The Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone Sharpening System buys you two things the Standard kit does not. One is a 70 grit extra coarse hone for rebuilding wrecked edges. The other is a 1000 grit ultra fine hone for polishing.
Everything else in the box is the same. Same clamp, same four angle slots, same honing oil, same case.
That makes the buying decision simple. If your knives are neglected, chipped, or you want a polished edge, the two extra stones earn their cost. If you keep decent knives touched up, the 3-Stone Standard does the same job for a bit less money.
The bigger question is whether any Lansky clamp kit fits your knives at all. Small folders and thick blades both fight the clamp. This page covers what is actually in the kit, what owners complain about, and who should buy which version.
What is in the Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone Sharpening System
Lansky lists five hones in the Deluxe kit, model LKCLX. Extra coarse at 70 grit, coarse at 120, medium at 280, fine at 600, and ultra fine at 1000. Each hone comes mounted on a plastic holder with its own guide rod.
The clamp has four angle slots on each side: 17, 20, 25, and 30 degrees. Lansky pairs 17 with razors and fillet knives, 20 with kitchen cutlery, 25 with hunting knives, and 30 with heavy duty tools. The kit also includes extended clamp screws, honing oil, and a storage case.
Price sits around $40 to $50 depending on the retailer. That puts it in the same band as most entry level clamp and rod sharpeners and well under anything with a proper adjustable arm.
What actually matters with a clamp kit like this
Grit count is the least important thing about a guided kit. Three things decide whether you get a clean bevel. Clamp fit on your specific knife, rod flex, and whether the stones match your steel.
Judge the Lansky on those before you count hones.
Clamp fit
The clamp grips the spine and the rods pass through angle slots in the clamp head. The head has a fixed size, so blade height sets your real angle, not just the slot you pick. A tall chef’s knife and a narrow paring knife clamped in the same slot get different edge angles.
If you care about the exact number, work out the actual angle for your blade height before you start. Most owners never do, and their edges are still fine. Consistency matters more than the number.
Rod flex
The guide rods are thin steel. Press hard and they bow, which opens the angle slightly at the tip of the stroke. Owner reports repeatedly mention this as the main reason a Lansky edge ends up slightly convex rather than flat.
The fix is light pressure and patience. That is also why the 70 grit stone matters. Coarse grit removes metal without you leaning on the rod.
Stone type versus steel
The Deluxe kit uses aluminum oxide hones with oil. They cut plain carbon and mainstream stainless well: 440C, 154CM, VG10, AUS8, 8Cr13MoV. The recurring complaint is that they crawl on high vanadium steels like S35VN, S90V, and S110V.
If most of your knives are in that second group, buy the Lansky diamond hones separately or skip the kit. Owners who try to reprofile a super steel folder on the 70 grit oil stone usually give up before the bevel is done.
Deluxe versus Standard: the comparison
| Kit | Hones | Best for | Price band | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone | 70, 120, 280, 600, 1000 | Reprofiling and polishing | $$ | See card below |
| Lansky Standard 3-Stone | 120, 280, 600 | Maintaining decent edges | $ | Price |
| Work Sharp Precision Adjust | Diamond 320, 600, ceramic | Adjustable angle, wider steel range | $$ | Price |
Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone Sharpening System (LKCLX)
Best for Neglected Knives
Five oil hones, 70 to 1000 grit | four angle slots | around $40 to $50
This is the kit to buy if you own knives that need real work. The 70 grit hone chews through a rolled or chipped edge in a fraction of the strokes the 120 needs. The 1000 grit hone then takes the 600 edge to a light polish.
Who should buy it: hunters, campers, and home cooks with a drawer of dull knives in ordinary steel. Who should skip it: anyone whose knives are mostly small folders, and anyone with a collection of high vanadium steel. The clamp is the weak point for the first group and the stones are the weak point for the second.
