I have a Lansky and I use the 20 degree but I was wondering if that is to low. Should I go with 25 degrees for my EDCs? Also, my Lansky works great and I can get a perfect razor edge with it with no problems, why aren't they considered the best knife sharpener? I looked at the sharp maker but it looks like it would be hard to use.
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What angle do you use to sharpen a knife?
- Thread starter kgriggs8
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20 degrees is fine for an all round edge. If your main purpose is chopping then going to 25 - 30 degrees is a good idea. If the blade is thin and you want it to be a great cutter then go to 10 - 15 degrees. At this thickness the edge will be easier to damage so stay away from those big staples and anything else that could put a ding in the edge.
Edited to add: The above is how I do it. Others may have different recommendations.
Edited to add: The above is how I do it. Others may have different recommendations.
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You are the best judge if that angle is too low. If you often find chips or dents in the edge it may be too low. On the other hand if it gives more cutting drag than you like it may be too high. I personally do most of my honing at under 15 degrees with a small microbevel at around 15.
I am afraid "microbevels" are beyond me right now. I have just realized that I can get a better edge with the Lansky than with a flat stone. I had to swallow my pride and admit that I need the training wheels of the Lansky. I have been free handing it for most of my life. Now that I take out my 10X loop and test and moniter my edge as I go, I see some of the mistakes I have been making.
I also see now that a sharpening steel is not as good as a strop for me. I use the Lansky if I need to re-sharpen or re-grind an edge and I use the strop to touch-up or finish off an edge. Lansky and leather belt are what I use now. My flat stones and steels are getting dusty but my edges are better than ever! I can shave hairs with any blade I choose to sharpen now. I used to think that some knives just wouldn't take a razor edge but any decent steel will shave hairs with no problem. I used to have burrs and dead spots that I couldn't seem to fix on the flat stones that have now gone away
After 15-20 years, I am only at the point of most beginners because I had an ego about being able to sharpen my knife free hand.
I also see now that a sharpening steel is not as good as a strop for me. I use the Lansky if I need to re-sharpen or re-grind an edge and I use the strop to touch-up or finish off an edge. Lansky and leather belt are what I use now. My flat stones and steels are getting dusty but my edges are better than ever! I can shave hairs with any blade I choose to sharpen now. I used to think that some knives just wouldn't take a razor edge but any decent steel will shave hairs with no problem. I used to have burrs and dead spots that I couldn't seem to fix on the flat stones that have now gone away
After 15-20 years, I am only at the point of most beginners because I had an ego about being able to sharpen my knife free hand.
I find that the combination of the blade profile, and the job that needs to be done, determines what edge angle I sharpen at.
This kind of freedom to adapt is the greatest advantage that freehand sharpening provides, but it depends on being very consistent once you've decided what you are doing.
This kind of freedom to adapt is the greatest advantage that freehand sharpening provides, but it depends on being very consistent once you've decided what you are doing.
kgriggs8 said:
The Lansky is not the best primarily because it does not work well on larger knives (like kitchen knives) or very small, thin blades.
It works best on knives 2-4" long, and for that, It does very well.
The clamping system is a pain to set up and, depending on the knife, the angles aren't always equal on both sides.
The sharpmaker is not as difficult as it seems, it even comes with a very good instructional video.
If you only sharpen med-small pocket knives and get very good results, stick with your Lansky and freehand methods.
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I sharpen at 15, 17, and 21 degrees. Most of the time I use 21 because it is faster.
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I'm a suburbanite office worker and don't demand too much from my blades. I have yet to chip one at 15 per side. The Sharpmaker is easier to use than it looks. Reprofiling ATS-34 without diamond stones is, however, very slow. Reprofiling thin Sandvik stainless is much easier.
Frank
Frank
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I remember Steve Bottorf posting once that he had measured the angles on the Lansky and found them to be more acute than the angles indicated. I don't remember the numbers but I think the 20 degree hole actually produced a 16 degree angle or thereabouts and the 15 degree hole produced something like 12 degrees on a typical knife.
