Duckfoot & Goldenstone: How do you use them?

[JD Spydo]

I've been playing a lot with my Spyderco Duckfoot and Goldenstone sharpening tool and I've come to the conclusion that there is probably more than 100 ways to use these uniquely designed sharpening tools. So my question to all you Spyderco Brethren is::: How do you personally use your Duckfoot and Goldenstone sharpening tool?

Also do any of you use it over the 701 Profiles for serrated blades?

Do any of you use these Spyderco sharpening tools for woodworking tools?

It's been a while since these great Spyderco sharpening tools have been available so I know in my gut that there are some of you who have found other ways of using them. I like using my Goldenstone on recurves and Spyderedges but I'm willing to bet that there are others here that do it but probably in a different way than the Duckfoot video shows.

Also how many of you would like to see the Goldenstone in different grits?

 

[JD Spydo]

This really blows me away that 68 people so far have viewed this thread but yet no one seems to know anything about Spyderco's GOLDENSTONE or Duckfoot sharpeners. But then again when the 204 Sharpmaker hit the scene it was a very long time before it gained any significant fanfare. So maybe it's just a lack of knowledge about the unit? But that's why I'm tryiing to see if anyone else has checked out the GOLDENSTONE yet.

I have to believe that if machinists and/or woodworkers would try this tool out they would find dozens of uses for it. I know that there are a few of you out there that do indeed have one>> so tell us what you use it for?

 

[sir_mike]

Different grits might help sell them but so would some info on them. I seem to remember that they came out with no directions or anything, kinda just showed up. I hear they have other products in the works but who knows when or if they will hit the market. Man cant live with the Sharpmaker alone!

I want some new and better sharpening equipment and cannot wait forever for Spyderco to release some new and updated stuff! I love Spyderco but they need to get some new sharpening gear out with coarse and maybe extra coarse grits too!

 

[JD Spydo]

I probably should have put this thread over at "Tinkering & Embellishment" and just made a general sharpening thread out of it.

But with Spyderco having so much proprietary sharpening equipment of their own I was just almost certain that there were fans of their sharpening equipment here on the BF subforum??

As long as the Duckfoot and Goldenstone have both been on the market it realy baffles me as to why so little interest in their great sharpening tools?

Albeit it took 2 to 3 years before the 204 Sharpmaker caught fire on the open market. When they first brought out the 204 Sharpmaker it took me almost 8 months to even be able to get one even though they were advertising it in several knife publications>> but dealers could not get them until it had been on the open market for almost a year or so.

Now I can see why there is so little interest in Spyderco's great 701 Profiles. And I guess just because you might be a fan of Spyderco blades doesn't necessarily make you a fan of Spyderco's sharpening tools.

 

[sir_mike]

They dont seem to market them very well or put out videos or instructions introducing them...I am guessing but never heard much about the goldenstone til I seen it on Ebay but then couldnt find out anything when I googled it. Also priced kinda high for me anyway and no medium grit. If it had both grits and priced alittle lower, I probably would have tried it.

 

[JD Spydo]

They dont seem to market them very well or put out videos or instructions introducing them...I am guessing but never heard much about the goldenstone til I seen it on Ebay but then couldnt find out anything when I googled it. Also priced kinda high for me anyway and no medium grit. If it had both grits and priced alittle lower, I probably would have tried it.

I totally agree with you there "Sir Mike" because it does seem like only the really hard core Spyderco fans even know of their existence and even fewer dare to try them out. As with the 204 Sharpmaker it might be hard to market because so many people over the years have been burned on some many sharpening gimmicks from many different companies that turned out to be lousy tools to begin with or they made completely un-realistic claims about the product that they couldn't back up; and some of them are extremely expensive to boot. Not to mention that many new Sharpening tools are very high priced and with this economy being what it has been in the last 5 years people are very slow to pull the trigger on a new product.

And you're absolutely right about there being limited information about it on any of the more popular search engines>> I've gotten very frustrated attempting to search out information on the Goldenstone and Duckfoot both which is one of the main reasons I've tried to stir up conversation on both forums by trying out some brain picking threads on these forums to see what the other brethren have possibly discovered by now. But again it is baffling that even hard core Spyderco fans seem to be really "stand-offish" about many of Spyderco's newer sharpening tools.

