sharpening

Mark, it depends on what type of knife you are trying to sharpen, the 25 degree angle is generally for hunting and utility knives, the 20 degree angle works well on most kitchen cutlery. The idea is the heavier the work the knife is to be used for then the greater the angle will be to sharpen. One thing, just follow the directions and be wary when pushing the stones toward the blade and take your time. I had trouble with the finished edge after using the finest stone so I glued a piece of leather to a scrap board, put some buffing compound on it and used this as a final strop. This breaks the burr off the edge and refines the edge to razor sharpness. I didn't like this system until I started using the rigid strop. Hope this was some help.

Good luck-Guy T.
 
Mark. Defer to the experts. Buy the book "Razor Edge Sharpening" by John Juranitch. He blows away all the hype and wive's tales about the cutting edge. Truth is, he consulted for industries for 35 years on their professional cutting edges. There is so much misinformation and "wonder hone" malarky out there, you can bet industries don't piddle with gadgets that are designed to make money. Professionals arm themselves with information. It's out there. Warner publication #38-002 'Bout 15 bucks.

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Jay
www.gilanet.com/JayFisher/index.htm
 
That book is on my list to purchase, sounds like a good review to me. I know I could benefit from a finer understanding of what happens to blade material at the "edge" on the microscopic level. After all, the edge is what a knife is all about.-Guy T.
 
I am too lazy to get you the link right now, but there is an excellent sharpening faq right here on bladeforums. It should be easy for you to find. I have read the entire faq, and there is a wealth of good information. It includes different grinds, blade geometry, I think it even talks about the lansky system! You should also try www.ameritech.net/users/knives/index.htm It is an excellent sharpening site with detailed descriptions of the Lansky system and the best way to use it, bench stones, and angle guides for them etc. If you want the Razor edge book but do no want to spend the money for it yet, read this entire site! It contains much of the same information. It even contains excerpts from a Popular Science (? maybe mech.) article written by Mr. Juranitch. Hope this helps.
 
A hint for sharpening with any system, is that even with a coarse stone, it takes about twice as long as you think it does to grind a bevel all the way down to the very edge. Until you can feel a thin whisker of steel rolled over onto the other side of the edge, you aren't all the way down to the edge on the side you are sharpening. So.. grind on one edge for a while, then feel for the rolled over edge on the other by running your fingertips perpendicular to the edge on the other side till you feel it along the ENTIRE edge, then change sides. Once you get a true secondary bevel on both sides, then go to a fine stone and alternate sides to polish the edge.

It's easier to do than explain.

James

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Those who are willing to trade freedom for security deserve neither, and in the end, seldom retain them!
 
!I remember now, the Kifecenter site, www.knifecenter.com, has a review on the Lansky sharpening system on their sharpening products page. Ya know, after some thought on certain matters concerning "gadgets" I've come to the conclusion that knife knuts are essentially gadget people. We're all constantly looking for a new piece of machinery, tool or what not, that might do something we're doing a little better or nicer. If you put a dozen given "experts" in a room and ask them to tell you the best way to do something guess how many answers you'll get. It most certantly won't be one!
We all have to learn, through experimentation, education, etc. If we all deferred to what we're told then there would be very little innovation in the world. I wouldn't use the Lansky system if I were a professional, but in the mean time I'll spend some calming and enjoyable knife sharpening sessions with my various gadgets.
-Guy T.
 
I've used the magic marker trick with my lansky. Put magic marker on the blade edge you are sharpening and use the lansky. This lets you see how close to the edge you are and how much farther you need to go until you are actually getting the edge, rather than the bevel. This trick really helped me out a lot.
 
For great pictures done on an electron microscope of both what different stones and edges look like, check out the sharpening book by Lee (last name). I think it is called sharpening basics, but I'm not quite sure. If I remember the whole thing I'll post it... actually, I may go get it from my public library again! I know it is definitely by Mr. Lee. He is the head of Lee Valley Tools in Canada, and he studied edges as well. He favors water stones, while Juranich doesn't. The book is interesting to me because it is done by a guy who STUDIED edges like John Juranich, and the pictures are awesome!! (small too- down to 4 microns!)

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"Come What May..."
 
What TJ said feeling for the edge rolled over on the under side of the blade helps out alot. Also if you have to remove alot of metal Get your self an extra course diamond stone from Lansky.
 
I remembered a little more about that other sharpening book. The author is Leonard Lee. I don't know the title, but you should be able to track it down from there if you wish.

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"Come What May..."
 
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