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701 Stones
- Thread starter L2bravo
- Start date
I don't know the answer to that question "L2Bravo" but for the life of me I can't figure it out. The Spyderco 701 Profile set is truly one of my most used sharpening tools in my entire footlocker of sharpening equipment. I find the 701 Profiles to be tops in sharpening Spyderedges and other serrated knives. I also find them indespensible using them to sharpen Hawkbill blades and blades with unusual designs like the Captain and even many recurve designs are done well with the 701 Profiles.
Several months back when I heard that they were discontinuing the 701 Profiles I immediately bought 2 more sets to go with the 3 sets I already had. So I'm good for a few years I'm sure. But as far as portable sharpening tools go and a sharpening tool you can use in a survival or even backpacking or any outdoor sharpening job I can't think of any tool I would rather have than the 701 Profiles. I hope they do return some day and I also hope that they do a diamond version of them as well.
For years I thought that the 701 Profiles was one of Spyderco's best hidden secrets. All of Spyderco's great sharpening tools are superb in my book and I very much miss the 701 Profiles being in the line up. I would have also loved one in ultra-fine as well.
I dont understand why they were discontinued either but I wish I knew about it prior to them being gone cause I too would have bought one. I was unlucky and never did get a set but continue to look but so far, no luck!
Spyderco needs to bring them back as they dont have anything else like them!
Spyderco needs to bring them back as they dont have anything else like them!
yablanowitz
Platinum Member
- Joined
- Apr 14, 2006
- Messages
- 9,978
They were killed off by the usual culprit: Low sales. No matter how great a product is, if it doesn't sell they can't afford to keep producing them.
I dont understand why they were discontinued either but I wish I knew about it prior to them being gone cause I too would have bought one. I was unlucky and never did get a set but continue to look but so far, no luck!
Spyderco needs to bring them back as they dont have anything else like them!
Well they said at the time that the new Goldenstone was pretty much meant to replace the 701 Profiles. However I own both tools and I don't see for the life of me where the Goldenstone has any significant advantages over the 701 Profiles. Because you can only get the Goldenstone in the "fine" selection>> you can't get it in any other grit at least at this time you can't.
I also think that the 701 Profiles have much more portability to them and have more versatility than what I've seen of the Goldenstone up till now. I'm sure the Goldenstone has a lot of potential but so far little is known about it or even the intent of it's design for that matter. Whereas the 701 Profiles are avialable in 2 grits ( medium & fine) and are much more handy for traveling and so forth and they are very easy to figure out.
If there is only one sharpening tool I'm allowed to have in a survival situation or for outdoor activity I can't think of anything I would rather have than the 701 Profile kit. Sales must have been dropping off or the manufacturing costs must have gone up>> whatever the reason for the 701 Profiles to be discontinued I sure wish that they would bring them back.
Second to the 701 Profiles I really like and rely on the Spyderco Doublestuff stone that I carry with me daily.
The Goldstone is interesting but like you said, it only comes in Fine. I was recommended the 701 set by a friend who loves them but by time I looked around for a set they were gone! Maybe sometime a set will come across the auction site or on a forum that I can pick up!
Good luck on that. You and every other person will be on them like a fat kid on a ding dong.
I get the low sales train of thought. But I don't think that they were marketed much. I too lost out, by the time I knew about them.
I agree that they weren't marketed much cause I didnt see them very often nor heard of them til a friend told me about them. I also agree with the fat kid on a ding dong reference but I dont lose out on many auctions that I want!
I cant believe they couldn't sell them so to me it must have been lack of public awareness that the 701's existed! Still wanna set!
I agree that they weren't marketed much cause I didnt see them very often nor heard of them til a friend told me about them. I also agree with the fat kid on a ding dong reference but I dont lose out on many auctions that I want!
I cant believe they couldn't sell them so to me it must have been lack of public awareness that the 701's existed! Still wanna set!
It's not like they didn't try to market them because they were always listed and pictured in every Spyderco "dealer"s" catalog as well as every "customer's" catalog. Other than Spyderco's 204 Sharpmaker you just don't hear them beating the drum much about their sharpening equipment. The Goldenstone for instance was years in the making and was originally designed back in 1978 but it wasn't until the past 5 years or so that they had the technology to manufacture them to Spyderco's demanding specs. It's as though they were hidden in plain view. Going back a few years ago Spyderco had another great sharpening tool called the "Galley V" sharpener. The unit came with a set of stones that were "cat's eye" shaped and were a dream to use on recurve knives and when set up in the kitchen they were an excellent unit to sharpen large culinary/kitchen type blades. I'm so glad I bought several of those stones while they were still available,
I do think that at some point we will see the 701 Profiles come back to the main line up. I do think that they will make their way back because most people I talk to won't buy the Goldenstone because they think that it is way too expensive and hardly no one really knows what all of it's intended uses are. They have never released an instructional/informational video on the unit which I personally find very odd for a tool that they have a lot invested in. The Duckfoot which was the diamond version of the Goldenstone didn't last long at all which truly surprised me because that was one tool that I had many of the guy on the Forums brag to me about.
