Hone Grit Size?

[Sure Shot Rick]

Does any one know the Grit size of a white ultra fine Spyderco synthetic as compared to a Norton 8000?:confused:

[Jim]

Does any one know the Grit size of a white extra fine Spyderco synthetic as compared to a Norton 8000?:confused:

I thought this post was about grits :mad:

[JohnP]

Hi,
I've heard various numbers, but I believe the Spyderco rep said it was around 2,000. Not sure how correct this is, or which system (U.S. or Japanese) he was referring to, but mine works great on my straight razors. It travels better than a Norton (ask me about my poor shattered 4k/8k....great hone, but I guess I had to learn somehow) and can be used dry.
In practice, it seems to work somewhere in the ballpark of the 4k side of the Norton, because my travel hone set consists of it and a cushion hone-strop (thanks Tony Little) for finishing, and usually this is all I need to get in business.
At home I can play with the Belgian hones, or other Barber hones, etc but that Spyderco is just plain reliable and does a great job.
Sorry, I guess I could've just typed 2,000.....
:tongue:
John P.

[moses]

I miss grits. I love grits. I live in NYC. People here don't even know what grits are. :mad:

Size depends on the type of grit. your basic storebought grit is fairly small, and very uniform in size. Stone ground grits tend to be a little larger, with much more variation in size, creating a more interesting texture when eaten.

Frankly I would stay away from those grits you're talking about. Never heard of grits from Spyderco, but extra fine isn't a good thing, unless your in a blasted hurry to cook them, and synthetic grits?!?!?! bleh.

[guenron]

I miss grits. I love grits. I live in NYC. People here don't even know what grits are. :mad:

Size depends on the type of grit. your basic storebought grit is fairly small, and very uniform in size. Stone ground grits tend to be a little larger, with much more variation in size, creating a more interesting texture when eaten.

Frankly I would stay away from those grits you're talking about. Never heard of grits from Spyderco, but extra fine isn't a good thing, unless your in a blasted hurry to cook them, and synthetic grits?!?!?! bleh.
Them extra fines go good with cheese or red eye gravy..

[kozulich]

Hi,
I've heard various numbers, but I believe the Spyderco rep said it was around 2,000. Not sure how correct this is, or which system (U.S. or Japanese) he was referring to, but mine works great on my straight razors. It travels better than a Norton (ask me about my poor shattered 4k/8k....great hone, but I guess I had to learn somehow) and can be used dry.
In practice, it seems to work somewhere in the ballpark of the 4k side of the Norton, because my travel hone set consists of it and a cushion hone-strop (thanks Tony Little) for finishing, and usually this is all I need to get in business.
At home I can play with the Belgian hones, or other Barber hones, etc but that Spyderco is just plain reliable and does a great job.
Sorry, I guess I could've just typed 2,000.....
:tongue:
John P.

The spyderco ultra fine is 2000 grit US or 4000 grit Japanese, so it is similar to the 4K side of the Norton. I agree with everything else you said, plus they stay true and flat. For an even finer ceramic look for the Moors White ceramic hone. Basically just like the spyderco (without the cool plastic box) but in a grit range of 6000 US or 12,000 Japanese. I use the moors white for maintenance touch up honings. The only gripe I have with either of these stones is that they will clog up pretty easily. OTOH, you can put them in your dishwasher and they come out practically as clean as new.

Orest

[JohnP]

I'll have to look those up, because I really like my Spyderco hone for both its performance as well as its convenience. Unfortunately, I've since lost the cool plastic box you were refering to.
Thanks for the heads up on those hones.
John P.

[thestubblefactory]

I think the Spyderco would be a bit rough for straights unless you bought an old one that had some sizable nicks in it. Then the Spyderco would be good for repair. But for everyday honing I would stick to the 4000/8000

[mparker762]

I miss grits. I love grits. I live in NYC. People here don't even know what grits are. :mad:

Ask for polenta. "grits" aint fancy enuff for them fancy-shmancy yankees.

[JohnP]

I think the Spyderco would be a bit rough for straights unless you bought an old one that had some sizable nicks in it. Then the Spyderco would be good for repair. But for everyday honing I would stick to the 4000/8000
One would think so. However, as I have both, I can assure you that surprisingly, the Spyderco hone performs on a par with the 4k side of the Norton. Perhaps it is due to the difference in grit size reporting, U.S. vs Japanese, as posted above. The Spyderco cuts sufficiently slow that it is still a good deal of work to get rid of the sizable nicks. I almost think the Norton 4k cuts those a little faster; If the razor is ESPECIALLY bad, I've been known to use a 1200 grit stone until the nick is ALMOST gone, then switch to the Spyderco or the Norton.
On the plus side, the Spyderco is extremely durable, doesn't require the 10 minute soak before each use (unless you LEAVE it in the water) and in fact, unlike the Norton, can be used dry.
Personally, I think this sickness is just like SCAD; once you buy one hone, you'll buy another, and another, and then your straights will breed in dark places, and there will be 10 straights where once were 1 or 2.....
I have pretty consistent results using the Spyderco hone interchangeably with the 4k side of the Norton. Hope this helps.
Have fun
John P.

