Lansky: What stone should I get next?

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Jul 27, 2015
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So I have a lansky sharpener jig with 4 diamond stones. What would be the next logical finer stone? I mostly own carbon steel knives. I have a few Aus8 blades an 1 s35vn blade also. I usually sharpen freehand but just got this system to try something different. I like it fairly well but I want some finer stones to try.

Thanks

Mike
 
I've been using wet/dry sand paper for a while now with great success...I use some double faced tape on the hone and place a strip of wet/dry on it...I have grits from 600 to 2500 and the polish is awesome...I use this on basic steels and Elmax with great success and far less expensive.
 
that kit gets you to 600 grit. lansky doesnt offer anything higher in diamond stones.
they do have 1000 and 2000 in ceramics - i would recommend a strop (or 3) with various diamond compounds you can get for each.

I kinda like Kai's sandpaper idea too. I may need to look into that myself
 
Thanks for the replies. I had been just messing with it for a while. I get down to the fine diamond an just finish the rest by hand. Thought I might try something finer but maybe just stick to the way I'm doing it now. Thanks again

Mike
 
I've been using wet/dry sand paper for a while now with great success...I use some double faced tape on the hone and place a strip of wet/dry on it...I have grits from 600 to 2500 and the polish is awesome...I use this on basic steels and Elmax with great success and far less expensive.


What in Heaven's name does ANY of this have to do with the OP's question?!? I would recommend answering questions according to the criteria that the OP has provided. He asked what stone he should get next for his LANSKY sharpening system. He didn't ask anything about sandpaper. And he also mentioned that he freehand sharpens, which leads me to believe he may have a benchstone or two. Why on this green earth would he want to go BACKWARDS by using sandpaper?? GEEZ-LEWISE!

Anyway... I agree with the only answer given to your question! I'm with ranger. Try the strop with different compounds.
 
What in Heaven's name does ANY of this have to do with the OP's question?!? I would recommend answering questions according to the criteria that the OP has provided. He asked what stone he should get next for his LANSKY sharpening system. He didn't ask anything about sandpaper. And he also mentioned that he freehand sharpens, which leads me to believe he may have a benchstone or two. Why on this green earth would he want to go BACKWARDS by using sandpaper?? GEEZ-LEWISE!

Anyway... I agree with the only answer given to your question! I'm with ranger. Try the strop with different compounds.

Plenty of folk have had success taping sandpaper to Wicked Edge plates following on from the finest diamond hone, as explained in this thread for example. See Youtube videos also.

Why wouldn't this method be worth trying on the Lansky?

I think the finest Lansky diamond hone is about 600 grit, so why would fine w/d sandpaper be going BACKWARDS?
 
So I have a lansky sharpener jig with 4 diamond stones. What would be the next logical finer stone? I mostly own carbon steel knives. I have a few Aus8 blades an 1 s35vn blade also. I usually sharpen freehand but just got this system to try something different. I like it fairly well but I want some finer stones to try.

Thanks

Mike

A 2000 Sapphire Blue stone that Lansky offers.. I have one and it puts a nice polish on the blades before I strop.. John
 
Plenty of folk have had success taping sandpaper to Wicked Edge plates following on from the finest diamond hone, as explained in this thread for example. See Youtube videos also.

Why wouldn't this method be worth trying on the Lansky?

I think the finest Lansky diamond hone is about 600 grit, so why would fine w/d sandpaper be going BACKWARDS?


I never said it hasn't been done. I'VE DONE THIS BEFORE! My point was that the OP asked about something specific. Using sandpaper alone, is typically performed by someone new to sharpening, who has no experience with water stones or diamond stones. Sandpaper does work well, but can't hold a candle to the high quality stones offered. The OP did not ask "what are some good stones to START sharpening? I don't have any experience & don't want to spend much!" He asked, "I have W, X & Y stones. What else should I get to take my sharpening to Z?"
 
There is too wide a range of missing grit levels between the diamond hones and the ceramic hones. The "natural" hones, Arkansas, etc. are reasonable steps up from the diamond hones but don't work as well on the harder steels, though they are fine for the more easily worked steels.
I suggested the wet/dry method because I use it and it works extremely well, there are a wide range of grits allowing for a gradual stepped system up to 2500 grit which gives as good a polish as the "sapphire" hone or diamond pastes up to that grit, they are also easy to replace for a fresh strip and are cleanable...wiping the dust off with a clean bit of cloth. Using the hones as the base for the wet/dry also allows for the continuation of the edge angle.

The finest grit of the diamond hones is indeed 600 and the yellow ceramic is roughly 1000 leaving a rather wide gap to fill, if one wants to fill it, to go from sharpening to polishing but will more than likely result in scratches from the missing gap...not including using the natural/Arkansas hones which are quite useful but of similar grits and difficult to use on harder steels.

