Just got the Lansky system today to compliment my Sharpmaker setup and I was wondering if anyone knows where the sweet spot is exactly. How far from the clamp should the edge of my blade be exactly? The instructions don't get into anything too technical but I'm sure someone has done the math. I have a smaller knife I want to sharpen and the line/notch that is mentioned in the instructions doesn't exist on my clamp. There are no markings. I would like to know what the math says the distance of the blade edge should be.
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Lansky sweet spot?
- Thread starter nuggetz
- Start date
I don't worry about it.
I take the angles markings to be approximate. There's a lot of minor variations going on (as a former calculus professor). The angle will get flatter as you get the stone further away from the vice. But in reality, the variations are going to be minimal given the short length of the guide rods.
My experience with the Lansky is that I get great results from it so long as I: a) get the vice clamped on securely, b) stick to blades around 5" or 6" or less, c) use the right angle for the steel/knife usage. For longer knives, it makes sense to work on the edge in sections, moving the vice as you go.
Beyond this, I don't sweat any of the minor variations. Putting it another way, the minor variations are far less than the errors I make freehanding!!
I take the angles markings to be approximate. There's a lot of minor variations going on (as a former calculus professor). The angle will get flatter as you get the stone further away from the vice. But in reality, the variations are going to be minimal given the short length of the guide rods.
My experience with the Lansky is that I get great results from it so long as I: a) get the vice clamped on securely, b) stick to blades around 5" or 6" or less, c) use the right angle for the steel/knife usage. For longer knives, it makes sense to work on the edge in sections, moving the vice as you go.
Beyond this, I don't sweat any of the minor variations. Putting it another way, the minor variations are far less than the errors I make freehanding!!
I hear you but what I'm trying to accomplish is getting a good 20 degree angle with the Lansky so I can use the Sharpmaker stones. If I get the angle close to 20 degrees on the Lanksy then all I have to do is pretty much keep my wrist straight when honing on the Sharpmaker. I can't tell if I'm getting anywhere near 20. Would be nice if I could find out what the factory grind angle is. Why dont they publish that? You'd think that after a $200 investment I should at least be in the ballpark when trying to profile an edge. I'm starting to realize that the sharpmaker is only good for angles that are exactly at 20 or 30. If you have something in between then you're going to have to spend hours trying to reprofile on the sharpmaker (which I'm thinking is probably the better choice and I should have gone with the diamond stones for the SM instead of the Lansky) or adjust the angle of attack but at that point you might as well freehand it. Seems all I'm able to put on my knives is a microbevel because the angles don't match. I'm starting to think that freehanding this is in my future.
There are a few other things to be mindful of with the Lansky.
- Make sure that blade is very tight. To protect the blade, consider folding a piece of paper in between the clamp and the blade. I replaced the thumbscrew on the clap with a regular bolt to get it really tight.
- Try not to use too much pressure, or at least ease off the pressure as you do your last couple passes with a given grit. Too much pressure will give you a convex grind if you hold it near the bottom of the stone, and if you hold up higher and apply too much pressure you lower the grinding angle by quite a bit. Those guide rods are pretty lightweight and flex easily.
- Hold the grind stone in the same spot and apply consistent pressure. Any variations here will affect the angle.
- Use the same guide rod for every stone, and attach it the same way for each stone. I just lay it on a table and make sure it's flush, then tighten the thumbscrew.
- Use your thumb on the back of the clamp to hold the guide rod in the same position. Too much play can cause inconsistent angles, and I also find it easier to hold the stone flush against the grind.
- Hold the stone down near the bottom. If you hold it any higher up, you increase the chance that you'll miss the grind and smack the stone into the edge instead. One chip and you can ruin an otherwise perfect job.
If you are diligent and patient, you can get a very nice edge with the lansky. If you are impatient and apply too much pressure, or are sloppy, then you will get a pretty crappy edge and moving up in grits can be a nightmare.
I've never used the sharpmaker, so I can't comment much on that. I wouldn't mix two different "angle-assist" set ups though. I'd use the Lansky in combination with a pocket stone for field sharpening.
Oh and my Lansky doesn't have the notch either. Then again, it's a diamond kit that came with honing oil... and the instructions say in bold "Don't use the oil for diamond stones." Wtf Lansky? Why give me the oil then? There's a lot of room for improvement with this system. They should start by bolstering their guide rods.
And if you really want to know the angles, you have to set up the blade in the clamp and take some measurements. The thickness of the knife affect the angle, so you can't just base it on X amount of distance from the clamp edge. Simple trig will give you a better approximation of the angle, BUT it still won't account for any curvature in the guide rod.
