sharpening newbie - Sharpmaker vs Lansky

[Austrian]

Hi Knife dude`s

i am short before ordering my first "decent" knife sharpening system.
i have done a fare amount of research but can not decide what i should get.

the 2 Systems i have come down to are:

Spyderco Sharpmaker vs Lansky sharpening system.

Questions:
Which system is easier for a beginner ? what are the main differences between the two systems ? with which system do i get a better edge with ?

and : do i need a leather strop , is it really necessary ?

You have allready been so helpfull guys so i think with your professional advise it will make my decision easier !

Thanks !

[Creepo]

I own both.

Easyness:
Sharpmaker wins, the learning curve is pretty beginner friendly on it. The Lansky has a bunch of little things you learn slowly but it's not bad at all, I started with one. :)

Differences:
The Sharpmaker is fast and easy to use, but it removes material slowly, so if the edge is really messed up or the angle is too steep, it will take ALOT of work to sharpen. It is very fast to set up: put rods in slots, sharpen.
The Lansky is slower to set up: take stuff out, clamp blade, screw quide rod on, sharpen. It can remove material quite fast and is good for reprofiling messed up edges. With this type of clamping system the max blade length IMO is around 4", if it's longer, the heel and tip will have much shallower angles than the middle.

Resulting sharpness:
I have the Lansky stones up to 1000, but I think that the Sharpmaker produces a sharper edge with the fine rods than the Lansky does with the 1000 grit stone. But I have pretty much maxed out the potential in both systems, when you start, you couldn't probably tell the difference.

Strop:
Not necessary for beginners, get it later when you have really learned to use the system of your choice. :p

Overall:
If your knives arrive sharp and with a good angle and you NEVER let them get VERY DULL, the Shapmaker is all you need.
HOWEVER this is not always the case, sometimes you get a blade with an obtuse angle or you damage your edge bad on something and it'll take hours to sharpen on the Sharpmaker. When this happens I'm very happy that I have the Lansky. :D

Also if you decide to get a clamp type set up, I recommend looking into the DMT Aligner kits, at this time I would probably get the DMT over the Lansky. :)

[Uncle J]

I like the Sharpmaker, very easy to use. Knives have never been sharper. I had a Lansky and gave it away when I got the sharpmaker.

[SQSAR]

Like Creepo, and Uncle J, I've used both systems. I've had success with both, but currently use only the Sharpmaker. For day to day maintenance you can't beat it for both speed of set-up and ease of use.

On the other hand, re-profiling a blade with the standard med and fine stones can be frustrating. But, adding the diamond hones to the mix mitigates this concern very well, and you will be happy you bought them. On the other end of the spectrum, by adding the ultra-fine stones, you can get a really nice polish on your edges and take them to higher levels of brilliance. Consequently, I always advise friends to get both the diamond and ultra-fins stones when they get their Sharpmaker.

One of the chief reasons I stopped using a Lansky is the limit it puts on the blades you can 'effectively' sharpen because (at least in my case) it would not securely fasten to all my blades, so I too would advise that its efficacy is limited to shorter blades, , , with square spines.

As for a strop, , , it can help bring out the best in your sharpening efforts. However, if you are just beginning your journey down this road, I wouldn't worry too much about getting one right away. As you practice, and then perfect, your technique you will know when you've reached a plateau in your ability to get the most out of a Sharpmaker, , ,and this is when a strop will do you the most good and truly take you to the next level.

In the end, when you have a Sharpmaker, there is never any reason to let your blades get dull in the 1st place, because it's just so darn easy to use.

[bh49]

I am using sharpmaker for more that five years for sharpening, repair, and reprofiling. I am very happy with this tool. Love it. The best $50 I ever spent.
Actually I bought sharpmaker before I bought my first Spyderco knife.

The Sharpmaker is fast and easy to use, but it removes material slowly, so if the edge is really messed up or the angle is too steep, it will take ALOT of work to sharpen.

This is true if you have only basic set. To remove steel faster you need to add diamond rods or some coarse abrasives. There are few options with coarse abrasives basically either wrapping sandpaper around sharpmaker rods or leaning and clamping flat stones against rods. Advantages of "coarse abrasive vs. diamond rod, that you can buy them much coarse that Spyderco diamond rods, so they will cut faster. All of them were discussed many times and details can be found using search function.
Good luck. :)

[jackknifeh]

I haven't used a Lansky or Sharpmaker. If you haven't looked at one already you might want to check out the DMT aligner instead of the Lansky. Definately keep the Sharpmaker in mind. I've heard nothing but good about it for maintaining a great edge. I only mention the aligner because of the diamond stones DMT provides. If the Lansky has diamond stones just forget my post completely. I used the DMT system for over 3 years and liked it a lot except for some issues I had with it. I considered it a good system for the price.

