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Lansky

Lansky Knife Sharpeners and Honing Stones in South Africa

Lansky is American and has been making sharpening equipment since the 1970s. The range stocked here covers the two honest approaches to a dull knife: a bench stone when you have time and a flat surface, or a pocket tool when you need an edge back in the field. NeonSales carries 9 Lansky products, from R39 for honing oil up to R540 for an extra coarse diamond hone.

What Lansky products does NeonSales stock?

  • Bench stones: combination sharpening stones in 6 inch and 8 inch
  • Diamond hones: coarse and extra coarse
  • Rods: folding diamond tapered rod
  • Pocket sharpeners: BladeMedic, Roadie 8-in-1 keychain
  • Consumables: Nathan's Natural honing oil in 29.6ml and 120ml

Which sharpener for which situation?

Tool Where it works Best suited to
Bench stone At a table, with oil and time Proper sharpening, best control over angle and finish
Diamond hone Bench or handheld Hard steels that ordinary stones struggle with, and fast metal removal
Folding tapered rod Anywhere, packs small Serrations and curved edges that a flat stone cannot reach
BladeMedic Pocket, in the field Getting a working edge back quickly, four sharpening surfaces in one tool
Roadie keychain On your keys The one you actually have with you, plus a bottle opener

Coarse or extra coarse?

Grit choice follows how bad the edge is rather than how good the knife is. Extra coarse removes metal fast and is for a genuinely damaged or badly blunt edge, or for reprofiling. Coarse is the general-purpose starting point. Neither leaves a finished edge on its own, so follow with a finer surface such as the combination bench stone before stropping. Starting too coarse on a knife that only needed a touch up removes life from the blade for no gain.

Use the oil

Honing oil is not optional on an oil stone. It floats the metal particles clear so they do not clog the surface, and a clogged stone stops cutting and starts polishing. Nathan's Natural is stocked in 29.6ml for a pocket kit and 120ml for the bench. A stone kept clean and oiled lasts for years.

Common questions

Can I sharpen serrated knives? With the folding tapered rod, yes. The taper lets you match different serration sizes. A flat stone will flatten serrations rather than sharpen them.

What is the difference between sharpening and honing? Sharpening removes metal to create a new edge. Honing straightens an edge that has rolled over with use and removes almost nothing. Hone often, sharpen rarely.

6 inch or 8 inch bench stone? The 8 inch gives longer strokes and is easier to keep a consistent angle on, particularly with larger blades. The 6 inch is cheaper and takes less space.

Do diamond hones wear out? They last considerably longer than natural stones, though the diamond coating does eventually wear. They also cut faster, which means less time on the stone per sharpening.

Related: Knife Sharpeners · Blades and Knives · Kitchen Knives · Cleaning Equipment