp. The shoulder that the paint puts on the blade is really not missed at all.

I heated my blade up really hot with hair dryer added a coating of Miltec-1 and then re-heated it damn hot again, before finally wiping away the excess.

Now I can put water on it and it beads up and wipes off dry as a bone by just slapping across my jeans once or twice and back in the sheath. Miltec-1 really filled the pores in the bare 1095 steel.
 
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