I first started beating the drum on the amazing versatility of the 701 stones way back around 05 & 06 but few people cared for them for some unbeknowst reason. At one time Spyderco had a shorter version of the 701 stones and they were known as the 702 Profile kit and good luck finding a set of those because I haven't seen a set in over 5 years. I still have a couple of those 702 kits and they are extremely handy for backpacks, tackle boxs, machinist's tool boxes and so on.
But like I said they hit such a huge home run with the 204 Sharpmaker that they don't really seem to care a lot about whether or not they have much success with the other sharpening equipment that they sell. I've also told scores of people about their "Doublestuff" stone which had 2 different grits and comes in a great leather carrying case that is handy for all kinds of jobs. I carry mine with me almost daily and use it to touch up any of the plain edge blades I use daily. But I've gotten very few people to try out that unit as nice and handy as it is.
Well let's just keep our fingers crossed because I do think you will see a big demand for the 701 stones to return to the main line up in due time because no one wants to invest in the Goldenstone. I'm sure glad I stocked up on plenty of the 701 Profile kits because they are a very handy tool indeed.
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I have the Sharpmaker and a Double stuff but neither one gets much use as I don't get to use my knives enough to dull them up. Yeah, it is a shame! LOL
Hopefully, as we discussed, the 701 set will make it back. In the mean time as I said, I will keep my eyes open for any set that shows up for sale.
JD - You must be the reason why I couldn't get a set years ago....cause you bought them all!
Hopefully, as we discussed, the 701 set will make it back. In the mean time as I said, I will keep my eyes open for any set that shows up for sale.
JD - You must be the reason why I couldn't get a set years ago....cause you bought them all!
Fred Sanford
Gold Member
- Joined
- Sep 3, 2006
- Messages
- 3,135
I have the 701 Profiles as well. They kick butt big time. They are the best stones I have. I imagine that I'm going to have to get the 2" x 8" Spyderco bench stones in medium and fine when/if I lose or break the 701's that I have.
Sup Joe? Good to see ya brother!
Sup Joe? Good to see ya brother!
- Joined
- Jan 1, 2013
- Messages
- 462
So, I'm not sure I understand the 701 Profile stones.
Can someone tell me what the major difference is between these and just the regular sharpmaker stones? They appear to be rounded in photos, but I have no experience with the 701 stones.
Thanks
Can someone tell me what the major difference is between these and just the regular sharpmaker stones? They appear to be rounded in photos, but I have no experience with the 701 stones.
Thanks
I have the Sharpmaker and a Double stuff but neither one gets much use as I don't get to use my knives enough to dull them up. Yeah, it is a shame! LOL
Hopefully, as we discussed, the 701 set will make it back. In the mean time as I said, I will keep my eyes open for any set that shows up for sale.
JD - You must be the reason why I couldn't get a set years ago....cause you bought them all!
That's just not the case at all Sir Mike >> because for the longest time great dealers like New Graham, Grand Prarie, Oso Grande and about 6 others I could name off all were selling them and a couple of the dealers told me that most of Spyderco's sharpening tools were slow movers with the obvious exception of the mighty 204 Sharpmaker. In the past 3 years I've gotten most of my newest sharpening tools either through New Graham or Spyderco themselves and I've never run into either one of them every being out of stock on any of the sharpening tools. The very last new set of 701 Profiles that I bought I got from Spyderco about 2 months after they announced that they were discontinuing them.
I would be willing to bet that you can get any of the current sharpening tools on Spyderco's line up from either New Graham or Grand Prarie at any time. One of the latest sharpening tools I bought was that Spyderco Slip Stone and I talked to 4 dealers to get the best price and they all had them in stock>> I settled on New Graham because I just like doing business with them and the Spyderco Factory Outlet both. I would be willing to bet that if you combed all of the knife dealers throughout the country you would surely still find a set of them on someone's shelves. Because most people who love knives just don't buy that much sharpening equipment.
Other than us fanatics on the forums there really isn't a lot of people who even have any sharpening skills to speak of at all. Just keep looking and you'll snag a set of them for sure. I heard the other day that Country Knives in Pennsylvannia has a few in stock. I got that information second hand but it wouldn't hurt to check with them.
JD Spydo, Thanks for the heads up! Just scored 2 sets of those stones! Much appreciated! I have every intention of using them for my new SE blades.
Did you find the sets any cheaper than the $70 + $10 shipping from Country Knives? If so, post or PM store where you found them! Thx.
No, a little more. Did you get some there? They were out when I called them. Aslo the place I found them at, had 2 sets. I bought both. Figured I would pass a set along.
No, I missed them too. I think they had some in stock when I got to the site but when I seen the price, I had to think about it for awhile and when I went back to check if they still had some, they were gone. I just couldnt bring myself to pay the $80 for a set when they were production pieces, they sold for less than $35-40 for a set.