Micro Bevels - Lansky turn box vs spyderco sharpmaker

N

NjMS

Joined
Feb 8, 2016
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So I have a edge pro apex with sigma power select II stones up to 13000 grit. Gets me an amazing finish. Usually I'll run a 15dps edge.

But on some blades (S110V, M4 etc) I also run a courser micro bevel @ 20dps, and just clean the final edge up with a strop.

My question is for general edge touch ups would the lansky turn box be adequate for super steels and edc knives. I'd still be finishing with the strop.

I was looking at a sharpmaker but for just touch ups between sessions on the edge pro I'm unsure if the added $$ will get me much more. If I didn't have the edge pro I'd be all over the sharpmaker.

Thoughts?

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk
 
NjMS said:
So I have a edge pro apex with sigma power select II stones up to 13000 grit. Gets me an amazing finish. Usually I'll run a 15dps edge.

But on some blades (S110V, M4 etc) I also run a courser micro bevel @ 20dps, and just clean the final edge up with a strop.

My question is for general edge touch ups would the lansky turn box be adequate for super steels and edc knives. I'd still be finishing with the strop.

I was looking at a sharpmaker but for just touch ups between sessions on the edge pro I'm unsure if the added $$ will get me much more. If I didn't have the edge pro I'd be all over the sharpmaker.

Thoughts?

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk
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If you learn how to use it, a single quality ceramic rod is sufficient to maintain the edge (as seen in the videos from EdgePro). The ceramics EdgePro sells are a good choice, as are the ceramics from Idahone, and also the Spyderco rods are of decent quality. Haven't used the ones from Lansky, but if they're decent, then either option you mentioned will work... again the point being the quality of the rod. But really, no need to necessarily get a guided ceramic sharpener (again, see the EP videos).

Also, no need to strop after, the rod itself will maintain the edge, (unless of course you want to). :)
 
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NjMS said:
So I have a edge pro apex with sigma power select II stones up to 13000 grit. Gets me an amazing finish. Usually I'll run a 15dps edge.

But on some blades (S110V, M4 etc) I also run a courser micro bevel @ 20dps, and just clean the final edge up with a strop.

My question is for general edge touch ups would the lansky turn box be adequate for super steels and edc knives. I'd still be finishing with the strop.

I was looking at a sharpmaker but for just touch ups between sessions on the edge pro I'm unsure if the added $$ will get me much more. If I didn't have the edge pro I'd be all over the sharpmaker.

Thoughts?

Sent from my D6503 using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

For the vanadium-rich steels mentioned and the 20 dps 'coarser microbevel' finishing, I'd be looking into the diamond rod version of the TurnBox, which also includes Fine ceramic rods. The ceramic rods may do OK on those steels, but the diamond will do a lot better, with a minimum of effort (featherlight touch, minimal passes) and leaving a much cleaner, crisper edge with more bite. For a microbevel in particular, you're giving up some thinner cutting geometry for a more durable apex, which therefore needs to be as crisp as the tool can make it; else you haven't gained anything by doing it. And the Lansky diamond-included kit will still be substantially less expensive (can be found for ~$25 or so) than the standard Sharpmaker kit (~ $60+) which doesn't include the diamond option (add ~ $48 or so, for that). And you'll still have the included Fine ceramic rods if you decide you favor them for some uses. For example, use the diamond to apply the microbevel, then use the fine ceramic to very, very gently clean up the edge, with just a handful of very light strokes; sometimes that can fine-tune an edge very nicely, and/or gently reduce the bite left by the diamond, if you think you'd like it toned down a bit.

I'd also not worry too much about stropping afterward, UNLESS the rods are leaving burrs behind; even then, that's best fixed by reducing pressure applied via the rods. This is another reason to favor diamond over ceramics, as diamond is much less prone to burring, while ceramics are much more prone to it, especially in a rod-type, narrow contact area configuration.


David
 
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Love, love, love my sharpmaker. The triangle rods AND the quality of the spyderco ceramics make all the diffrence.
 
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