Sharpener for Christmas

OutdoorsFamilyMan4

OutdoorsFamilyMan4

Joined
Jan 20, 2012
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2,278
I am getting a gift card to the large online retailer for Christmas. I need a sharpener. I have a Norton stone but I just plain suck with it. I want a guided system and cannot afford to get the KME (Thats what I really want). I have found a few different ones made by Lansky, Smiths and DMT in the $30 to $50 range. Anyone have any experience with these? If so, which model/price because they each have a few different ones. I know this probably belongs in Maintennance but I would rather have BH input since I will be using it on my Beckers (along with a few folders and other fixed blades)
 
If you can save about $10 more you could get a worksharp. The sharp maker and stones are great but electric sharpeners like the worksharp or paper wheels (I also strongly recommend those) are great if you don't have the time or patience to freehand. I can freehand a hair whittling edge on a few basic stones (DMT C/F, norton india, and spyderco UF ceramic [not in that order])but I'm always sharpening for other people and can't take my sweet time to do it on stones.
 
I have thought about the WS but I have heard theres a bit of a learning curve and it can roll the edges if your not careful
 
Used the smith's for a year or two... the plastic part of the guide broke a couple of months ago. Doing it over again, I'd get the Lansky this time... all metal guide would've saved me the problem, and it has 3 angles instead of two.

But having messed with Moose's KME; it blows both out of the water, hard!
 
mrn8 said:
In that range, I'd go for a Spyderco Sharpmaker.
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Can't go wrong with the Sharpmaker, and there's absolutely NO way to screw it up!
You can get the same angle each and every time you use it. They have a 30 and 40 inclusive settings.
I had a Smith's diamond stone/ceramic rod setup, and while I could get a decent edge, the Sharpmaker is WAY better.
It's super easy to keep and edge and give it the occasional touch up.
It only takes a few minutes to do.
Then when you get a few more bucks you can add the diamond rods for reprofiling and ultra fine rods for a mirror polish.
The Sharpmaker goes for about $50 and it's well worth it in my opinion.
 
For what its worth i have a Lansky, not sure of the model but its the 5 stone kit. Its not the fastest system out there but for the price it provides a killer edge and repeatable results, Which is basically what i was looking for. It gets my knives shaving sharp, and its very packable so i take it when we go to fishing or hunting camp. I would like to try a worksharp but with no power in the middle of nowhere when hunting or fishing, the lansky is my go to. I also just pulled it out and checked, and you can fit a 1/4 inch blade in it.
 
Grayzer86 said:
For what its worth i have a Lansky, not sure of the model but its the 5 stone kit. Its not the fastest system out there but for the price it provides a killer edge and repeatable results, Which is basically what i was looking for. It gets my knives shaving sharp, and its very packable so i take it when we go to fishing or hunting camp. I would like to try a worksharp but with no power in the middle of nowhere when hunting or fishing, the lansky is my go to. I also just pulled it out and checked, and you . can fit a 1/4 inch blade in it.
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Sounds like what im looking for. From what I understand, both Lansky pro and deluxe models come with 5 stones-pro has one for serrated.blades and deluxe has a extra course instead
 
Stropping will be my next challenge after I can get a decent edge on a knife first. I have tried my Norton Medium/fine stone and a strop and I think its way worse than how it came from the factory.
 
OutdoorsFamilyMan4 said:
Sounds like what im looking for. From what I understand, both Lansky pro and deluxe models come with 5 stones-pro has one for serrated.blades and deluxe has a extra course instead
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Mine would be the standard 5 stone set then as i do not have a stone for serrations, which doesn't bother me since i don't own a single knife that has them that is even worth sharpening. I have seen Lansky kits with just three stones as well.
 
Grayzer86 said:
Mine would be the standard 5 stone set then as i do not have a stone for serrations, which doesn't bother me since i don't own a single knife that has them that is even worth sharpening. I have seen Lansky kits with just three stones as well.
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Im also wondering regarding the Lansky if the diamond kit would be worth the $20 difference over the 5-stone
 
+1 on the sharp maker I got one as an early Christmas present. Haven't had time to really spend with it but the little time I did spend impressed me a lot. I thought I would screw it up too but it's really easy. Also I feel like it might help your bench stone technique because allowed me to feel the proper "scraping motion" I heard people say you should feel when Doug a bench stone right. Scraping might not be the right word, but I could definitely tell when the ceramic seemed to be cutting the metal right and when I was doing it wrong. (Man I hope that description didnt make me sound like an idiot lol)
 
I have a Lansky and its OK. I like my Spyderco Sharpmaker better.

The small diamond DMT (made in USA) are great as you can get them small in size to put in the sheath. I have them in three of my knife sheaths.
 
AfghanWarrior said:
I have a Lansky and its OK. I like my Spyderco Sharpmaker better.

The small diamond DMT (made in USA) are great as you can get them small in size to put in the sheath. I have them in three of my knife sheaths.
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I have no doubt that the Sharpmaker is an excellent sharpener. Unfortunately, though, I do not have a steady hand at all. I really need a guided system. From what I have gathered its probably going to be one of the Lansky systems--Now I just need to figure out which one....
 
OFM get the DMT Aligner. It is alot better than the smith or lansky sharpeners. Its build quality is 10x better than the other 2. Or if at all possible save a little longer and get the KME.
 
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I am a big fan of anything with the letters DMT on it. They do have a guided offering. I use the large duo sharp stones freehanded myself, but I am sure anything DMT will be great. I am very happy with mine.
 
I'm useless with a Sharpmaker so I just bought a Work Sharp. Hey, anything that impresses Ken Onion impresses me. If the Work Sharp doesn't work out, I'm going to give up trying to sharpen my own knives.
 
I very strognly suggest the SharpMaker too. It's super easy to use and I always sucked at sharpening as well....

I worked with the SharpMaker.... then I went to the WorkSharp... which I still usually use to do the initial convex.... just watch out not to round the tips!!... but the vast majority of my sharpening these days is done with the 3 card set of the DMT Diamond cards in Coarse, Fine, and Extra Fine along with one of Felxxx's strops(I have one Jumbo and one of the field strops using compound blocks from stropman dot com)...

With that setup I can make and maintain ridiculous edges now... and I've only been really getting my sharpening skills together for about 5 or 6 months. I have recently joined the hair whittling club...

The SharpMaker is a GREAT system and very hard to screw up. The human eye/body can easily manage to keep the knife vertical... what it's not good at is maintaining consistent angles. Get the SharpMaker. It's well worth it.
 
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