I go to our local flea market a couple of times a month looking for various things. They actually have a really good selection of fruits and vegetables at very good prices most of the time. Plus all the usual stuff you'd expect at a flea market from CDs to tools to books.... and more.
There's a guy there that runs a combination booth with a display of knives and a bunch of different kinds of tools for sale. He also has a paper wheel setup for sharpening and does a bit of business sharpening everything from pocket knives to axes. Though on the axes he tends to use a 4" belt sander.
I talk to him every few weeks and he has items he wants to show me once every couple of months. Today he called me over with "I've got something to show you..." and handed me a black box. The embossed label said Spyderco. Then I saw "Ultrafine", and I started to get excited. It turns out to be a 8" x 2" ultrafine ceramic stone; model 302uf if you're keeping track. It had a bunch of metal debris on one side like you might expect. The other side was lily white and untouched.
When I asked him what he wanted for it he said they sell for about $75 online. But he didn't have much in it and he had specifically thought of me when he got it. So he told me $25. I almost fell over myself handing him the cash. It turns out the larger stone (8x3) sells for around $80 (discounted) and the 8x2 goes for closer to $50. But I still feel like I got a screaming good deal.
I used some bar keeper's friend and then dish soap and got it almost all way clean. Just a few stubborn marks remain. I decided to play around with my Spdyerco Delica in ZDP-189 and see if I could polish the bevels up. It did a good job, though I think I should have started with flatter bevels at a slightly higher grit. I last did a full sharpening ending on the DMT EF on this blade, which leaves a comparatively hazy finish that you can see the grind lines in.
After using the ultrafine, the edge definitely polished WAY up and is very reflective now. It still has grind lines here and there. It has hazy spots. It's uneven. So it's no great finishing job. But it proves that the ultrafine can definitely polish steel to a nice bright shine. It can do curved cuts through fine phonebook paper. Push cuts in either direction are nice and smooth. I'm mildly impressed with myself. Mildly.
I'm super stoked about my flea market Spyderco Ultrafine! It's hard to get a decent picture; I was going to attach one, but I see there's no attachment option. I'll have to figure out a picture hoster or something... not that anyone really wants to see pictures of a sharpening stone.... right?
Brian.
There's a guy there that runs a combination booth with a display of knives and a bunch of different kinds of tools for sale. He also has a paper wheel setup for sharpening and does a bit of business sharpening everything from pocket knives to axes. Though on the axes he tends to use a 4" belt sander.
I talk to him every few weeks and he has items he wants to show me once every couple of months. Today he called me over with "I've got something to show you..." and handed me a black box. The embossed label said Spyderco. Then I saw "Ultrafine", and I started to get excited. It turns out to be a 8" x 2" ultrafine ceramic stone; model 302uf if you're keeping track. It had a bunch of metal debris on one side like you might expect. The other side was lily white and untouched.
When I asked him what he wanted for it he said they sell for about $75 online. But he didn't have much in it and he had specifically thought of me when he got it. So he told me $25. I almost fell over myself handing him the cash. It turns out the larger stone (8x3) sells for around $80 (discounted) and the 8x2 goes for closer to $50. But I still feel like I got a screaming good deal.
I used some bar keeper's friend and then dish soap and got it almost all way clean. Just a few stubborn marks remain. I decided to play around with my Spdyerco Delica in ZDP-189 and see if I could polish the bevels up. It did a good job, though I think I should have started with flatter bevels at a slightly higher grit. I last did a full sharpening ending on the DMT EF on this blade, which leaves a comparatively hazy finish that you can see the grind lines in.
After using the ultrafine, the edge definitely polished WAY up and is very reflective now. It still has grind lines here and there. It has hazy spots. It's uneven. So it's no great finishing job. But it proves that the ultrafine can definitely polish steel to a nice bright shine. It can do curved cuts through fine phonebook paper. Push cuts in either direction are nice and smooth. I'm mildly impressed with myself. Mildly.
I'm super stoked about my flea market Spyderco Ultrafine! It's hard to get a decent picture; I was going to attach one, but I see there's no attachment option. I'll have to figure out a picture hoster or something... not that anyone really wants to see pictures of a sharpening stone.... right?
Brian.
