Are the Spyderco Ceramic stones getting smaller?

T

Triple_D

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Or, have they always been different sizes? My curiosity has been piqued.

I guess it was about 1 1/2 years ago, when I purchased the fine grit, Spyderco ceramic stone. Then several months ago, I bought the medium grit stone. And as it turns out, they are not the same size. The medium grit stone is slightly smaller in length, and width. The thickness feels the same, and, the plastic cases are the same size. Has it always been this way, or are things getting smaller in the Spyderco world of sharpening?

Pardon the crappy pictures, but hopefully they show what I'm talking about.

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Tuna fish used to come in 6 oz cans. Then they went to 5 oz cans. The other day, I saw tuna fish in 4 oz cans. Do they think we don't notice these things?
 
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I can only say I see the same pattern, nothing specific on these stones. This is why I hang onto the old stuff…better made, etc. sorry you got shorted.
 
Spyderco still specs those two stones at 2" x 8" on their own site.

I've noticed for years, the advertised sizes of many stones seem to be 'nominal' sizes (approximations). They're in the ballpark, usually, like within maybe an 1/8" or so. Sometimes they might be either a little larger or a little smaller in a given dimension (length, width, thickness) than is advertised. I have a medium and fine Spyderco which I bought back in the 1990s - they're both about a 1/16" shy of a full 8" length. The 'Fine' is essentially exactly 2" in width, and the 'Medium' is about 1/32" narrower than the advertised 2" width.

The difference in length between your two examples looks kind of extreme to me - like 1/4" or more. The difference in width doesn't look too bad. If they're both 8" or less in length, I'd contact Spyderco or the dealer about replacing the smaller one. But maybe if you're real lucky, the larger one may be significantly longer than advertised.
 
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The fine grit stone is exactly 8" long. The medium grit is 3/16" shorter. It's still perfectly useable, and it's not a big enough deal (to me), that I would pursue the matter.

I made a stand out of some scrap wood when I first got the fine stone, to give my knuckles a little clearance from the bench top when using it. I put the stop pieces exactly 8" apart, so the stone wouldn't move around. But the medium grit stone is a little loose.

It's OK. I was just wondering if this might be a cost cutting measure.

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I have the medium and fine stones that I bought a number of years a ago. I don’t recall exactly when. The medium is 7 7/8” long and the fine is 7 15/16” long. I doubt that the new stones are shrinking.
 
The difference in size is explained by the fact that the stones have a different manufacturer. The older stones came from a different manufacturer and now some other Chinese subcontractor makes the stones cheaper and Spyderco is satisfied because the quality is sufficient and the profit is increasing.

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Spyderco's own site descriptions (linked below) still say their bench hones are 'MADE IN USA'. Whether or not they're using a different domestic contractor, who knows. I don't think the size variation is anything new, in stones like these.

Benchstone Medium - Spyderco, Inc.

Made from ultra-hard alumina ceramic material, Spyderco's medium-grit benchstone is used like a traditional sharpening stone, but does not require oil or water. Its broad, flat surface is ideal for sharpening woodworking tools and all types of knives and c...
www.spyderco.com www.spyderco.com

Benchstone Fine - Spyderco, Inc.

Made from ultra-hard alumina ceramic material, Spyderco's fine-grit benchstone is used like a traditional sharpening stone, but does not require oil or water. Its broad, flat surface is ideal for sharpening woodworking tools and all types of knives and can...
www.spyderco.com www.spyderco.com
 
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The photos by the OP show the boxes say “made in U.S.A.” And my older stone boxes say the same thing. I guess it is possible that the stones were made in a different location, but that seems doubtful. In any event. A 1/16” difference in the length of my stones is no problem for me, since I use the boxes to hold them while sharpening - or I move the stones over a larger blade. An 1/8” shy of 8” is no big deal.
 
Now you are making me want to go dig out my spyderco bench-stones and compare them.

OK, I am back and my oldest stone is the medium grit and it is shorter than my fine and Ultra-fine stones. The ultra-fine is my newest stone by more than a few years. I guess that I must have a defective medium grit stone. :rolleyes:
 
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SpyderCo's sintered ceramic stones are made right in Golden, Colorado by CoorsTek. The difference is likely due to the difference in formulation and sintering process between the two materials and there may have been changes in the formulation over time. Sintered stones do have some degree of shrinkage/warpage during the sintering process and they may have more shrinkage to them than they used to, but the dies being used are likely still the same size.
 
Thanks, that's good information.

They are great stones, and I really like them. They offer excellent feedback. If I were only going to have one sharpening stone for knives, I would definitely pick the medium grit. It works very well, for me. For my plane and chisel blades, I still prefer my large (10") DMT diamond plates, because I can use my Veritas honing guide with them.
 
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