Lansky standard sharpening kit, any good?

M

MacTech

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Jan 7, 2006
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I figured it was time to get a decent sharpening system for my knives, seeing as i finally own a couple nice knives that i want to keep "scary sharp" (Kershaw Vapor II and Spyderco Endura)

i was trying to decide between the best balance between performance and price, i know the Spyderco Sharpmaker is rated well, but it's more than i want to spend at the moment, i'll eventually get one, i think, but the other part of me wants to learn how to sharpen manually on a stone, as i feel it's a useful skill to have

i had narrowed it down to between the diamond stone one with a clamp and plastic frame (forget the name exactly, but it's a very plasticky clamp, looked *really* cheesy and weak, the diamond "stones" looked decent though) and the Lansky Standard system, the metal clamp looked more secure and durable

i brought my partially dulled Gerber EZ-Out to test the different stones, the diamond stones didn't seem to work on the Gerber, but the Lansky stones worked really well, put a nice edge back on it in a few passes

so, i decided to go with the basic Lansky, it seems to be the best combination of versatility, quality and price

i also picked up a yellow "ultrafine" stone to put that "scary sharp" edge back on the ol' Gerber clunker, it's now able to shave hairs, not as well as the Kershaw or the Spydie, but those still have their factory edges, and the Gerber is the first knife i've resharpened, i think i did pretty well for a novice, i put a 25 degree angle on it, and it's scary sharp again

so, overall, did i get a decent sharpening kit, how does the Lansky kit rate?
 
I've tried sharpening freehand, and I've had knives done with a professional knife-sharpening machine (at a cook shop) and I still get the best edge with my lansky.

With my mini-grip in 440C I can split a hair lengthwise, so that's plenty sharp for me.
 
Just retired mine (sort of) when I got me Edge Pro Apex. Uddated the stone set with diamonds after the stones started to dish. Really works great on smaller blades and is much faster at reprofileing an edge.
 
I like my Lansky. Owned it for years. For reprofiling, there's not much better. I'd get the diamond hones, however, Woodysone is right, the regular stones do dish after much use.

Glenn
 
Heh, maybe i *do* have a talent for this sharpening thing....

i was looking for things to sharpen when i spied an old pair of small Fiskars blunt-nose scissors, i figured "why not"

i grabbed the hones, did a couple passes of medium, fine, and extra-fine, and these clunky old Fiskars are now "scary sharp", they're actually shaving-sharp now, and you know that scrapy, "scissor-y" noise scissors make? these are almost completely silent now....

maybe i should pick up some basic stones and try frehanding....

nobody ever told me how addictive sharpening knives is.....
 
The diamond outfit that you are referring to may well be the DMT Aligner. If so, the clamp is plastic but still works because you do not need to apply much pressure when using diamonds.

If you are sharpening D2 or one of the super steels, using stones will take up quite a bit of time.
 
If you are going to sharpen D2, Ats34 or similar, diamond hones are a must.
I profile my blades with a Lansky and then do the ongoing touch-ups with a set of "V" ceramic rods.
Dirk
 
Okay, i made the mistake of stopping by my local sporting goods shop and while i was there, purchased a used Spyderco Dyad Jr ($25, killer deal, i think) and made the mistake of trying the Sharpmaker they had on display....

ME WANT!, it put a scary-sharp, shaving sharp edge on the clunky old Gerber (made my previous edge-sharpening excursion with the Lansky seem sad and pathetic) in a matter of *seconds*

i now understand what i read somewhere else here (i think), use the Lansky for restructuring/resetting an edge, and use the Sharpmaker for maintenance...

gotta save up a little more, my next purchase will be a Sharpmaker....
 
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