Brilliant. Been using my lansky for a while now to sharpen just about anything that I can. Still very useful even 4 years from when you made it. Thank you!
I commented and you asked a question. I deleted my comment, because I (after further research) have realized I was talking out my hind end. You have made great points here and I will use this video as reference in the future. Thank you. Good work.
Being in the Engineering profession myself , I must congratulate you on bringing this to our ( BLKS ) Brotherhood of Lansky Knife Sharpeners' 🔪 attention ! Very simple to understand and well presented... But......I was just wondering if all of this would really matter when we accidently slice our finger down to the bone....?!! But seriously , thankyou for the tutorial which I will definitely use.
Wow, this was just the video I was looking for regarding the Lansky. Most videos do not even come close to explaining this just as you did. Thank you so much, I will be saving this video for future reference.
Really good video! I actually haven't used my Lansky in a long time because I was having a problem getting consistent results. I don't remember the exact number but in the directions for the one I have it gives you the distance you are supposed to have for how much of the knife blade you are supposed to leave sticking out from the edge of the clamp. I use a ruler to make sure each knife is sticking out the same distance but I wasn't taking in account the knife thickness so now I see my angles were being affected. Thank you.
I ordered a digital angle meter to assist in this process. I do look forward to testing it against the math. Excellent method of operation and presentation. Great video, thanks
Hi Tony, First of all, you are correct. The angles marked on the clamp are way off. I did my own experiment with an angle cube and also verified it with the clinometer app on my phone .I used a gerber air ranger knife protruding out 5/8" from the end of the clamp. My results were very, very close to yours I was very anal in making sure everything was zeroed out, clamping halves parallel and made sure the stone rods were straight as could be. It amazes me that Lansky marked the angles on their clamp like they do. Whether you sharpen resting the rod on the top or bottom of the hole only makes 1/2 degree difference. I have several different knife sharpening systems and knowing the " True" angles of the Lansky clamp is a big help. Thanks for bringing this to my attention.
great info that the angle difference from the top to the bottom of each hole is only 1/2 a degree!!! I can forget to use the akward index finger technique to keep the rod fixed. I havent yet got my Lansky, but im already an expert :-)
I had just bought a lansky and upon further inspection I realized what your mentioning about the angles and so forth, then I ran into this video and a laughed at the coincidence. Good video, unfortunate to see some of the low IQ comments.
Yep, it is the internet! It's actually with great sadness that some comments are critical of the video... &... They are plain wrong! Trolls will be haters...🤔
Thanks a lot, you are great!!! Some mesurements if you want a precise angle (using yor Lansky system measurements): For a blade of 0.100" you can put the blade 0.781" from the holder and using the 25° hole you will obtain a 20° angle, and a 25° angle can be obtained at a distance of 0.513" by using the 30° hole. For a blade of 0.125", 20°, distance 0.815" using the 25° hole, and 25°, 0.540" using the 30° hole. 😉
The exact angle is not really important. The important part when sharpening a knife is CONSISTENCY. The lansky is very good at sharpening with a consistent angle.
I wonder when they started making all of the stuff in China? Also, I don't find anything about a warranty. Other then those two items I'm enjoying my kit. Thank for the video.
@@GLOCKCOPG23 You're right, I did. I thought it was neat that this was a functional display of those skills and knowledge. People use it everyday and never know what it is called.
Excellent video, really helps in understanding how to setup the Lansky. I haven't read all the comments, but when measuring the distance to the rod hole wouldn't it be more accurate to measure to the top of the hole, less the thickness of the rod? When you put pressure on the stone when sharpening wouldn't the rod be forced to the top of the hole? Thank you for this video, best video on the Lansky I have seen.
A lot of the measurements in the section around 5 minutes aren't set with the handle touching the top of the hole. If you adjust this you'd arrive at 17, no?
Any idea why one edge of a knife blade is 17 deg and the other side of the same knife blade is 30? I have a few different knives where the angles are not the same
4:00 FALSE INFORMATION - I am not having a go at the author but I think it's really important to point out that this information here about the honing angle changing is false. The angle between the stone and the bottom length changes BUT the actual HONING ANGLE does not change.
I understand being accurate in everything, but for me angle doesn't matter as much as long as I use the lansky system and proper placement of my blade every time for repeated accuracy
final honing questions. if you clamp the rod to the stone by putting both on a table so the edge of the stone and bottom of the rod are matched, then put in a 1500 or 3000 stone, but had the rod extend down a bit, the stone angle would favor the edge, so the honing with the highest grades would favor the cutting edge more than the fill side of the grind. I find I spend more time honing the whole face much more because of how slow the really high number stones are.
i like using a marker on the blade and adjusting tool until it takes the mark off. So easy and I can change angle of edge if I don't like it. Good vid though.
Great geometry class ... but the guides flop around inside the holes, thereby altering the angle ... And does it really matter .002 degrees when preparing to cut the cheese ?
Place you index finger of the hand not on the stone (I wrap mine in blue tape) at the back of the sharpener holding the rod up the whole time. (Not my idea, I cant take credit). It really does help.
