lansky sharpeners

[snow leopard]

i'm leaning toward getting a lansky sharpener for broadheds, in particular 2-blade. since they sell a variety of them for different purposes, which one (for those of you that use them) should i get? thanks.

[Recurve50 LBS]

I own a Lansky and the KME knife sharpener. The KME is light years better IMHO. Check out the KME they are a sponser here.

[Whip]

Originally posted by Recurve50 LBS:
I own a Lansky and the KME knife sharpener. The KME is light years better IMHO. Check out the KME they are a sponser here.

Same here.  I had a Lansky for years, then picked up the KME and it is a much nicer unit built on a similar concept.  KME also sells a great sharpener built specifically for two blade broadheads that is really the ticket for that type of head.

[LC]

I don't own a KME, hear alot of good stuff about them for sure. But I have owned a Lansky for so long I can't remember not having it and honestly with diamond stones I can't see how you could get a better sharpener for 2 blade broadheads or knives. So those that have the KME exactly "why" are they light years ahead, I guess eventually this Lansky will wear out and I'll check them out if this Lansky would crash.

[Buffalo Two Fletch]

I am very happy with my GATCO system (it is somewhat similar to the Lansky)

[Friends call me Pac]

I got a kme knife sharpener for Christmas but have used a Lanskey for 3 years to sharpen my broadheads and knives.  

The course and medium stones for the Lanskey are so worn I need to buy new ones.  Buying those two stones was not much less than buying a new lanskey so i figured I would give the kme a try.  Plus Ron aka Sharpster really went out of his way to help me understand how to use my sharpener even though it wasn't his own brand.  

Anyway when I used my Lanskey I used the standard stone kit.  Course, medium, fine.  I added an ultra fine stone to really finish the head to get a hair popping edge. I truely believe the extra fine stone is essential.

The lanskey does a great job sharpening my heads and I would think a guy could be real happy with a this system.  

I needed some new stones and since Ron was so helpful I decided to give his sytem a try.  Is it any better?  I don't know yet but I'll find out soon.

[Running Buck]

One thing you will find is that no one sharpener does it all. While the lansky system is good for narrow blades(pen knives,pocket knives,fellet knives etc)the clamp is prone to movement while in use. The KME system does a great job on wider blades and has the best clamp on the market. The system falls short when trying to sharpen narrow blades at anything less then 25 degrees( the stone will make contact with the clamp before the blade)KME does make a broadhead system that produces a fine edge on two blade heads and is very easy to use

[Friends call me Pac]

Ok I just used my KME knife sharpener for the first time.  I sharpened a broadhead on it not a knife.

things I liked better about it opposed to the lansky:

Very smooth, consistent on every stroke

Rotating clamp was solid and easy to use. Like the rotating clamp much more than flipping the whole clamp over like on the lansky

Stones were wider, covered more area on each stroke

The handle for the stone was more comfortable to me and caused no cramps in my hand.

I have the standard set with the 4 stones.  Using the system was basically the same as the lansky so no getting use to it.  

Using the stones provided I got a good edge on my broadhead but it would not shave the hair on my arm.  I got my ultra fine stone from my lansky and used it with the kme as a finishing stone.  After about 2 minutes with the ultra fine stone the broadhead was popping the hair off of my arm.

Bottom line am I happier with the kme over the lansky?  I would have to say with the exception of me needing an extra fine stone to get the edge I want I would prefer the KME.  It seems better built and just feels better to me.

I'm sure a call to Ron will result in a tip as to how to get that edge I'm looking for with the stones provided.  I'm sure the answer is there I just don't know it yet.

[Burnsie]

The angle setting on the KME is pretty much infinite, the Lansky you're limited to the 3 or 4 notches they have in the guide.

[snow leopard]

i received a 3rivers gift card for christmas, and going thru the catalog also noticed an x-block sharpening system, not much more expensive than the kme, plus it can be used with 2, 3 and 4-blade heads. anyone with any info on this puppy?

[Bobby Urban]

HAve used a lansky for a long time and find replacing the stones when they wear out with Gatco stones is a better choice and if I had it to do all over again I would just get the gatco - or KME because the clamp on the lansky slips to much with anything larger than a broadhead.  For two blade broadheads it is awesome with regards to getting the heads silly sharp and although infinate sharpening angles would be a nice feture I cannot see where it matters.  I will strongly recomend diamond stones - the lansky stone stones wear out to quick for me and then the angle is hard to maintain.  Gatco has larger stones which translate to more surface area per stroke.  I have no personal experience with the KMe but it looks like a better mousetrap and obviously has a strong following.
Bob Urban

[Jim Keller]

I have both the kme and lansky. No comparison, kme is much better.

[DannyBows]

I have both also. KME hands-down.

You Lansky users might find this interesting though. I bought a used lansky off the auction site some time ago that the guy had "Souped-up". He took thick plexi-glass, maybe 1/2-5/8" square and about 6 inches long, and embedded small files in them, rough down to fine toothed, then drilled a small hole to mount the rods on. If you have to take a lot of metal off it sure does a quick job of it, and saves a bunch on buying stones all the time.