I've been doing this a long time and have used the Lansky system for quite a few years. I also own every hone Lansky offers and have used them often, including the benighted "strop" that is useless as..., Thus I feel I have enough experience to comment and offer suggestions. I've also spent quite a bit of time experimenting on how to achieve a very sharp polished edge using the hones but to better result and in my current experience the wet/dry works great and has the bonus of being quite a bit less money.

Before some of you "experts" continue to shoot off your mouths perhaps you should think about what is being suggested and maybe even trying something new and cost efficient.

I did err on not starting my post with what Lansky offers and for that I apologize to the OP.
 
Sandpaper is a good alternative, especially at higher grit levels... it's cheaper, does a good job, and unlike lower levels which can wear quickly... the higher levels last a long time. I've often sharpened knives with lower stones, and polished with sandpaper. Leaves a great edge too.

Nothing wrong with this recommendation as an alternative at all. :thumbsup:
 
I never said it hasn't been done. I'VE DONE THIS BEFORE! My point was that the OP asked about something specific. Using sandpaper alone, is typically performed by someone new to sharpening, who has no experience with water stones or diamond stones. Sandpaper does work well, but can't hold a candle to the high quality stones offered. The OP did not ask "what are some good stones to START sharpening? I don't have any experience & don't want to spend much!" He asked, "I have W, X & Y stones. What else should I get to take my sharpening to Z?"

Using your own rather strange logic, he didn't ask about strops or compounds either, yet you suggest them.
I recommend less hysteria and more substance.
Geeze Louise indeed.
 
I kinda wondered about the sapphire stone but didn't know how well that would work on something like S35VN.

Thanks for the replies. Let's chill a little. I realize we all have different preferences on sharpening knives. Myself i learned to sharpen free hand 25 or so years ago an I just kinda wanted to try something different.

Thanks again

Mike
 
What in Heaven's name does ANY of this have to do with the OP's question?!? I would recommend answering questions according to the criteria that the OP has provided. He asked what stone he should get next for his LANSKY sharpening system. He didn't ask anything about sandpaper. And he also mentioned that he freehand sharpens, which leads me to believe he may have a benchstone or two. Why on this green earth would he want to go BACKWARDS by using sandpaper?? GEEZ-LEWISE!

Anyway... I agree with the only answer given to your question! I'm with ranger. Try the strop with different compounds.

I think he was trying to say that the OP could attach wet dry sandpaper to the Lansky hone, thereby making his own custom hone in a sense. I think it is a pretty good idea actually.
 
It's not that it's a bad idea. The concept of it has been out forever with the Edge Pro tapes. It's something that new sharpeners do. I doubt you will find any sharpener(with some time under his belt) that HAS NOT tried it on some way or another. YES, it works ok. YES, it's cheap. NO, very skilled sharpeners would not choose to do this when they already have several wet, water, and or diamond stones. For new sharpeners who have not done much, go for it!
 
I kinda wondered about the sapphire stone but didn't know how well that would work on something like S35VN.

Thanks for the replies. Let's chill a little. I realize we all have different preferences on sharpening knives. Myself i learned to sharpen free hand 25 or so years ago an I just kinda wanted to try something different.

Thanks again

Mike

The sapphire hone is 2000 grit more or less according to Lansky and is more of a polishing hone. I used to use it all the time on my ZT770cf Elmax and it did a good job, after the yellow ceramic hone, polishing the edge. I followed up with #6u diamond paste on a strop to finish the edge.

I too taught myself free hand method when I was a little kid. My first stone was exactly that...we had very little money and I had no idea what a stone was but I had an old folding knife I found and used a soft/smooth rock I picked up along the shore of the river I grew up near. It worked...after a fashion...moved on and up from there...Boy Scouts taught me the most as a kid and also got my first knife...an official Boy Scout multi...

I initially tried some wet/dry just for the hell of it when I was buying some oil/filter for my car at the local auto parts shop and was wandering around looking at stuff. I thought wonder how this would work and how would I use it...decided to use some double faced tape I have from work...fairly heavy duty stuff used in the paper making industry for splice overs and splices. I have some well worn hones and decided to try it on those and I found it worked really well and went forward with a wide range of paper from 400 to 2500 grits. I was surprised at how well it worked but I still start the sharpening process with the medium and fine diamond hones then move on the wet/dry grits. I get as sharp and edge as I did with "normal" hones, etc. and a mirror finish just like the final polishing with the sapphire and 6u paste. I use this method on my Elmax 770cf and milder steel knives and they all shave hair like the proverbial razor.
 
when you are done with the stones and stuff, i glued a piece of leather ( fuzzy side outward) on an old lansky stone, rubbed some white compound on it, and use it for a final strop. to me it makes sense because many people use an angle guide through several grits to keep the angle the same, then strop by hand. no matter how good you are, you still end up with a microscopically apple seed or convex edge. maybe that is desired, but for me it makes sense to strop at the same angle it was stoned at. if you try it, only pull away from the edge, it will cut into the leather if you push towards it.
 
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