Curious on how well the Lansky sharpening kit works for others. I just got into knives and bought the deluxe kit with 5 stones and so far haven't great results from it yet, but I think it's because I'm still a beginner for sharpening but just curious on others results from it. Also, I find it hard to sharpen skinny knives(not thickness) like style knives because of the clamp being in the way. Any solutions?
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Satisfaction on Lansky Sharpener?
- Thread starter Kevinish
- Start date
I use mine every now and then when I need to redo the edge bevel. I found what works best is the diamond stones and when putting the guide rods in make sure that they are all setting the same. Also make sure when getting near the tip to take caution because it tends to want to slip. Hope this helps!
You can get very good results from the Lansky. This forum has lots of tips. A few I use:
>Ignore the angle indications on the clamp. The actual angles are 3-5 degrees lower than indicated. Use the sharpie a.k.a. "magic marker trick" to determine the existing angle on the knife.
>Make sure you have reached the apex and feel a 'burr' before going to finer stones.
>Replacing the screws with 10-24 1/2" screws will provide better grip and clearance for lower angles.
>An extra-coarse diamond hone will speed up reprofiling and/or reaching the apex. You can then change to regular stones to finish.
>Don't let the hones slip off of the tip... that will round it off.
>Make sure the rods are straight and in line with the stones. Use a table examine and bend gently to straighten the rods.
Hope it helps.
Davd
>Ignore the angle indications on the clamp. The actual angles are 3-5 degrees lower than indicated. Use the sharpie a.k.a. "magic marker trick" to determine the existing angle on the knife.
>Make sure you have reached the apex and feel a 'burr' before going to finer stones.
>Replacing the screws with 10-24 1/2" screws will provide better grip and clearance for lower angles.
>An extra-coarse diamond hone will speed up reprofiling and/or reaching the apex. You can then change to regular stones to finish.
>Don't let the hones slip off of the tip... that will round it off.
>Make sure the rods are straight and in line with the stones. Use a table examine and bend gently to straighten the rods.
Hope it helps.
Davd
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- Aug 2, 2014
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Check my thread on my opinion and experience with the Lansky - http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/s...nsky-System-Sharpened-until-my-hands-gave-out
- Joined
- Mar 16, 2012
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I like the Lansky system...works great for me but you have to work at it to learn how to use it well to get the desired level of sharpness.
- Joined
- Jan 29, 2015
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Also relatively new to sharpening and I love mine. Able to get shaving sharp results with mirror bevels with it but it takes time to learn and then time to do it right each time.
The trick is to figuring out the angle and getting an even burr before switching sides and repeating the process of getting a burr on each side at each grit until the desired level of sharpness is achieved and finishing by polishing the edge with either your finest stone in a spine to edge motion or a strop... If you don't get a burr, all you are doing is polishing the edge which may make it sharper but not as sharp as getting the burr one side, then the other, then moving up in grit and repeating.
Using the marker will help to determine that you are hitting the edge however the marker will be long gone before you get a consistent and even burr along the edge of the blade (in my experience).
The lansky is inexpensive and very effective. It is not fast. If you don't start coarse enough or don't have it at the apex of the edge it's going to take forever without the desired results. Once you get that burr on both sides, most blades seem to "warm up" and then the burrs come easier as you move up the grits and keep the same angle, again in my experience.
The trick is to figuring out the angle and getting an even burr before switching sides and repeating the process of getting a burr on each side at each grit until the desired level of sharpness is achieved and finishing by polishing the edge with either your finest stone in a spine to edge motion or a strop... If you don't get a burr, all you are doing is polishing the edge which may make it sharper but not as sharp as getting the burr one side, then the other, then moving up in grit and repeating.
Using the marker will help to determine that you are hitting the edge however the marker will be long gone before you get a consistent and even burr along the edge of the blade (in my experience).
The lansky is inexpensive and very effective. It is not fast. If you don't start coarse enough or don't have it at the apex of the edge it's going to take forever without the desired results. Once you get that burr on both sides, most blades seem to "warm up" and then the burrs come easier as you move up the grits and keep the same angle, again in my experience.
- Joined
- Jan 23, 2012
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The apex is where the bevels from both sides of your knife meet eachother. Apexing the edge, ie getting your passes with the stone to fully contact the very edge of your blade, is your entire goal in sharpening. Google the word apex of you still don't get what I mean.
When you have fully apexed your edge, each pass on the stones will push steel over to the other side of the edge, creating a "burr". So looking for the burr is a great way to know you have reached the apex with your stone and that you are on the path to a razor sharp blade.
If you aren't having success with the lansky, chances are you aren't apexing your edge along the entire blade before you are moving up in grits. I suggest you use only your very lowest grit stone until you have definitely built up a noticeable burr along your entire edge. Once you do this, flip the blade over and repeat in the other side, looking for no spots lacking a burr. ONLY after this should you move up to any other stones, it is pointless otherwise. Then each time you do move up in stones, repeat the burr creation step on each side of the blade before moving up to the next stone - these will take significantly less time to do so than the first stone did.