East Bay - I have actually stopped using tape, my hands are dirty all the time anyways, but just like someone else said it's all about consistancy and you'll get a razor sharp knife. I am thinking of trying to resharpen a utility blade (stanley), not that it isn't cheaper to just buy them, but for my own skills. Lol
Every review I can find of this Lansky system is only sharpening pocket knives .... what about chefs knives - does it work on 8 or 10" blades and bigger ... or is it not suitable for such sizes
Rick Hughes - The Lansky System can sharpen larger knives too. The trick to a consistent angle across a longer blades is to have more than one clamp and apply multiple clamps every 6” or so (or move the single clamp to multiple locations). I use two clamps for all my knives up to 13”, an additional clamp cost about $10bucks so if you pay $100 for the diamond system, $10 for an extra clamp, $10 for a leather strop, you’re good to go for life. I also use a 4” hobby vise to hold the clamps instead of the Lansky Base, that cost about $20..
Very good. I have their LKC03 kit and had the same issues. Following their directions, leaving a 1/2" of the blade exposed from the edge of the clamp, the angles are all wrong. They seriously need to revisit the machining and enclosed literature.
Great video which verifies my concerns after just buying the Lansky Deluxe 5 stone system which I'll be using to sharpen kitchen and outdoors knives. The angles will change across any blade with angle change proportional to blade length. Assuming the Lansky is centred in the middle of the blade, the centre of the blade will be most obtuse and the base/tip will be most acute. This makes the tip and base of the blades sharper but more susceptible to chipping. Some examples For a 3" blade with the blade distance 4" from the Lansky and using the 20 hole, the angle in the middle will be 17.74 degrees. At the base and tip, the distance from the Lansky changes to 4.27", making the angle around 16.81 degrees. This isn't a massive difference. However, the same calculations for a standard 6" chefs knife (same hole, blade thickness and blade distance) the blade/tip angles change to around 14 degrees. I've considred the following options: 1) Change Lansky hole as you go up the blade, meaning a stepped sharpen (not a good plan) 2) Move the Lansky up the blade as you sharpen - meaning a variable wavy (but more consistent) angle all the way up the blade 3) Modify the Lansky to laterally extend the holes to the same length as the blade), allowing the hone to maintain angle all the way up the blade. I realise I'm getting seriously OCD on this, but I'd really welcome comments
Yes the hone angle decreases as distance increases. As you stated, for small knives it's no issue but for large knives it's problematic. To solve this issue, I've purchased extra Lansky clamps off EBay. Rather than centering one clamp, I place clamps on the blade so I maintain a reasonable constant hone angle (within 1/2 degree). I've also replaced the Lansky base with a small hobby vise which can hold up to three clamps. Even on my 4" pocket knives, I use a second clamp to maintain a more constant angle which really improves the angle grind at the tip of the knife. Even after buying extra clamps and a vise the Lansky system is way less expensive than other systems and does the best job of sharpening I've found.
4:00 This is actually FALSE. As you move from side to side, the blade is no longer parallel ie the blade is straight. IF you moved the fulcrum up to that portion of the blade, the sharpening angle will be exactly the same. IE, IF the blade angle was at a greater distance and stilll normal (perpendicular) to the fulcrum, the honing angle would change BUT the blade is straight and the angle of interest is the honing angle NOT the angle between the bottom distance and the stone.
Every review I can find of this Lansky system is only sharpening pocket knives .... what about chefs knives - does it work on 8 or 10" blades and bigger ... or is it not suitable for such sizes
Every review I can find of this Lansky system is only sharpening pocket knives .... what about chefs knives - does it work on 8 or 10" blades and bigger ... or is it not suitable for such sizes
just bought mine if your blades are not flat and super dull it works fine BUT IF THEY ARE SUPER DULL TAKE IT TO A SHOP... i found this system the Lansky Sharpening syetem is not as easy as advertised ... frustrated with mine BIG FREEKN TIME
Every review I can find of this Lansky system is only sharpening pocket knives .... what about chefs knives - does it work on 8 or 10" blades and bigger ... or is it not suitable for such sizes
The Lansky system is limited by the length of the stones and the rods. A 6 or 7 inch chef's knife is doable. My 6" fillet knife (tricky clamping) worked out fine. I'm going to try it on a 8" carving knife. A 10" chef's knife is probably not a good idea. 4+ inches on either side with a 1" clamp is not the best fit. A heavy German kitchen knife is likely to be unstable on the small tool. An Edge Pro like design is better for kitchen knives. If you like this design, the Gatco system is similar to the Lansky but has a bigger clamp and the guide rods can extend.
14:53: On a completely straight blade, the sharpening-angle change as distance increases away from where the blade is clamped has nothing to do with the distance from the pivot point to the blade. It is completely due to Lansky's notch through which the rod glides. Provide me with the dimensions of that notch, and I'll happily do the math for you. This sharpening-angle change does not happen on a true-pivot system such as the TSPROF. Both systems are subject to a sharpening-angle change on blades that curve relative to where the blade is clamped, however.
