Lansky vs. Spyderco

V10011011:
Yeah, the EdgePros appear pricey at first glance. Still, there's a lot of value and utility in the product. I don't think any EdgePro owner would say they didn't get their moneys worth. And, in spite of what some other posters said, there's little similarity between the EdgePro and Lansky systems. Each uses an angle guide - - but the commonality ends there.

The Lansky has too short a honing radius and over time will make a mess out of a blade longer than about 1.75 inches. For now, you may as well go with a Norton 8" combo stone (coarse on one side, fine-india on the other). This is an economical solution given your current (albeit, temporary) budget constraints.

Just hate to see you mess up your nice blade Bro'. Definitely stay away from the Lansky if you really value your blade.

After you get that College Parchment, and are gainfully employed, then graduate to an EdgePro. Once you've had EdgePro, you'll never go back!

Cheers,
TT2Toes
 
Originally posted by TT2Toes
V10011011:
Yeah, the EdgePros appear pricey at first glance. Still, there's a lot of value and utility in the product. I don't think any EdgePro owner would say they didn't get their moneys worth. And, in spite of what some other posters said, there's little similarity between the EdgePro and Lansky systems. Each uses an angle guide - - but the commonality ends there.

The Lansky has too short a honing radius and over time will make a mess out of a blade longer than about 1.75 inches. For now, you may as well go with a Norton 8" combo stone (coarse on one side, fine-india on the other). This is an economical solution given your current (albeit, temporary) budget constraints.

Just hate to see you mess up your nice blade Bro'. Definitely stay away from the Lansky if you really value your blade.

After you get that College Parchment, and are gainfully employed, then graduate to an EdgePro. Once you've had EdgePro, you'll never go back!

Cheers,
TT2Toes
Click to expand...
Sometimes I have to wonder if people have any clue as to what they are talking about. This is just crazzy. I have had and used a Lansky for more than 5 years. I have rebeveled and resharpened knives over 6 inches without any problem at all. I have rebeveled many many sizes of knives and they all have perfect edge bevels, even my customs. It has been easy to do and quick. Now I will not say the Lansky is the best sharpener in the world but for the price it is a damn good one, workks great and is easy to use.
 
Like someone said earlier, it's what you are used to. Clearly DB, is comfortable with his Lansky, and hasn't ventured to try anything else. That's cool.

Still, I would suggest a little Geometry review is in order. The Lansky's short radius requires one to: 1) either move the clamp along the blade Spine in short hops (until you encounter the Swedge), honing in short arcs/segments, or 2) leave the clamp in one place, resulting in a steep bevel at the tangent closest to the clamp and shallower bevels at tangents further from the clamp. This, of course, blows your angle consistency all to hell. Furthermore, depending on the false edge or Swedge design of the blade, you may be constrained in where you can set the Lansky clamp and how far you can move it along the Spine. I would add that unless you can be certain you are placing the clamp in exactly the same place(s) in repeat sharpening, you WILL be rebeveling the blade at every sharpening.

So, call me "crazzy", but that's an unecessary waste of blade material for my knives.

(See Joe Talmadge's sharpening tutorial and review of clamp-type systems at
http://www.bladeforums.com/features/faqsharp-systems.shtml
In particular, the part about clamp-on systems like Lansky, their geometry, and cautions in using them.)

TT2Toes
 
So the Lansky is bad for curved blades?
Correct me if I'm wrong but if the clamp is a softer metal than the blade (chances are it is) then the clamp has no possibility of scratching the blade unless theres some kind of coating?
 
V10011011:
In my experience, the Lansky does OK on curved portions of the blade edge. It is in straight blade sections that I find its performance lacking.

Yes, unless you cover your blade or use something between the clamp and blade to protect it, you will likely mark up your blade. However, I don't think it's the blade material that's getting scratched. Rather, I have found that the soft aluminum in the Lansky clamp gets embedded in the (harder) steel blade material. This was most apparent in my bead blasted and satin finished blades.

My $.02.

TT2Toes
 
Well with out being as smart as tt is I do know that real life and a quiz in math can be hard to tell a difference. Just to make it clear as I can. I have used just about every sharpening system and/or type of bench hone there is. I was even one of the members who started a Sharpmaker video tape passaround. I'll say it again the Lansky is not junk, it is a very good system for the money, not the best out there and by far not the worst. Since TT is so smart I would think if he ever really did have a Lansky or even used one he sure as he ll could figure it out. it Works well and for most pretty darn easy to use. It keeps a consistant angle and no matter what the math is you sure don't have to reclamp every inch no matter what the smarter guys tell ya. Now getting a scratched blade that is a very common thing to happen with an Edgepro. And the Edgepro don't win the fastest set up time also. Like I said earlier most of the systems are very good but they all have a little bit of learning and tips and tricks to them all. Your best bet is figure out how much you really want to spend and then learn as much about sharpening as you can. Learn the system that you get and you can put on a killer edge with just about anything you get. but what do I know. I aint as smart as some of these other fellers.
 
