Sharpened my knife with the Gatco kit

[j22knife]

It worked out real well and it was very easy to use.

Got much better results than I ever got with a sharpening stone. The guide makes it easy to maintain the right angle.

I'm no expert, so I guess this makes it idiot proof!

 

[M. McCord]

Although I use a Lansky I have used a Gatco in the past. The advantage the Gatco has is that the stones are wider and (imho) more comfortable.

 

[vic2367]

gonna look into that system,,,

 

[j22knife]

Although I use a Lansky I have used a Gatco in the past. The advantage the Gatco has is that the stones are wider and (imho) more comfortable.

I looked at the Lansky system (online) too. Seems like Gatco and Lansky are very similar - the key is that guide that sets the angle.

I almost bought the Lansky - it was pretty much 50/50 for me.

 

[samhain73]

GAtco has a better guide system, since it has more angle options than the lansky. But the lansky has better stones, and they are thin enough to sharpen recurves . So the best is a gatco guide and stand with lansky stones. IMHO!

 

[pablo486]

GAtco has a better guide system, since it has more angle options than the lansky. But the lansky has better stones, and they are thin enough to sharpen recurves . So the best is a gatco guide and stand with lansky stones. IMHO!

I don't know about all of the Lansky "flavors" but the Gatco Pro system comes with a triangular-shaped stone for sharpening serrated knives. I imagine that would work on a recurve just as as well, although I haven't tried it myself. Just a thought.

As an aside, I started off with the Gatco because I got it on sale at the Cabela's website. It has its shortcomings, but I feel like it was a good intro to give me the confidence to try freehand.

 

[samhain73]

It's a great system, but the Lansky stones wear better, and are more versatile.
I wish I would have went the route you did, instead of the other way around, would have been cheaper. But I bought a lansky first, then went and got a gatco just to get the guide and base.

 

[mikeymoto]

Don't forget there's also a guide/rod system sold by DMT using their "stones". I have one of those and have been pretty satisfied with my results.

 

[sasu]

I just bought the Gatco Professional set with five stones.

The stones, even the Extra Coarse, were really slow when I changed the edge angle on a couple of knives (Cold Steel and Buck). I bought an extra Diamond stone today, but have not used it yet.

I have pretty small knives, with 3-4" inch narrow blades. I have to fasten them in the Gatco's extra groove at the tip meant for pocket knives, otherwise I am not able to use a shallow sharpening angle. But when the knife is fastened there, it slips out really easy.

I had to file out the backside of the obtuse angle guide holes because the guide rod was sticking when going for the blade tip.

Still I am happy with this sharpener, it is good for restoring edges to look like factory new again.

This is the intended way to fasten a blade, shown here with a 19 degree angle

But the stone does not reach the edge

So I have to refasten the knife like this

and this

I can recommend a good magnifying glass to see what you are doing

 

[j22knife]

The biggest challenge for me was also how to attach the blade to the guide. You have to grab the blade far back from the edge (as you observed) in order to clear the guide with the stones at a shallow angle.

There's only one knife that I sharpen and it is deeply hollow ground so there's no flat spot on the blade at all. I compensated for this by building up a wedge made of layers of duct tape on the tip of the guide. So now the guide can grab more than one point on the knife blade.

Admittedly, this is a bit of a jury rig - but since I only sharpen the one knife occasionally, it OK.

I think that if somebody builds a guide with a taper to match hollow ground blades, they'll really have something.

Great photos. I agree with your use of a magnifying glass - I used a photogrpher's lupe.

 

[SIFU1A]

i dont care for the lansky or really any other system which requires ya to clamp something on the blade.

 

[Grapevine]

With the Gatco and Lansky you're actually not sure what angle you're getting, though that may not matter if you're getting it consistent for each knife. If a blade is wider that angle is going to be shallower because the edge is farther out. Also as you do the "w" strokes they suggest, the strokes on the outside where it's angled away will be at a shallower angle. What those angles are can only be determined through measurements and geometry. So the angles they stamp on there are meaningless really.

To some it may not matter what the angle is, but to me I like to know so I can replicate that angle on another knife of different size and shape.

 

[M. McCord]

i dont care for the lansky or really any other system which requires ya to clamp something on the blade.

That's one of my few complaints about those systems. All my blades have the tell tell clamp mark on the spine.

If a blade is wider that angle is going to be shallower because the edge is farther out. Also as you do the "w" strokes they suggest, the strokes on the outside where it's angled away will be at a shallower angle.

I try to always keep each blade in the same place within the clamp each time I sharpen. As you said with wider blades and (in my experience) longer blades, you can't keep the angle correct.

It's a trade off, between ease of sharpening and true edge angle. They work well for me, but it time to "learn" each knife to the system.

 

[SIFU1A]

if ya put some masking tape on the blade and are carefull when ya tighten the clamp down ya can keep it from scuffing it, or it wont be near as bad anyway.

 

[SaMX]

I have a lanskey. putting a little bit of scotch tape or electrical tape on the spine of the blade before you sharpen prevents it from getting marks and helps the clamp grip it better. The Lanskey works well for me, but I'd like to learn how to sharpen freehand.

 

[M. McCord]

if ya put some masking tape on the blade and are carefull when ya tighten the clamp down ya can keep it from scuffing it, or it wont be near as bad anyway.

It took me awhile to learn that trick! Truthfully the knife that gets the most use of the Lansky is a Buck Crosslock that I've had since '95, so a few clamp marks on the blade aren't the only imperfections.

 

[j22knife]

With the Gatco and Lansky you're actually not sure what angle you're getting, though that may not matter if you're getting it consistent for each knife. If a blade is wider that angle is going to be shallower because the edge is farther out. ....

That's true - so the sharpening angle is narrower at the tip. Makes for a great letter opener.