Spyderco's benchstones

V

VTguy

Joined
Dec 11, 2006
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I ran out of 1000 grit sand paper to strop with, there are no stores near me that carry it so I have to order online. Instead of ordering more I was thinking about getting a spyderco ultrafine 2"X8" benchstone. My question is, before I order it, will this benchstone polish the edge of my knife as keen as using sand paper? is this stone an adaquite replacement? (it would be much easier) Whose got one of these stones and how do you rank it?
 
My Dad has one, it is nice, harder than-all-get-out but polishes very nicly, but I can't say how it compares to sandpaper and a mouse pad having never tried the the sandpaper trick.
 
well 32 ,views and only one response leads me to believe that people who love spyderco knives do not love their benchstones. got any other sugestions (other than edgepro I enjoy hand sharpening)
 
...or no one is loyal to spyderco sharpening products other then the sharpmaker...
 
I think the Spydie fanatics are all addicted to the Sharpmaker. From what I see around the forums, it seems like the arcane art of freehand sharpening (and therefore the use of benchstones) is a dying beast.

The Spyderco ultrafine benchstone is a great investment IF you know how to use one. It will put an incredible polish on an edge with the very lightest pressure...if you can hold your angle. Sal has said the stone is very expensive to make, and he just keeps it in the lineup for old farts like me :D

Okay, so he didn't mention me exactly, but it does seem to be more for the steel junky/freehand sharpening types, which I am ;)

One thing about it, it will last forever if you don't drop it.
 
I only have the UF rods for the sharpmaker, but I do have fine and course stones.
Assuming the grit is the same on the UF benchstones you should be able to get a very nice polished edge with one.

I normally use benchstones on larger knives, scandis and tools. I normally prefer the sharpmaker for touch ups though.
 
I would say a UF benchstone would give a more polished edge than 1000 girt sandpaper. 1000 grit has a fine, but distinct texture if you run your fingers across it, a UF stone feels about like polished marble on a countertop, wall, floor, or tombstone.
 
Our stones and other ceramic accessories are usually marketed to the woodworking crowd. Soem of the accessories (ceramic files) are made for machinists working with hard steels. Most of our small stones are used by the dental industry.

sal
 
Spyderco's benchstones are great. I have the M, F and UF. If you like using ceramics and can sharpen freehand, they are a great addition to your arsenal.

Be advised that the F and UF benchstones are going to put a much finer finish on your knife than 1000 grit paper.
 
I am a huge fan of the Spyderco benchstones, as they give me the same finish I was used to getting with the Sharpmaker, but with more angle flexibility and less burring due to the larger surface area. The UF stones leaves a very fine edge, though I'm not sure how polished it will look because I only sharpen my tiny microbevels to that level of polish, so it is hard to see. I do know the finish leaves my knives sharp enough to shave hair above the skin.
 
VTguy said:
well 32 ,views and only one response leads me to believe that people who love spyderco knives do not love their benchstones. got any other sugestions (other than edgepro I enjoy hand sharpening)
Click to expand...

That is simply not true :) I have 6 of Spyderco's 302 Benchstones. I use them on a regular basis. When I want an angle even more precise than What I feel the Spyderco 204 Sharpmaker can provide me with I get out the stones. I have about every piece of Sharpening equipment that Spyderco ever made.

I just resharpened my ZDP-189 Calypso Jr on the fine and Ultra-fine stones yesterday. That ZDP-189 is such great blade steel. But when you sharpen that blade on those 2 stones you will have something sharper than you ever imagined.

I also love the Spyderco 701 Profiles. They are ceramic files made from the same ceramic that they make all the other sharpening stones from. They are the ULTIMATE for sharpening Spyderco's serrations.
 
wow! well I guess I woke you guys up:D I am glad to here that people like the benchstones...mainly because I already ordered it! (I just couldn't imagen anything not of high quality being manufactured by/for spyderco)
 
I have the UF benchstone and UF Sharpmaker sticks.

I can humbly say that where a 'V' grind bevel is concerned these products put the most highly polished and fantastic edge I have ever seen on a knife.

Finish with some leather with Flitz and you get an edge to die for.:thumbup:

I use the UF benchstone mostly for honing straight razors. The ultra Fine sticks are amazing for giving S30V serrations the polish they really need.
 
I don't bother with the high grit stones, because I like a toothy edge. I use the 701 Profiles, those things are awesome.
 
Last Friday I ordered two of the benchstones too. On the way are the medium and the fine.....I didn't get the UF....not yet anyway. I was concerned that the UF may polish the edge more than I wanted. My stones should be here early next week.

I keep a single brown triangle stone in my trekking pack....I'll have to see if the bench stones are too big to go in a pack. I used to freehand and when the Sharpmaker came into my life I stopped freehanding. I want to try the old way again...for the fun of it you know!

:)
 
I have one of the white (fine) stones, and that's as fine as I'd ever go. It polishes up edges very well. This stone is my absolute favorite, when it comes to D2 or S30V, you need diamods or ceramic. I love the way it sharpens D2. I feel that if I am going to sharpen my knives, I'm going to do it by hand, whats the point in owning a knife colletion if you don't know how to sharpen freehand?
 
Plowboy, you don't want to carry that benchstone in your pack. Way too heavy and there are much better alternatives for that kind of use. (Spyderco's Doublestuff (303MF), Pro-Files, a Sharpmaker rod as you mentioned, or a DMT diamond diafold would all serve you well for field use.)
 
Blues....
I thought that the benchstone may be too heavy. I do carry the single grey (brown or whatever it is ) triangle stone now. I've been contemplating the DMT folding sharpener. Thanks for the recommendation.

:)
 
I have all 3 benchstones and I love them. I've read the UF is supposed to be somewhere in the area of 1800 grit and it works great as a finishing stone. It will mirror polish an edge as long you don't skip through lower grits. It's also the flattest stone I've ever seen and the only maintance it requires is cleaning with soap and water.
 
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