What is the right angle? Assuming something other than hard duty you should use the most acute angle you can before the edge starts deforming from use. It would depend mostly on the hardness of the steel. You can get there by sharpening to a more acute angle than you would and testing the edge. If it survives, then you might try going even more actute. If the edge deforms, then you need to go more obtuse. A little testing will give you the answer.
Hard use knives should have a significangly more obtuse angle particularly if they will be used for striking. You will see many of the hard use knife makers using the convex bevel which, in effect, produces what is effectively a quite obtuse angle. Again, the answer depends on the hardness of the steel and the application to which the knife is put.
What is the right angle? Assuming something other than hard duty you should use the most acute angle you can before the edge starts deforming from use. It would depend mostly on the hardness of the steel. You can get there by sharpening to a more acute angle than you would and testing the edge. If it survives, then you might try going even more actute. If the edge deforms, then you need to go more obtuse. A little testing will give you the answer.
Hard use knives should have a significangly more obtuse angle particularly if they will be used for striking. You will see many of the hard use knife makers using the convex bevel which, in effect, produces what is effectively a quite obtuse angle. Again, the answer depends on the hardness of the steel and the application to which the knife is put.
Blades_Two said:
That may be true, but it also depends on the blade you clamp it to. For instance a full-flat ground blade will make the angles more obtuse than, say, a sabre or hollow grind (assuming you clamp to the flat part near the spine.)
I got very good results from my lansky, but finding the right angles consistenly was tricky...
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klattman said:
OK, but the difference would be less than 1 degree. The width of the blade would actually make more difference. Take care.
Blades_Two said:
Hmm. Clamping to a parallel spine gives you an angle, clamping to a flat grind at 10 degrees per side will force you to increase the back screw to get a solid grip on the flat ground blade, increasing the angle by 10 degrees.
(Approximately). Otherwise you are making very little contact between the blade (at the edge of the spine) and the clamp jaws and it could slip.
Or you could overtighten it like I did and bend the clamp.
as you mention, the wider the blade the larger the angle also...
The above is why I like the sharpmaker or freehand over the lansky...
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I go thin. Very, very thin. Measured it once, and I average about 11 degrees per side. I've never had one chip out.
I use 25 degree on the Lansky for everything. Have found that the first couple of times on a new blade is the toughest. But once you get it, then it is easy to maintain. And anything I have ever tried to sharpen will utlimately shave. Some just take longer initially. Also the 25 seems to be close to the angle of most new edges I have seen.
Back to the old thing about maintaining the same angle, what ever you choose. I would also say, try and get it right the first time. If you do it at 20 on the lansky and then decide you want 25, it will be tough to change. But you all know that..
I also learned a long time ago, to teach someone how to do it themselves. If I did it for them, and then they did it for themselves later on, they had a lot of trouble. No two people will do it the same on any sharpener. .
Back to the old thing about maintaining the same angle, what ever you choose. I would also say, try and get it right the first time. If you do it at 20 on the lansky and then decide you want 25, it will be tough to change. But you all know that..
I also learned a long time ago, to teach someone how to do it themselves. If I did it for them, and then they did it for themselves later on, they had a lot of trouble. No two people will do it the same on any sharpener. .
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Another freehand sharpener, when I sharpen the angle always is getermined by the knife and the application.
Heavy work knives generally are 25 degrees or better, slicing/carving knives tend to be angled between 15 and 20 degrees.
Once again because the bulk of my sharpening is done freehand the angles aren't exact, but then they really don't have to be, all I have to make sure is that I can duplicate the angle on each knife.
Heavy work knives generally are 25 degrees or better, slicing/carving knives tend to be angled between 15 and 20 degrees.
Once again because the bulk of my sharpening is done freehand the angles aren't exact, but then they really don't have to be, all I have to make sure is that I can duplicate the angle on each knife.