Great video. Just one question. Does how you hold the rod at the L bracket, ie pushed up to the top or push down change the angle much. There is some slop in the unit. I ordered the system and it’s sitting at the post office, so I haven’t been able to check into it
Bottom vs top of hole only changes the angle 1/2 degree according to my angle cube. The clamp markings are still way off. I agree that consistency is what counts, but knowing the angle also matters as to what you are using the knife for.
When using the Lanskey system I put my finger behind the slot where the guide ride goes through so the rod rides at the top of slot not the bottom, this gives it a few more degrees i'm guessing. Your demo shows the guide rod riding on the bottom of the slot. Can you see that would make it closer to what the actual degree marks say they are.
I find about 1/2 degree variance between the top and bottom of the slot (greater angle on top, lesser angle on bottom). This variance is helpful to ensure the entire cutting edge gets honed & polished so I hone the angle flat and consistent using the bottom of the guide and then polish or strop the edge using the first the bottom of the guide and the finishing with the top of the guide slot. You can also use this variance to create a 1/2 degree convex edge.
I have just ordered a Lansky system kit and will be going through every knife I possess over the coming weeks. I think I am going to have to re-establish the edge of every one of these knives as I have never used a consistent system of sharpening, and some of my camping knives are a bit beaten up. What I will need to do is to determine what is going to be the ideal angle to sharpen each knife to. Some video tutorials just recommend a uniform angle and approach and claim that this works well. Others, like this one, go into high detail. Any suggestions would be welcome. For the record, I am not super technical by nature, all I want is a consistent and effective sharpening system that will keep my knives sharp and tidy.
Steve Koschella - Lansky will serve you well. Be consistent with how you mount the knife in the guide then just spend some time with it. It’s easy to get a very sharp edge with the Lansky system. Good Luck..
Lol interesting but I've had no problems producing a very sharp edge using the lansky it took a few minutes to get used to it but it's a great cheap system that produces razor sharp edge with no hassle this is all great info but seems over done. I just hit the 20 degrees slot which is probably closer to 17 and get a consistent hair popping sharp edge with minimal effort . Granted I'm not sharpening a sebenza lol I don't know that I could bring myself to put such a nice blade in that bit it does great for my manix 2 and benchmades as well as other cheapos.
The problem with this is it assumes there is no knife. You could not have the angle so acute with a knife in place. When you put a knife in the jaws the stone will rise causing the angle to increase
AloeVera84 - the kit comes with honing oil to use with the standard stones. The diamond stones are meant to be used dry. I use a little soapy water on the ceramic stones.
Does the actual angle actually even matter??...as long as they are consistent it seems that the actual angle doesnt matter...maybe because certain angles stay sharper longer?...I have no clue
Had my lansky system for 4 years now and been thinking about those angles, thanks for very good video, I nerded the heck out and putting the perfect edge on a vintage microtech m-socom :) thanks for very good content, oh yeah and subbed btw. Got a knife and outdoors channel myself, check it out if curious ;)
Good stuff ! Lansky needs to make a clamp with adjustable angle hole, only one hole, that slides in a track and marked increments for different angles / ie blade edge distance from end of the clamp / or the distance to the 90° back vertical front edge of the clamp !
What do you call the tool used to measure the angle. I'm referring to the metal gauge with the meter and measurement settings etc.... Thank you very much.
Ok, now how to compensate for the difference in distance to the base in the middle and on the tip of the blade? For a long knife you get sufficiently smaller angle at the tip which sucks because the blade itself is usually thicker there and you have to remove excessive amount of material making a tip more fragile and ugly.
ewqiupg - I use multiple clamps (usually two) depending on the length of the blade. I measure to ensure the distance side to side remains relatively constant. I also mount my clamps in a hobby vise instead of the Lansky base to provide better consistency. I bought the extra clamps on e-bay for about $10 each and the hobby vise was about $25 so with the price of the Lansky diamond stones I'm still under $100 for the set-up I use. Lastly I bought a Harbor Freight 1x30 belt sander and run a leather belt with .5 micron diamond spray as a power strop. I'm very happy with the results..
Also you are measuring the height of the holes from the bottom of the arm when in fact that’s not where the bevel will be. You didn’t take the thickness of the stock in to the equation. If you add that it makes the height of the hole raise therefore raising the angle and getting you closer to the 17 degrees it tates
In the amount of time of measuring it out and looking online the knife could be honed into shape even if the starting angle was off slightly. I wonder how I made a living working two years in a packing house without doing this? A thousand employees using knives never needed to do this and our knives were razor sharp. Total waste of time
sawdust85222 - It's important to some of us who attempt to get the most out of each blade steel. Sometimes the difference between 30 deg. inclusive & 28 deg. inclusive makes a difference. The average person can't hone an edge to within 3-5 deg. +/- anyway so to them it's meaningless.
ynotjf, forgive my ignorance, I'm new to this world. But what does it mean to "get the most" out of the blade. And what is that +-3 degrees going to do for you?
sawdust85222 - it's simply finding the best balance between sharpness and durability for a given cutting task. This involves steel type, hardness, blade geometry and edge angles.
@@ynotjf bs,,,,Put a knife in the holder and bring up a burr even if the angle is off a bit. takes little time at all. watch the vids anyone new can do it.