OT-Lansky Sharpener

civil eggineer

Anyone have any experience with using a Lansky or Smith type sharpening system? Seems like it would be fool proof and wondering if it is worth the money. Thanks!

Unknown

I have had the Lansky for years. It is a good and dependable sharpener. There are better ones on the market but to the best of my nowledge, they all cost more. I give it a thumbs up. I do use my ceramic crock sticks more, saving the Lansky for a really dull knife. Hope this helps.
Tom

icemncmth

Ditto on the Lansky. I only use it when I want to "make" a new edge on a knife. I use my wet stones to keep my edges really sharp.

Weekend Warrior

I've owned two Lansky kits. First one was with the standard stones and the second, the one I use today, has the diamond stones. Pros: They will give you a very nice edge at a variety of angles for different applications. Cons: The sharpening process is time consuming and there is a very real chance of slicing yourself if you're not careful because of the way you maneuver the stones over the blade.

I use my Chef's Choice 120 for the routine sharpening of daily-use kitchen knives and use the Lansky on my better pieces and hunting knives. I can shave with my Buck 110 after a Lansky sharpening. Mark

Fidel

I've got a Lansky set that I've had for several years. It is good for putting an edge on hunting knives and pocket knives, but not so much for kitchen knives. It puts on a decent edge, but nothing like you can get from other methods. Once you experience a really well sharpened kitchen knife you realize that the Lansky system doesn't put that same edge on it.

I don't like the clamp system for holding the knives - many times I've had knives slip out of it.

I have the original oil stone version. I still use it for utility type sharpening, but I wouldn't dare put my good steel in it.

blackgrass

I highly recommend the Spyderco Sharpmaker sharpening system. You can pick it up for less than $50.
I have a few nice knives and worked in a shop where I could try out different sharpening systems and in my opinion the Spyderco is fast, easy and pretty brainless.

I've had a set for years and even gave my dad a set for Christmas. Highly recommended.

Spaceman Spiff

How far do you want to go/spend?

Lansky is ok. Decent system to start with.

Many more expensive systems available.

My response to sharpening systems questions is how fancy are your knives and how sharp do you want them?

Spacey

Weekend Warrior

The best knives I own are a set of Chicago Cutlery we received as wedding present. Some knives you can buy today cost as much as that whole set did. I guess knives just don't turn me on enough to spend my hard earned bucks on the really expensive ones. Different strokes for different folks as they say. Mark

momcooks

That's all I use. Don't necesessarily follow the instructions tho. I just run the stone across it like you would a regular stone, not a bunch of v's

I have a chefs choice, and I hate it. It works, but it sounds like half the knife is being ground away.

Unknown

I own a chefs choice 130 and once I get the knife sharp, I'll run it through the steel and the polishing stage to touch up the blade about every two months.

70chevelle

I have a chefs choice pull through sharpener, along with a Wustoff pull through, a Lansky system, and just got an Apex EdgePro at Christmas. The problem/benefit of the chefs choice, pull thru or electric, is that it can only put one bevel (which is chef's choice choice :S ). If that's ok with you, it should work fine. The pull thru's remove a good deal of metal, so if you use them often, your knives will live a shorter life. The electric also remove a good deal of metal. They both leave a 'toothier' edge which definitely seems sharp, but theres a lot more that can be done. The Lansky system is head and shoulders above the Chef's Choice, IMHO, as long as you use it appropriately. One of the problems with the Lansky/Gatco is that you need to continually move the clamp down the spine of the knife to keep the bevel even. This is especially true on longer knives. Don't get me wrong, it works, it's just a little tedious. They do have a benchmount that makes it a little safer, but I will say my favorite thing about the Lansky is being able to sit in my recliner & watch TV while sharpening. I can't do that with any others. The Apex Edge Pro is an amazing sharpener. It comes with waterstones that can rebevel the hardest Japanese steels, and also polish the bevel as the highest grit stone is the equivalent of 3000. Now, I have a large pocket knife, hunting knife, & kitchen knife collection. Plus all of my relatives have acquired my services to maintain their knives so the $200 I spent is well worth it to me. Shaving sharp is sharp, but there are utube videos showing some 'nuts' whitling a hair and shaving news print from a paper. Anyway, it's all in what you want. I chopped a little bit of my left index on Friday mincing garlic. Not fun, but boy, it went right thru! My knives have never been this sharp! :blink: