Spyderco 206 vs Lansky
Spyderco 206 vs Lansky
Just spent the last 2 days playing with a friends 206 sharpening anything that didn't move quick enough. I never realised how blunt things had become and what a pleasure it was to have things factory sharp again. Before I jump in and get one what is the forums opinion on the competitor in the Lansky version? I'm attracted to the fixed angles of the Lansky as compared to the freehand action of the 206. Advice please.
I started out freehand...many years ago. Now I am lazy and have since lost that knack. I'll try to get it back someday.
As to the Lansky and 204...each has its place. I had the Lansky first and always got great results. I have only had the 204 for a year now a love it. If the blade is really dull the Lansky will bring it back quicker than the 204. I like the 204 for keeping things sharp. But when I have to reprofile or really bevel a knife I use the Lansky. I find it more consistent with the clamp. For a knife that is not too dull the 204 is by far the best out there. Puts an amazing edge on a blade. Hope this helps...Take Care!!!!
As to the Lansky and 204...each has its place. I had the Lansky first and always got great results. I have only had the 204 for a year now a love it. If the blade is really dull the Lansky will bring it back quicker than the 204. I like the 204 for keeping things sharp. But when I have to reprofile or really bevel a knife I use the Lansky. I find it more consistent with the clamp. For a knife that is not too dull the 204 is by far the best out there. Puts an amazing edge on a blade. Hope this helps...Take Care!!!!
Keep Fighting the Good Fight!
Here's the deal:
The :spyder: 204 works great for all kinds of oddball things, especially serrations and hawkbill blades. It puts a wicked finished edge on anything, provided you use the right angles.
However, the 204 medium (brown) stones are just not agressive enough to repair a bad or really thick edge (Unless you are patient).
The diamond stones are a significant help, but are expensive.
For any reprofiling job, I would suggest a coarse diamond benchstone or sandpaper on a block of wood or a mouse pad (for convexing an edge).
The Lansky will work amazingly for a blade that is wider (not thicker) than 1/2" and no longer than 4" The Lansky angles change for a long blade. You can re-clamp as you go and it will work, but it's a pain. It will reprofile in a hurry if you have a diamond stone.
For blades less than 1/2" across, it is very hard to secure them in the clamp. The clamp gets too close to the edge and you cannot use lower angles becuase the stones hit the clamp. You can remedy this by overtightening the clamp (engaging just the very spine of the blade), but that's how I bent the aluminum clamp on my lansky and so it does not have the same angle on either side.
The sharpmaker can do all blades, small and large, and is much much faster to set up.
I always reprofile on coarse sandpaper, or sometimes using the diamond rods (as a flat stone using the sharpmaker if I want less than 15 degree per side). But every blade gets its final edge on the 204 rods, every time.
I would get the 204 and a large, flat (xtra)-coarse diamond benchstone. Cheapest way I know to handle just about anything. (Sandpaper is cheap too but you have to replace it and it requires time to hunt down the right grit and the right kind of paper.)
If your blades are all the right size for the Lansky and you don't need to sharpen curved blades, it may be the way to go because it is extremely foolproof, but you at least need an extra-coarse lansky diamond stone (can buy seperately) for profiling. (Get the non-diamond Lansky set with the ultrafine hone and buy the xtracoarse diamond separately if you decide to go that route.. cheaper than getting all diamond hones and once you get the profile, there's no need for diamonds.) Lansky has a triangle hone for serrations which may work, but I did not try it, so I don't know how they compare to the 204.
Either way, it's pretty much the same price, so it depends on what you are doing.
P.S. The ultrafine rods for the sharpmaker are not too expensive and really help to get a perfect edge. They are more forgiving then the standard whites (Which will get you to shaving sharp anyway.). You don't need them, but they are nice to have.
The :spyder: 204 works great for all kinds of oddball things, especially serrations and hawkbill blades. It puts a wicked finished edge on anything, provided you use the right angles.
However, the 204 medium (brown) stones are just not agressive enough to repair a bad or really thick edge (Unless you are patient).
The diamond stones are a significant help, but are expensive.
For any reprofiling job, I would suggest a coarse diamond benchstone or sandpaper on a block of wood or a mouse pad (for convexing an edge).
The Lansky will work amazingly for a blade that is wider (not thicker) than 1/2" and no longer than 4" The Lansky angles change for a long blade. You can re-clamp as you go and it will work, but it's a pain. It will reprofile in a hurry if you have a diamond stone.
