Why don't you use ceramic stones?

[Harold Burrell]

I'll send you a PM. I think I could almost throw it far enough for it to get there.

Better yet, if you drive it here I'll buy you coffee!

[george wilson]

Someone asked about more portable ceramic stones,I think.Google ceramic stones on Amazon. They have many sizes,including 1" x 4" pocket stones. There are at least 5 pages of ceramic stones,and sheaths for the small ones,IIRC.

[Phillip J Allen]

Yup thats it. enjoy.
Phil

[Matthew N. Masail]

Never used one, but they look like a harder version of the stones we are used to seeing as modern "ceramic" stones (which have resin binders or something similar). not quite the same thing as a ceramic stone that actually has a ceramic binder (the spydercos being the only one of those that I'm aware of).

Stu could clarify, though. He's probably busy. I could ask him if someone really wants to know, since he and I are on constant peeing contest terms.

I would really like to know, but only if it's not any trouble. the main reason I ask is that it is much easier for me to buy the dual stone than to buy the Spyderco (shipping wise) but I wonder how they compare in capability and "userness". right now I'm using the hard ark (more like a finer cutting soft ark..) and the black ark, it gives a great edge, but only so so on A2. my main issue at the moment is having to use a water stone as a 1K and then move to the arks. I'm planing on a fine Eze-lap as a 1k, so once I get than nothing is urgent, but it would be nice to know if it's worth the trouble getting the spyderco vs the dual stones. I love my chosera's but this is just a different ball game, and one I prefer to the water system.

[David Weaver]

Your most prudent move with the A2 would be to just get an old junk plane or something, lap the bottom and put 1 micron diamonds on it (or throw them on maple or something).

100 carats of 1 micron diamonds or 1/2 micron diamonds would probably be about $25 plus shipping. It would last almost indefinitely on a piece of mild steel or cast iron, and at the fineness, is no threat to contaminate anything.

[Matthew N. Masail]

not really intrested in that. . . I like stones. I have the DMT diamond paste set, would that work? I have a junk plane body.

[David Weaver]

I like stones.

Well, that's a concept I can't really grasp....


haha

The diamond paste should be fine for that. You can break the plane casting apart if you want to, also, so that you have a continous surface without a mouth to run into.

[bridger berdel]

You are using Ara-to? Binsui? Water of Ayr? Escher? Coticule? Ragstone? Hindostan? llyn melynllyn?

Those kind of old sharpening stones?

Or something *really* old, like a kyoto mountain stone from before non-royalty was allowed to have them?

Belgian blue. I now have three of them (one being on the back of a coticule). Yes they are soft, but they behave like a no soak waterstone. Fast cutting and very fine. A spritz of alcohol and go.

[Matthew N. Masail]

Well, that's a concept I can't really grasp....


haha

The diamond paste should be fine for that. You can break the plane casting apart if you want to, also, so that you have a continous surface without a mouth to run into.

lol you ARE the mother ship

I'll be dreaming of making oil stone boxs for the next week..

[Winton Applegate]

Thanks David. Crystolon has the added benefit of being cheep to buy too.

[David Weaver]

Thanks David. Crystolon has the added benefit of being cheep to buy too.

Yes. You just use it with liberal amounts of oil, though, and you must buy it new or you will end up with one that is hard that sheds no particles (and with silicon carbide fracturing into tiny bits, that means you soon have a hard surface of broken down particles).

[Steve Voigt]

Never used one, but they look like a harder version of the stones we are used to seeing as modern "ceramic" stones (which have resin binders or something similar). not quite the same thing as a ceramic stone that actually has a ceramic binder (the spydercos being the only one of those that I'm aware of).

Stu could clarify, though. He's probably busy. I could ask him if someone really wants to know, since he and I are on constant peeing contest terms.

I'd certainly be interested in knowing stu's opinion on those. I'm definitely intrigued by the idea of a synthetic "oilstone."

[David Weaver]

I'll see what he says.

[David Weaver]

Belgian blue. I now have three of them (one being on the back of a coticule). Yes they are soft, but they behave like a no soak waterstone. Fast cutting and very fine. A spritz of alcohol and go.

I have three on the backs of coticules. I never spent the time with coticules that I should have, mostly because they excel at a gentle edge, but not necessarily fast for their level of keenness.

I can't remember if you shave or not, but they are my go to when I have a razor that wants to chip on everything else, and they are one of the tougher stones to really get keenness out of with a razor - they are completely unlike anything else.

[Stan Suther]

With all the chatter over the years of reading posts about various stones, I've often wondered why the ceramics were not mentioned more often. I guess I lucked up many years ago when I bought a set of 2" Spydercos plus the set of small ceramic shapes at a carving show. Now I keep them with my diamond set to tackle pretty much any sharpening need I have, all with just a spritz of soapy water. Nice to see some confirmation from others that I don't need to crave any other high priced stones. My old set of water stones will last forever because I never use them with all their muddy mess.