But Spyderco's lack of information coupled with no factory instructional video available just shoots them in the foot marketing-wise in my opinion. But going back again to the 204 Sharpmaker when I first seen it advertised in a major knife magazine back in the late 90s. The 204 unit was extremely hard to get your hands on one for the first year or so. It took me about 8 months and checking out at lest 4 dealers before I finally landed one. And it was another 2 to 3 years before the fanfare and demand rose up for the 204 Sharpmaker before the unit got well known to the entire knife community as we know it >> well now a lot of non-Spyderco fans and avid blade users have bought the 204 Sharpmaker and dearly love of the 204 unit.

I know that Spyderco is a relatively small company and they have a lot of stuff on their plate at any one time and I'm sure they have limited time and funds for many of their endeavors. But they need to get out the information on the product if they want a hefty return on their investment. Because it's pretty bad when even Spyderco fanatics can't even get any info on the units. Don't misunderstand my sentiments because this thread is not meant to be mean spirited by any means but there are folks like me and Sir Mike along with many other Spyder Fans and sharpening fanatics that would love to learn more about the Duckfoot and Goldenstone sharpeners.

 

[sir_mike]

As well as the so called "new products in the works"! :

Should start a thread to get folks to list all their sharpening equipment that they have and note what they actually use! Could be interesting for sure!

I myself do not want a bunch of equipment laying around here and already probably have more than I do blades! That is just wrong!! This is why I am always asking what to use or get or what do you use, etc. so I dont end up with a pile of unused stuff.

 

[JD Spydo]

As well as the so called "new products in the works"! :

Should start a thread to get folks to list all their sharpening equipment that they have and note what they actually use! Could be interesting for sure!

I myself do not want a bunch of equipment laying around here and already probably have more than I do blades! That is just wrong!! This is why I am always asking what to use or get or what do you use, etc. so I dont end up with a pile of unused stuff.

A big AMEN!!! on everything you just said "SIR MIKE". I should just start a thread on Spyderco's great line up of sharpening equipment and even go past and present on that too.

But I'm just a bit frustrated here because I distinctly remember when the Duckfoot and Goldenstone both first got introduced into the main product line up there was all kinds of people talking about those 2 new sharpeners from the Great Spyder Factory. There hasn't been a sharpening tool from Spyderco that I've ever been disappointed with once I learned to use them.

But the Duckfoot and Goldenstone units are the hardest ones to get any information about. It's almost like it's a carefully hidden secret. I know that Mr. Glesser being the great innovator that he is probably knows about 100 things you can do with those tools and you would think by now we would be seeing some information come forth on these great sharpening tools. I truly do want to know more about them. I'm sure they would be a machinist's and woodworker's drream needless to say.

 

[darkaether]

I'm pretty sure my duck foot came with a video in it.

 

[cyc79]

I bought the Goldenstone a couple months ago and have no regrets. I've only used it a few times but I really like it. It's a very substantial (heavy!) chunk of ceramic that I'm sure will be here long after mankind has disappeared
I can see multiple uses for it beyond normal knife sharpening, particularly for my woodcarving tools with curved blades, but haven't actually used it much for that yet, but will, and can see no reason why it wouldn't excel at that. The ability of it to sharpen various curves and angles are what first attracted me to it.
I think that it's somewhat unconventional design is what actually works against it -a lot of people may not quite know what to make of it.
I do wish detailed instructions were available.

 

[JD Spydo]

I bought the Goldenstone a couple months ago and have no regrets. I've only used it a few times but I really like it. It's a very substantial (heavy!) chunk of ceramic that I'm sure will be here long after mankind has disappeared
I can see multiple uses for it beyond normal knife sharpening, particularly for my woodcarving tools with curved blades, but haven't actually used it much for that yet, but will, and can see no reason why it wouldn't excel at that. The ability of it to sharpen various curves and angles are what first attracted me to it.
I think that it's somewhat unconventional design is what actually works against it -a lot of people may not quite know what to make of it.
I do wish detailed instructions were available.

Hey I'm glad you chimed in>> I was wondering what woodworkers and wood carvers might think of the units. I don't know much about wood carving per se but I have read a few of their publications. One publication I read had some really great sharpening tips in it. It makes me wonder if Spyderco wouldn't do well to advertise their sharpening equipment in woodworking and wood carving magazines.

Also I do think there would be a great market in the machine tool sector because they are constantly looking for new ways of deburring critical parts.

Again I'm looking forward to any video or instructional booklet that might be forthcoming soon.

 

[JD Spydo]

I'm pretty sure my duck foot came with a video in it.

You're right the Duckfoot units did come with a video. I got one with mine about 2 years ago right when they discontinued the unit. However it laid out the basics for the most part but I still feel like it left a lot to be desired.. But it did give you enough to get started with it.

I do hope we see both units in CBN before too long.