Spyderco -vs- Lansky
The final goal of sharpening your knives, is of course to restore a razor sharp edge on them. But what sharpening system will serve you best? And how great is the difference in results which you can expect from these sharpening systems? We will test these differences between the Spydercoand Lansky sharpening system, using kitchen knives to measure the results.
Test design
We've taken four new, high quality chef's knives with a blade length of 20 cm, each with a different type of steel and hardness. First we measured the original sharpness of the new edge, after this we blunted the knives on a sharpening stone. Then one by one the knives are sharpened on the two different sharpening systems, after which the sharpness is tested again. We also recorded the time that was needed to sharpen the knives.
Testing the sharpness
To determine the sharpness of the edge, we have created a trial set to measure the length of the movement that is required to cut a testing object with a pressure of 50 grams. The sharper the knife, the shorter the length of this movement will be.
Results
Spyderco Sharpmaker
The Spyderco Sharpmaker is suitable for sharpening all types of knives.
Basic package:
- Plastic base with holes, in which the ceramic rods can be placed at an angle of 30 or 40 degrees.
- 4 ceramic sharpening rods with a triangular cross-section in medium and fine grain.
- Extra sticks, for hand protection.
Optional:
- Diamond sharpening rods for fast results with very dull blades.
- Ultrafine sharpening rods for a razor sharp finish.
| Cm. per blok | New: 4,2 cm / After sharpening: 3,7 cm |
| Average Time | 02:23 min |
| Ease of use | Good |
Test results The Spyderco 204MF Sharpmaker is easy to use. It comes with a detailled manual with pictures and a DVD, where all the steps of the sharpening process with the Sharpmaker are explained in detail. Because the rods have different colours, they are easy to distinguish. The base generates a fixed angle for sharpening. Because additional rods are available, such as diamond and ultrafine rods, it is possible to optimize the results as required.
The result after grinding the dull blades of different types of steel was very good. A disadvantage of the Spyderco Sharpmaker is that the sharpening rods are 17.6cm, which makes it harder to sharpen long blades. They are good to use for blades up to 20cm.
Lansky sharpening system
This Lansky sharpening system can be used for all your knives.
Basic package:
- Hard wooden base with holes in which the ceramic rods can be placed at an angle of 20 or 25 degrees.
- 4 ceramic sharpening rods in medium and fine grain.
- Fixed hand protection.
| Cm. per blok | New: 4,2 cm / After sharpening: 4,6 cm |
| Average Time | 02:05 min |
| Ease of use | Very good |
Test results
The Lansky Professional Ceramic Sharpening system is compact, safe and easy to use. Because the rods are round, you do not need to switch between using the pointy and flat side of the rods. This makes the sharpening easier, but it also influences the final results.
The length of the rods ensures that both long and short knives are easy to sharpen. When using the Lansky system for sharpening blunt knives, you will clearly see an improved edge. Yet the blades do not entirely get back to the original sharpness.
Conclusion
The Spyderco 204MF Sharpmaker has clearly proven to deliver better results than the Lansky Professional Ceramic Sharpening system. An average of 22 seconds longer was necessary to restore the edge on blunt knives, but they proved worth it, by providing much better sharpness (+20%) compared to the knives which were sharpened with the Lansky system. Because of the longer rods, the Lansky could be nicer to use for long blades. Yet, these also can be sharpened excellently with the Sharpmaker.