Pros
- 70 grit hone makes reprofiling practical without a diamond upgrade
- Full grit ladder from repair to polish in one case
- Same four angles as the Standard, so nothing is lost by stepping up
Cons
- Clamp head hits the stone before the edge on narrow blades at 17 degrees
- Rods flex under pressure and round the bevel
- Oil hones struggle on super steels
Lansky Standard 3-Stone System (LKC03)
Best Value
Coarse 120, medium 280, fine 600 | same clamp and angles | usually a little less than the Deluxe
The Standard kit drops the two end stones and keeps the three you will use most. Lansky lists the red 120 for reconditioning, the green 280 for sharpening, and the blue 600 for frequent touch ups. For a knife that is dull but not damaged, that is the whole job.
Buy it if you plan to maintain edges rather than rebuild them. Skip it if you have a chipped blade waiting. At 120 grit, real damage takes a long time.
The extra hones can be added later, but bought separately they cost close to the price gap.
Pros
- Cheapest way into the Lansky clamp system
- Covers routine sharpening on everyday steel
- Fully compatible with every add on hone Lansky sells
Cons
- 120 grit is slow on chips and rolled edges
- 600 grit leaves a toothy finish some cooks dislike
Owner complaints you should know before buying
The clamp and small knives
This is the loudest complaint. On the current clamp design the head is wide, and at 17 degrees the stone touches the clamp knob before it reaches a narrow blade’s edge. Swiss Army knives, small paring knives, and slim folders are the usual victims.
The rubber clamp pads also compress under a thin blade, so the knife can shift mid stroke. One owner ground down the clamp tip and swapped the screws to make it work. Lansky’s answer was a separate small knife clamp, which is another purchase.
Clamp slip and bracket bend
Thicker blades need the extended screws. Owners who skip them report the clamp walking along the spine. Heavy clamping to stop that walk bends the bracket at the set screws, and a few owners report cracks.
Clamp firmly, not violently, and use the long screws when the blade is thick.
Setup is the whole game
Owner reviews split into two camps: people who get screaming sharp edges and people who call the system junk. The difference is almost always setup. If the stone is not flat in its holder or the rod is not fully home in the slot, the angle wanders.
When to spend more than the Lansky
The Lansky clamp gives you four fixed angles and a small clamp. That is enough for most kitchen and hunting knives. It is not enough if you want a specific angle like 15 degrees, or if you sharpen long chef’s knives that need the clamp moved twice per side.
The Work Sharp Precision Adjust sits in the same price band with an adjustable arm and diamond plates, which solves the super steel problem. Above that, the KME adds a ball joint and a far stronger clamp. The KME review explains what that extra money buys.
Our ranked list of guided sharpening systems puts the Lansky against all of them.
For the rest of the Lansky range, including the diamond and Turn Box options, see the overview of every Lansky sharpener. If you are not sure a clamp system is the right style at all, start with how the main sharpener types differ and come back.
The bottom line: Buy the Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone Sharpening System if you have damaged knives in ordinary steel. It repairs and polishes in one kit, while the Standard is enough if you only maintain edges. Skip both if your knives are mostly small folders or high vanadium steel.
FAQ
Is the Lansky Deluxe 5-Stone Sharpening System worth it over the Standard?
Yes if you need the 70 grit for repairs or the 1000 grit for polish. The two extra hones bought separately cost close to the price difference. Buying the Deluxe up front is cheaper if you will ever want them.
What angle should I use on the Lansky?
Lansky pairs 20 degrees with kitchen knives and 25 with hunting knives. The real edge angle changes with blade height. A tall blade in the 20 slot ends up a bit shallower than a narrow one, so pick a slot and stay with it.
Can the Lansky Deluxe sharpen serrated knives?
Not with the flat hones in the kit. Lansky sells a separate serrated hone that fits the same rod system.
Does the Lansky Deluxe work on S30V or S35VN?
It works slowly. The aluminum oxide hones cut those steels but take many more strokes and wear faster. Owners who sharpen super steels regularly add the Lansky diamond hones or move to a diamond based system.
Why does my Lansky edge look rounded instead of flat?
Rod flex. Pressing hard bows the guide rod and opens the angle at the far end of the stroke. Use light pressure and let the coarse stone do the cutting.
Do I need the honing oil?
The kit hones are designed for oil, and running them dry loads the surface with swarf faster. Use the included oil or a light mineral oil.