Bloody hell...

V100etc there's an indication you might have gone off the path, so to speak, relating to all this.

The Sharpmaker 204 is excellent for TOUCHUPS. But you'd be there for a VERY long time if you ever wanted to do any reprofiling, which you will at some point. SO, you'd have to purchase the Diamond Rods, which are an optional extra. This more than doubles the price of the 204, making it close enough to the cost of the Edge Pro Apex (including the upgrade pack and video) and can even exceed it if you purchase the extra fine stone (or fine, I forget). Although... from time to time you see a good deal on the 204 (basic setup), which you don't tend to with the Edge Pro. So that might alter the equation, but not to any significant degree.

For an overview on the lot, look here -

http://www.sharpeningmadeeasy.com/

For a good review on the EdgePro (with a passing reference to the Sharpmaker) look here -

http://www.physics.mun.ca/~sstamp/knives/edgepro.html

In summary then, ideally you'd have BOTH an EdgePro and the basic Sharpmaker. Because the latter is easier to setup (although the former isn't hard) is more portable (say if going outdoors) and has some advantages with touchups per se, even. But you don't have the budget at present? Fair enough. Well get the basic Sharpmaker now, then save like hell to also obtain the EdgePro, would be my suggestion. It isn't THAT much, for heaven's sake.

Ten years or so from now, you might even be adept at freehand.



As for the who is smart, who isn't really, how's your father and all this remarkable 'crazzy' stuff, my passing comments would be:

- the Lansky system isn't 'junk' and I would credit it would do a serviceable job after a decent amount of experience with it. There is a fair amount of frigging around required however and taping is often recommended, as scratching and marking is reported with usage.

- but in any event, it isn't anywhere near in the same league as the EdgePro, even if consideration were confined to a bang for buck basis. (although yes in certain circs even it can scratch, but you'd have to be downright careless to do so).



Edited to add:

Oh and why not get the Diamond Rods? They aren't up to the EdgePro for that kind of work. The SharpMaker has a limited range of angles, for one thing. For another, the rod coating will come off if you use too much pressure (hardly reassuring).
 
Hello again,

I just wanted to reiterate a couple of my points, only because I think they could be buried by some other suggestions made.

The sharpmaker will set secondary edge bevels very quickly and maintain them very quickly and easily for you. But you do need something to go along with the sharpmaker to reprofile edges. In other words, you need something coarse that will allow you to quickly thin out edges. You thin the edge out first on your coarse stone and then it will take less than 2 minutes using the sharpmaker to put on a secondary microbevel.

For this coarse stone, you do not need the diamond sleeves from Spyderco. All you need is something large and coarse- the larger the better too. I bought a Norton sharpening stone for my sister at Walmart and it cost me $7, and that was Canadian. Go buy one of those! Or go to Sears and buy the coarsest hone they have. Or buy a large DMT stone. Or a 220 grit waterstone. Or spend a couple dollars for a couple of pieces of 60 grit SiC wet/dry sandpaper. All of that will work! This coarse stone and a sharpmaker with its 40 and 30 degree settings will handle all of your sharpenign needs right now, and many into the future as well. I have used diamond hones, waterstone setups, a Gatco kit (similar to Lansky), a rotating wet wheel, a Razor Edge Systems kit, sandpaper, a sharpmaker, and a belt sander. You can add strops and steels to that list as well. I sharpen all knids of knives and other blades, for me and other people as well. My waterstones, my sharpmaker, and my grinder get used the most. For serrations, it is hard to beat. For touch-ups, you get speed, no mess, portability and ease of use. For setting microbevels, it is great too. That you can only choose between t angle settings isn't really much of a downfall. For most uses, 30 or 40 degree microbevel of the edge is great.

With that all said, my bro in law has a Lansky and loves it too! My gatco I lived too- it ended up with an old junior high school buddy. With a knowledge of sharpening, you can make any sharpening gear work. But the sharpmaker and a coarse stone/sandpaper is, dollar for usage, the best combo out there.
 
I like Crayola's economical suggestion.

Years ago as a poor starving student, I used to use wetted SiC paper on a 12"x12" glass tile to sharpen my blades. Then, to finish off the blade to a razor sharp edge, I would remove the SiC paper, dry the glass tile, then lay a piece of newspaper on the glass (just one layer). About four passes of the blade on the newsprint (2 per side) took off the burr-wire and polished up the edge scarey sharp. All this entails some degree of skill and art in free-hand sharpening and maintaining your bevel angles. The glass gives you a "perfectly" flat surface, and glass/mirror tiles are cheap at most hardware stores (same for Si paper). You can get a range of SiC grits depending on how much blade material you need to remove. You will need to place the tile near the edge of a table (or some work surface) so your knife handle can hang over the edge, clear of the honing surface.