Jack

[Evil D]

The Lansky does have diamond stones, as well as a slew of other stones both natural and synthetic. Both options have ups and downs. Even with the issues surrounding clamp sharpening systems, i still feel they take more of the user error out of it. If you just use a marker every time then that alone should give you acceptable/repeatable results.

Again i think this all comes down to how hard you use your knife. For me, i can dull down an edge in one shift at work, so i may be an exception to the rule but it wouldn't be any less hassle dealing with a shiny dull edge on a Sharpmaker than it would to get out the clamp and spend the time setting it up. There have been days that i didn't use it as much where i can see having a SM would be much faster and more convenient, but if i had to pick ONE of the two it would have to be a clamp setup if for no other reason than for easier edge profiling.

[ChapmanPreferred]

I've used the Sharpmaker since January 1996. It is an excellent sharpening system. If I could only have one system, it would be the Sharpmaker with the Diamonds and the Ultra-Fine stones added on to the basic system.

I have never used the Lansky, but I have read many good things about it.

Doug

[Evil D]

The worst thing about the Lansky i think, is the small size of the stones and limited degree options. There are definitely better clamp systems out there, for a price.

[Neomik]

The Sharpmaker is my choice! I prefer the easy set up and the option to sharpen PE and SE or combo edge knifes without changing much! I just ordered the ultra fine rods as an addition and in the near future I will also get the diamond rods :) !

[marknett]

I have both , so the answer to your question is .... both
I like the sharpmaker I just got , it's awesome but you have drawbacks with each . I have been using the lansky and achieving excellent edges with it , Now with the sharpmaker I can keep them refined and it's quicker . If you get the lansky , when you can get the sapphire stone as an add on . this stone is 2000 grit and is very nice .Both systems compliment each other .but if I had to choose just one .. I would probably start with the lansky as I did . It will teach you a lot about sharpening .

[Tejpek]

I will revive this thread, if thats okay :)
I have been using Lansky for couple of months and Im starting to hate it.
- stones have to be lubricated so the oil is on my hands, the blade...
- I can accidentally hit the edge with the stone and then you have start again (at least the specific spot)
- It all takes too much time to get ready
Ive been reading about Sharpmaker and it looks good.... I just want to ask how long it takes to re-sharpen or even change to angle(VG-10), because sometimes the edge can be damaged for example by impact.... Thanks

[mrphotoman]

I have both and like both. I like the lansky to put a mirror polish on the edge or to fix any edge issues. I like the sharpmaker for quick touch ups and daily sharpening.

[Capt'n Boatsalot]

.... I just want to ask how long it takes to re-sharpen or even change to angle(VG-10), because sometimes the edge can be damaged for example by impact.... Thanks

I bet I can sharpen my VG -10 Delica in less than 10 minutes, including setup and takedown. But that is an edge that isn't very dull.

[Per-Sev]

I have been using the Lansky diamond system for over 10 years or more its been so long I can't remember when I bought it. I also have a Sharpmaker that is only a month old. The Lansky is my favorite but the Sharpmaker is becoming my new favorite. Once the bevel is set for touching up the edge the Sharpmaker is my go to, it will not reprofile a blade without a courser or a diamond rod. When I get some extra money I will be buying the diamonds rods for the Sharpmaker and the Lansky won't be used much from then on.

[Cujobob]

I just got my Sharpmaker in yesterday and I am really happy with how quickly and easily it sharpened my VG-10 and S30V knives. Quick, takes zero skill, and the results for my very first time using it were impressive. The ease of use and portability of the kit alone make it a must-own.

[tk59194]

sharpmaker is awesome!!!

[rodloos]

The SharpMaker works well, but if you have a really dull knife or need to reprofile one, I would recommend also getting the optional diamond rods for it, they are a pretty fine grit for diamond, but really help speed up the task.

[Tejpek]

Ok, Ill think about it... Just realized that I have all my knifes sharpened at 25 degrees each side / 50 total and Sharpmaker offers only 40/30 degrees :mad:

[bh49]

- stones have to be lubricated so the oil is on my hands, the blade...

For some reason, it is common in US to use oil as a lubricant for sharpening. To the best of my knowledge in Europe is more common to use oil. Quite a few people do not use lubricant at all. If you want to switch from oil to water, you will need to boil stones.

- I can accidentally hit the edge with the stone and then you have start again (at least the specific spot)
- It all takes too much time to get ready

Accidents can happen with anything. More patience, skills. Doing things slow can be faster.

Ive been reading about Sharpmaker and it looks good.... I just want to ask how long it takes to re-sharpen or even change to angle(VG-10), because sometimes the edge can be damaged for example by impact.... Thanks

I am using sharpmaker since 2005, reprofiling or repair, even with coarse stones takes forever. But it is a great tool for sharpening.