- Make sure that blade is very tight. To protect the blade, consider folding a piece of paper in between the clamp and the blade. I replaced the thumbscrew on the clap with a regular bolt to get it really tight.
- Try not to use too much pressure, or at least ease off the pressure as you do your last couple passes with a given grit. Too much pressure will give you a convex grind if you hold it near the bottom of the stone, and if you hold up higher and apply too much pressure you lower the grinding angle by quite a bit. Those guide rods are pretty lightweight and flex easily.
- Hold the grind stone in the same spot and apply consistent pressure. Any variations here will affect the angle.
- Use the same guide rod for every stone, and attach it the same way for each stone. I just lay it on a table and make sure it's flush, then tighten the thumbscrew.
- Use your thumb on the back of the clamp to hold the guide rod in the same position. Too much play can cause inconsistent angles, and I also find it easier to hold the stone flush against the grind.
- Hold the stone down near the bottom. If you hold it any higher up, you increase the chance that you'll miss the grind and smack the stone into the edge instead. One chip and you can ruin an otherwise perfect job.
If you are diligent and patient, you can get a very nice edge with the lansky. If you are impatient and apply too much pressure, or are sloppy, then you will get a pretty crappy edge and moving up in grits can be a nightmare.
I've never used the sharpmaker, so I can't comment much on that. I wouldn't mix two different "angle-assist" set ups though. I'd use the Lansky in combination with a pocket stone for field sharpening.
Oh and my Lansky doesn't have the notch either. Then again, it's a diamond kit that came with honing oil... and the instructions say in bold "Don't use the oil for diamond stones." Wtf Lansky? Why give me the oil then? There's a lot of room for improvement with this system. They should start by bolstering their guide rods.
And if you really want to know the angles, you have to set up the blade in the clamp and take some measurements. The thickness of the knife affect the angle, so you can't just base it on X amount of distance from the clamp edge. Simple trig will give you a better approximation of the angle, BUT it still won't account for any curvature in the guide rod.
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I hear you but what I'm trying to accomplish is getting a good 20 degree angle with the Lansky so I can use the Sharpmaker stones. If I get the angle close to 20 degrees on the Lanksy then all I have to do is pretty much keep my wrist straight when honing on the Sharpmaker. I can't tell if I'm getting anywhere near 20. Would be nice if I could find out what the factory grind angle is. Why dont they publish that? You'd think that after a $200 investment I should at least be in the ballpark when trying to profile an edge. I'm starting to realize that the sharpmaker is only good for angles that are exactly at 20 or 30. If you have something in between then you're going to have to spend hours trying to reprofile on the sharpmaker (which I'm thinking is probably the better choice and I should have gone with the diamond stones for the SM instead of the Lansky) or adjust the angle of attack but at that point you might as well freehand it. Seems all I'm able to put on my knives is a microbevel because the angles don't match. I'm starting to think that freehanding this is in my future.
I don't understand the appeal of the Sharpmaster, unless you know ahead of time that you will have knives that will be sharpened at those angles and need frequent touch-ups. I could see using one for a professional kitchen, for instance.
But I sharpen different knives differently. Some need to reprofiled with a back bevel. I take my 440C down thinner (20) than my softer but touch Carbone Opinels (25) and also had to work hard at getting rid of the thick back bevel on the old Bucks by first breaking in the edge at 17. That's the power of the Lansky.
The best advice I got when starting with the Lansky was to a) forgo the adage of 10 on each side and b) to adopt the practice of working on a single side till I could feel a clear and consistent burr along the entire edge. Then flip and repeat. If you're not raising a burr, then there is a very good chance that you are still working your way through back bevel and that the stones aren't creating a new apex.
To check for a burr, run your thumb across the blade towards the edge on the unsharpened side. If it grabs a bit, that's the burr.
Given all of the variability in both the Lansky and more in the Sharpmaker (your hand), if you sharpen to a burr at 20 degrees on the Lansky, I would have to think you're going to be pretty darn close to the Sharpmaker's 20, if that's your goal.
Strongly suggest grabbing the cheapest disposable knife you can find and practicing on the Lansky before committing a super nice knife to it. You can burn through blades fast as you're learning. After a bit, you don't need to raise as much of a burr, but it helps to get the feel of it.
I failed at freehand for many years. Getting a feel for the steel with the Lansky first helped my freehanding a LOT. That's my standard suggestion for folks. Learn on the Lansky and transition to the freehand as time/interest allows.
I failed at freehand for many years. Getting a feel for the steel with the Lansky first helped my freehanding a LOT. That's my standard suggestion for folks. Learn on the Lansky and transition to the freehand as time/interest allows.
I was/am learning freehand and having an understanding of sharpness from the Lanksy has really helped me.