But save your money to get that EdgePro someday! ;)

TT2Toes

[More Cheap Tricks: To touch up a blade in a pinch, you can take a few passes over the bottom or heel of a china dinner plate. Or, flip over the tank lid on a porcelain toilet and make a few blade passes on the underside un-glazed lid edge - - just don't let the dinner guests see you do this with the kitchen knives]
 
Hmm, good advice by all, thanks a lot. The toilet thing is haha..interesting. I'll try it out someday. I always had a habit of rubbing the blade of knives down my jeans and thought it felt sharper after. Maybe it's psychological, maybe it actually does do something..

As for a sharpening kit, I think after I buy a Microtech, ANY Microtech (I've become a fanboi for MT without even owning one) I'll buy a Sharpmaker. I figure I won't need to reprofile blades much anyways if I buy Microtechs, Benchmades or Spyderco knives, they should come with a decent bevel, unless I missed something and there are reasons why I should make a habit of reprofiling blades..
 
Oh well no it's not because you 'make a habit of it'.

In very simple terms, it is because over time your bevel will 'wear out' and will need to be reset, so to speak.

So given a reasonable amount of use you will be reprofiling, for sure.

As I recall, Cliff Stamp has an detailed explanation of this on his web pages - use the URL I gave you above as a starting point.
 
Hmmm, well I had a bit of a fossick about on Cliff's pages but couldn't find the one I was referring to. The memory is a bit hazy, but I had in mind a diagram in particular, which indicates what will happen to a bevel (forget which type) after repeated sharpening over time, to the point where everything will need to be reset as I said.

Maybe it wasn't Cliff, not sure. Anyway the point remains the same.

Also, think about what would be required if you chipped an edge (easy to do), which can happen at any time.

The ability to shift a lot of steel in short time, somehow, is a must. Which the basic SharpMaker will not give you.
 
As you sharpen you remove steel from the thinnest part of the knife, the edge. This thins the profile, the more you do this the farther up the blade the edge moves. After time this makes the part behind the edge thicker, therefore you will want to reprofile the edge bevels to improve the cutting performance. Take Cray's advice since you have decided on the Sharpmaker, Sandpaper is a good and cheap way to remove steel. http://www.shavings.net/SCARY.HTM
Also, wiping the blade on your jeans acts like a strop. So, your right it prob is a little sharper. Good habit. :) Check out the links that have been given to you in this thread some real good info on them. Sharpening is a fairly easy thing to do with a little info and practis, you will have sharper knives than any factory edge around.
Of course if you really want to wait and save your money for the costly but nice Edgepro you could always cut the end off a 2x4 at an angle and stick sandpaper of any grit to it. Tada a ugly and non sexy sharpmaker.
 
Good explanation there db.

No offence meant with the play on 'crazzy' - was just pulling your Lansky.
 
Oo..my wallet likes the makeshift-sharpmaker idea :)
Waiting for summer job, if I get it, I could make about 9000 this summer, then I'll buy a Scarab and an EdgePro
 
V10011011:
Here’s a thought. Get yourself that EdgePro and you can do some freelance knife sharpening for extra cash. Try the Mom/Pop markets where they cut meat, local restaurants, or even better if you live near the ocean and there’s a local fish processing plant. They are always in need of sharp knives.
(In my less glamorous student days, I worked nights filleting fish in Eureka, California, the knives there were always razor sharp and a couple gals made a tidy sum of $ keeping them that way. By the way, you'll make more $, and lose less friends if you do the sharpening and not the filleting.)

TT2Toes :D
 
Get the Edge-Pro or the Sharpmaker, Do not get a lansky or anything else, you will regret it :)

I have both an edge-pro and sharpmaker and a lansky, and the lansky is just collecting dust, I tried so hard to use it and it never made me happy.
 
Haha, easy to say, I live in a rich suburbia, the grocery stores here are quite high end and have mechanical automated sharpeners. Unfortunately, I'm not one of the rich ones. Thanks for all the help guys, all points are taken into consideration but for convienence sake, if I drop by Canadian Tire, I'll pick up a Lansky and then order a Sharpmaker when I have time, otherwise I'll just get a Sharpmaker.
 
Well gang,
I use both. And they both do the job they were intended to do !
I use the lansky on knives that need a lot of metal removed. What I am doing is reginding the edge of the knife
I use the spyderco on every thing else.
And then if I feel like it I will use a strop.

Not every system, works for every sharpening need. Not every knife gets dull or abused in the same way.

Some people have bench grinders and hard wheel sharpening systems.

Some people like me have to use stones then ceramics.

Anyway In my humble opinion, I think they both work fine

Jack
 
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