Customer Reviews

Spyderco Ultra Fine Triangle Stone

5 star:		(15)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(3)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(2)

 

 

I own the Spyderco system, and I think it's about the all-around best sharpening system going. Easy to use, not at all messy as it requires no sharpening oil, and will truly get a knife (or other cutting tool, very versatile sharpener!)shaving sharp.

I know many reviewers of the ultra-fine stone are complaining that "they only got one stone." Jeesh! READ the specs! The catalog clearly, clearly states that they are sold INDIVIDUALLY. "Individually" signifies "one by itself", folks.

Now, for an actual review of the ultra-fine stone itself... (how's that for new and different, huh?)

The UF stone works exactly as advertised. It will put an unbelievably sharp edge on your blade! Now understand, with just the medium and fine stones included with the Sharpmaker, you can get a blade sharp enough to shave hair. However, this UF stone takes that sharpness to the next level, resulting in a blade that can be very lightly slid along your arm with next-to-no pressure at all and the hair just flies right off. It will, with just a couple of strokes, take a sharp blade to the "Samurai test" state of sharpness... putting the blade against the hair at the back of your head and attempting to move it down. If it catches and doesn't move, it's sharp!

I'd say these stones are a worthwhile purchase IF you're only satisfied with the sharpest possible edge on your knives. Like me, obviously, since I bought them and love them!

If you have the spyderco sharpmaker system and are one of those people who absolutely needs to have the sharpest knife around, this is the final piece. My knives were already sharp enough to cut a piece of paper width wise, so knowing that there was something out there that could make the blade even sharper... well that was just too much to be able to resist. To be honest, it's not a drastic increase in sharpness, but it's definitely noticeable. Buy two quantities for a complete set.

The the first couple reviewers- if you'd done any shopping around at all for these stones, you'd realize that $15 is about the going rate for 1 stone, not the set.

As long as you have a 204 sharpmaker this is a must have add on to an already great set. After the fine stone you can move over to the puppy and really take that blade to the next level. If you are working on CPM m4 or ZDP 189 make sure that the edge highly refined on the previous stones or you will get nothing the stone doesn't have enough bite to really affect the bevels of steel in that hardness range, but that should be a given since it is an Ultra fine stone. This stone with minimal effort can put a near mirror like finish on my ZDP delica in 5 mins on the 30 degree side(after the bevel is set with the lower grit stones) It also makes quick work on the 40 degree side of taking a pretty sharp knife and taking it to the next level(for edc blades). Even being as great as it is, i still do see minor edge improvement after some very light stropping on 3 micron chromium oxide(this may be a fault in my technique on the sharpmaker) All in all I find myself using the sharpmaker even more than my whetstones since i added this to my collection. Also it allows me to hit the edge on recurved blades(ie: kershaw shallot) with a high grit ceramic that is fixed in place rather than held in had like most are. Giving me much better control over the edge geometry.

Spyderco Ultra Fine Triangle Stone

Although the actual "grit" equivalency for the Ultra Fine stones are hotly debated, I couldn't tell a significant difference from touch versus the Spyderco Fine triangle stones that are included in the Triangle Sharpmaker kit. That said, when using the stones, the Ultra Fine does seem to be smoother to the touch of a blade versus the Fine stones. I couldn't really find an instruction set for the Ultra Fine stones, so I used them as a "third stage" with the medium and fine grit stones that are included in the Sharpmaker kit.

First off is the quantity. The stones are sold individually, so one must purchase 2 of the stones for each Sharpmaker kit. They are shipped in a clear tube to prevent damage. I noticed that my stones came with small chips which could be felt with a blade as I used them. I scrubbed the two stones together to smooth it out and it seems to have helped. These are extremely hard ceramic stones with an equivalent grit of at least 2000 or higher. They are very easy to use with the Sharpmaker kit and will give that razor-like edge to most blades.

I used the Ultra Fine to put the finishing touches on a Spyderco Tenacious, a meat cleaver, pocket knife, and a letter opener. The Sharpmaker kit worked well enough on its own, but the Ultra Fine put that extra fine razor edge on the blades. Some people may not care about this part, so the standard Sharpmaker kit should suffice for most users.

Overall: 5/5 stars, works as advertised, but not quite mandatory for everyone.

These sharpening stones are a great addition to the Spyderco Sharp Maker. I specifically use these for finishing harder blade steels like CPMS30V and 154CM. Incredible tool for making a scary sharp blade.

OK, the stock rods included with the Sharpmaker are excellent and will give you a hair popping edge. You only need these rods if:

1) You want a high-polished mirror-like finish to the edge.

2) You want to take the hair-popping scary-sharp edge to "sick sharp" levels.

For all general purpose needs, you don't need these as the standard rods will give you a very sharp edge. These rods improve on that only marginally, however it is noticeable to those that want the sharpest edge possible.

Another note: if you are sharpening softer steels, like the Chinese 8CR, 9CR variants, AUS8/A, or even the Sandviks, you will not keep the super sharp edge very long, maybe a few cardboard cuts. So keep that in mind before you order. A D2, 154cm, VG10, S30V, or carbon steel will hold the extra fine edge much longer.

Overall a high quality product. I do have some reservations about the cost vs value, depending on your needs.

I bought the whole system that Spyderco Sharpmaker has to offer. I purchased the diamond pair and this ultra-fine pair. I have never been able to successfully or at least consistently sharpen a knife. With this set up, I have been able to get all my knives close to the "scary sharp" level. I just purchase a strop and polish to give the edge a final finish.
Follow the instructions...take your time, and I have no doubt you will be as satisfied as I have been over the past couple of weeks using the system.

Used correctly, this will make many knives better than when brand new; most new knives are sold with edges finished at about 1000 grit. The Spyderco Fine stone can make knives as good as new, but the ultrafine stones will improve this to "shaving sharp." This means you can easily shave off most arm hair in a single pass. The edge will appear mirrored and reflect light well.

Due to the ultra-fine grit, I found that these rods took more strokes than the previous stages to finish polishing the edge; instructions suggest 20 strokes per side, I'd say the figure is closer to 30-40 to remove scratches from the fine stone. In any case, it's worth it.

Two caveats: one, the ultra-fine rods are sold individually and the Sharpmaker needs 2. Two, you will need even finer stones for sharpening a straight razor or achieving literal razor sharpness. Waterstones in the 4000-5000 grit and 8000-10000 grit range are suggested.

Overall, I consider these rods a good investment, as they extend the capabilities of the Sharpmaker, allowing you to make a moderately dull knife extremely (but not razor) sharp, and are still cheaper than a new waterstone.

There is not much to say about these. They work perfectly, and are the next level of fineness from the white stones that come with the Sharpmaker. I was able to put a razor-sharp mirror edge on each of my blades.

These stones are very nice. With these stones you can achieve a very sharp edge and have a mirror like shine on the blade. Haven't found anything wrong with them yet. Just be sure to use this along with the medium and fine stones as these are not abrasive enough to sharpen alone, only as a final step in the sharpening process.