Lansky Sharpeners Deluxe Five Stone System

One of the most important things to consider when sharpening a knife is the angle that you put on the edge: 17° is suitable for a razor edge on a filleting knife but is too delicate for a general-purpose blade; 30° is ideal for heavy-duty use, being durable and hard-wearing, but not for filleting. Angles between these two are suitable for slicing knives or general-purpose use, but how do you get the angle right?

Lansky sharpening system

This clever tool uses a Controlled Angle System to hold the blade and sharpening stone at a set angle to each other, ensuring your knife edge is sharpening to a precise bevel. The tool can sharpen to four angles:

17° – For extremely sharp tools like filleting knives
20° – For higher quality kitchen knives
25° – A very durable and sharp angle most suited to hunting and outdoor knives
30° – For heavy-duty cutting on materials like cardboard or carpeting

Honing stones

The set includes five stones that vary from extra-coarse to ultra-fine and they are colour-coded to ensure you use the correct one. The coarsest stone is used to reprofile an edge that has been damaged or heavily used, while the finest stone is used to put a final polish on a sharp edge. The stones in between are used for different levels of conditioning and touching up of a blade.

The sharpening process

With the blade secured in the multi-angle clamp and a guide rod attached to a honing stone, you then select the hole in the guide that corresponds with the angle you intend to put onto the blade edge. The stones should be oiled before use, using the honing oil included, with just a few drops being required on the face of the stone that will be in contact with the blade. The guide rod is inserted into the correct hole in the clamp, and you then apply the stone across the blade edge, working towards the tip in a sweeping motion (the detailed instructions include a diagram showing the correct sharpening action). It is always a good idea to mark the very edge of the blade with a dark marker pen, as this will be rubbed off to indicate you are sharpening the correct part of the blade.

Conclusion

This kit has been available in various forms for over 40 years, which is a testament to just how good it is. For either novices or experts, it is a great way to maintain your blades and is well worth investing in. The honing stones are very good quality and show little signs of wear, even after prolonged use. The kit comes in a custom-made quality box and, to make holding and sharpening a knife easier, Lansky also makes a Super C Clamp Mount that allows you to attach the clamp holding the knife to the edge of a work surface.