On the final stone, skip creating the burr, just do enough passes to fully erase/replace the scratch pattern from the previous stone- the bevel should start to look shiny. Finish off with some very light pressure strokes, flipping the blade over between each.
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Been using a Lansky for several years and I agree with all the tips given above. I bought a Gatco that is similar to the Lansky but had wider stones and finer adjustments, only because the plastic case was cracked so it was marked down in price. It is a bit faster than the Lansky and I guess it is "better" but I would not tell you to ditch the Lansky for it. We are talking a minor advantage. I now use and like them both.
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- Feb 25, 2015
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I have the gatco, similar situation it was on sale, but from what I've seen the lansky has a much better holder the gatco one slips off some of my smaller knifes. But it's pretty much the same concept. I only use mine on other people's knifes after they've trashed them to set a good bevel, or mine when I want a different angle, or specialty knives like fillet knives. Mine only goes from 60-320 grit so I end up using the sharpmaker after I get a good bevel set. I once took a butter knife and used it just to show someone how it can work and put a pretty good edge on it in about 30 minutes, it takes some understanding like others said but once you know what you are looking for it's a great little tool.
I have the Lansky deluxe, deluxe diamond and serrated kits plus the sapphire stone, a couple of tricks you might want to know about.
1 Keep the rods attached to the hones and whap them in a tool roll, that way you just check for level before you start.
2 When setting the blade in the clamp make sure the gaps between the clamp halves is equal front and back.
3 Use the Sharpie method to see where you are hitting the bevel.
4 Probably the most important thing is to buy a mount, the plastic one works fine and the mid range one will pack away in the box. They really should include one with the kits.
5 Realise that it takes time to reprofile the edge the first time a knife is "Lanskyed" next time will be a lot quicker and the results are repeatable.
I have also bought the Lansky four rod turn box, the one with 5" 600 and 1000 grit ceramic rods. This is excellent for touching up the edges between rod and hone sharpening.
1 Keep the rods attached to the hones and whap them in a tool roll, that way you just check for level before you start.
2 When setting the blade in the clamp make sure the gaps between the clamp halves is equal front and back.
3 Use the Sharpie method to see where you are hitting the bevel.
4 Probably the most important thing is to buy a mount, the plastic one works fine and the mid range one will pack away in the box. They really should include one with the kits.
5 Realise that it takes time to reprofile the edge the first time a knife is "Lanskyed" next time will be a lot quicker and the results are repeatable.
I have also bought the Lansky four rod turn box, the one with 5" 600 and 1000 grit ceramic rods. This is excellent for touching up the edges between rod and hone sharpening.
Nothing wrong with the Lansky.
I agree with all the responses above, especially the suggestion about getting a mount. Get a mount, it makes it so much easier, I got the aluminium one and its great.
Good advice too about the burr.. sharpening is all about getting a burr and removing the burr. Persevere and eventually you WILL get a burr, flip it over and raise a burr again. Move to the next stone and repeat.
Stick with it and you will experience the ah ha moment.
I agree with all the responses above, especially the suggestion about getting a mount. Get a mount, it makes it so much easier, I got the aluminium one and its great.
Good advice too about the burr.. sharpening is all about getting a burr and removing the burr. Persevere and eventually you WILL get a burr, flip it over and raise a burr again. Move to the next stone and repeat.
Stick with it and you will experience the ah ha moment.
Hi, that was something I found with the Lansky. As I saw it the challenges are (1) how to make sure you always fit a particular knife in the clamp in the same position, so you're not adjusting the bevel every time you resharpen. (2) The supplied screws got in the way at low angles, and also limited travel on the hones (3) as you say, blades that are narrower than say 20mm spine to edge can't be sharpened except at very steep angles.
Some solutions I've come up with, firstly a fixture that allows me to fit the knife repeatably in the clamp, larger knives are fitted with the edge against the dowels, for smaller knives I've drawn outlines on the MDF. It's probably not clear in the picture but once tightened the Lansky clamp just lifts free of the MDF fixture and is used as normal.
The screws are easily replaced ..
Lastly and still at the prototype is an adapter to allow narrow blades to be sharpened. This is an early mock up but should give the idea. There's a magnet set in the MDF to hold the blade in place, and for the working version I've added a pin either side of the Lansky clamp to give consistent reference points for the spine. Again the trick is consistent placement of the blade, especially as in this case it needs to be continually removed and refitted the other way round.
Lastly I've reset the rods on the hones so that the coarser hones have the rods very slightly offset, making them cut at a shallower angle. This means as you move to a finer grit it starts to work on the apex first. What I was finding before is that because of various inaccuracies in the system, I might get what looks like a nice flat bevel say with the 600 grit, then moving to extra fine it was polishing up the bevel but the polished area not quite reaching the apex.
Not sure whether any of this is any help, but looking forward to hearing suggestions from others.
Tony S
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- Apr 13, 2014
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- 522
Tony those all look like great ideas and I intend to copy you shamelessly.