For blades less than 1/2" across, it is very hard to secure them in the clamp. The clamp gets too close to the edge and you cannot use lower angles becuase the stones hit the clamp. You can remedy this by overtightening the clamp (engaging just the very spine of the blade), but that's how I bent the aluminum clamp on my lansky and so it does not have the same angle on either side.
The sharpmaker can do all blades, small and large, and is much much faster to set up.
I always reprofile on coarse sandpaper, or sometimes using the diamond rods (as a flat stone using the sharpmaker if I want less than 15 degree per side). But every blade gets its final edge on the 204 rods, every time.
I would get the 204 and a large, flat (xtra)-coarse diamond benchstone. Cheapest way I know to handle just about anything. (Sandpaper is cheap too but you have to replace it and it requires time to hunt down the right grit and the right kind of paper.)
If your blades are all the right size for the Lansky and you don't need to sharpen curved blades, it may be the way to go because it is extremely foolproof, but you at least need an extra-coarse lansky diamond stone (can buy seperately) for profiling. (Get the non-diamond Lansky set with the ultrafine hone and buy the xtracoarse diamond separately if you decide to go that route.. cheaper than getting all diamond hones and once you get the profile, there's no need for diamonds.) Lansky has a triangle hone for serrations which may work, but I did not try it, so I don't know how they compare to the 204.
Either way, it's pretty much the same price, so it depends on what you are doing.
P.S. The ultrafine rods for the sharpmaker are not too expensive and really help to get a perfect edge. They are more forgiving then the standard whites (Which will get you to shaving sharp anyway.). You don't need them, but they are nice to have.
Factory sharp? The 204 (and the Lanksy with an ulta fine hone) will make any blade better than factory sharp!v34 wrote:Just spent the last 2 days playing with a friends 206 sharpening anything that didn't move quick enough. I never realised how blunt things had become and what a pleasure it was to have things factory sharp again. Before I jump in and get one what is the forums opinion on the competitor in the Lansky version? I'm attracted to the fixed angles of the Lansky as compared to the freehand action of the 206. Advice please.
Now, if you want a nice toothy edge, reprofile and hone at a small angle until you have a perfectly smooth edge bevel. Then use the brown (medium) stones on the 204 to sharpen the very edge (at a slightly larger angle 30 or 40). This will give you a nice 'bite', but with a glassy smooth back bevel which offers no resistance as you slice through something. I was a big fan of the
:spyder: factory edge until I had to sharpen one and learned this technique. (Got the idea from Joe Talmadge FAQs).
The UF stones make an extremely fine edge, I can easily shave arm hair, glide through paper etc etc. I don't strop my knives at all. (if you would rather strop than use the UF stones, go ahead.)v34 wrote:Thank you oh wise ones. Most informative and the Sharpmaker it is for me. I like the overall package for the Sharpmaker and I won't be doing any severe resharpening so the Lansky seems overkill. Are the extra fine stones better than a leather strop for that final finish?
However, if you want to polish the entire edge bevel, this may be much easier to do with a strop, and will give you a great edge at the same time, so the UFs are not needed.
If you have to shave your face, you have to strop (to stretch out the burr), but for all other applications the UF stones will be plenty fine enough on their own.
Diamond assistance
Well Klattman I fully agree with you on the need of a diamond Benchstone for re-profiling an edge before final sharpening with the 204 Sharpmaker. I was lucky enough to come across an industrial grade Norton Diamond Benchstone 325 Coarse. It only takes a few passes on it to get the necessary relief ground into the blade before using the 204 to do it's final, beautiful, precision work to put on a super razor edge. I have read where a lot of guys are taking an aggressive grit of sandpaper to wrap around their stones to grind in the relief that way. The only problem I have with that is that I can control the knife a lot better on a fixed benchstone fully secured. Thus I don't have the risk of putting scratches on the blade. That is the really wonderful part about the 204 Sharpmaker innovation is that it does not scar the blades from their beautiful cosmetic appearance. :) :spyder: :cool:
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JDEE
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I use 2 systems the 204 and the Razor Edge. Whilst you can use the 204 for reprofiling when it comes to the serious stuff I head for the Razor Edge but at this stage I have never had to put a Spyderco Knife on it. I find for day to day maintenance of knife edges the 204 is the best system. It is simple, easy to use and effective. From what I have seen of the Lansky system it works but does not have the simplicity of the 204. IMO there would be no need to have the 2 systems esp., if you can sharpen freehand using bench stones. From time to time I like to go back to the old bench stone system there is something "primitive" as well as effective and gives you that "feel" that is not available with the other systems.