[rtaylor61]

My understanding is that the Sypderco ULTRA FINE is a 12,000 grit, used by many to polish off the edge after hitting the Norton 8K stone.

Randy

[JohnP]

Randy,
if that's true WHOO HOO!!
Mine only cost me around 20 bucks...
Couldve sworn it was 2K, though; I've been using it in lieu of my 4k side on the Norton (which poor thing, was shattered after not doing well during helicopter transit...lol long story)
I will be buying another Norton, but in the mean time, the Spyderco is EXCELLENT.

John P.

[rtaylor61]

Randy,
if that's true WHOO HOO!!
Mine only cost me around 20 bucks...
Couldve sworn it was 2K, though; I've been using it in lieu of my 4k side on the Norton (which poor thing, was shattered after not doing well during helicopter transit...lol long story)
I will be buying another Norton, but in the mean time, the Spyderco is EXCELLENT.

John P.

John,

Remember...ULTRA FINE. Spyderco makes several hones, and most are not the Ultra Fine. Check with Robert at Straight Edge Razors. He uses the Ultra Fine on his razors.

Randy

[JohnP]

Yes, Randy...
mine is an UltraFine, with serial numbers ending in UF. I specifically ordered it for my straights about a year or 2 ago after being very satisfied with another Spyderco sharpening product I owned. The 2K number I got was from the Spyderco rep, over the phone about a year ago when I asked. Nothing in the documentation with the hone says what grit it is, so it is entirely possible it is much finer and I am wasting my time with it in place of the 4k, but I've been getting decent results with it FWIW.
OBTW...I also know I "stole" it. It was being clearanced by a site that mostly sold electronic items like USB drives, believe it or not...
I've never seen them that cheap since.
John P.

[JohnP]

Has me wondering now....
have I been doing this backwards? Gonna have to try going from the 8k to the Spyderco now....the site doesn't say either. If anyone is wondering which hone we are talking about, it is this one:
http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=81
John P.

[rtaylor61]

Has me wondering now....
have I been doing this backwards? Gonna have to try going from the 8k to the Spyderco now....the site doesn't say either. If anyone is wondering which hone we are talking about, it is this one:
http://spyderco.com/catalog/details.php?product=81
John P.

John,

I may be wrong, but I do believe that you have the 12K. As I mentioned, double check with Robert at SER.

Randy

[JohnP]

Randy,
I read some of the stuff Robert said over there, and, just curious, what is the "Fernsler's Ruby hone" he referred to using after the spyderco? I have both Belgians (blue and yellow) as well as Norton, Swaty, the usual suspects...but am not familiar with this hone...any info would be appreciated, I am really drawn to hones that I don't have to soak first, or use next to the sink....
John P.

[rtaylor61]

Randy,
I read some of the stuff Robert said over there, and, just curious, what is the "Fernsler's Ruby hone" he referred to using after the spyderco? I have both Belgians (blue and yellow) as well as Norton, Swaty, the usual suspects...but am not familiar with this hone...any info would be appreciated, I am really drawn to hones that I don't have to soak first, or use next to the sink....
John P.

I don't have a clue. Considering he has just forged his own razor, I think he would be the authority!

Randy

[JohnP]

I don't have a clue. Considering he has just forged his own razor, I think he would be the authority!

Randy
No kidding? Is he planning to start selling these? I remember there was some talk a LOOOONG time ago on SRP about perhaps someone here in the U.S. starting up manufacture of straights....maybe he could succeed where others did not....
That would be REALLY cool.
John P.

[rtaylor61]

No kidding? Is he planning to start selling these? I remember there was some talk a LOOOONG time ago on SRP about perhaps someone here in the U.S. starting up manufacture of straights....maybe he could succeed where others did not....
That would be REALLY cool.
John P.

I'm not sure. I don't know enough about the process to know if it would be feasible.

Randy

[JohnP]

Either way, I've been grinding away on my Spyderco UF, thinking it was 2K grit....but if it is actually 12K, well now I'm going to have to see how it does as a finishing hone.
John P.

[PalmettoB]

I miss grits. I love grits. I live in NYC. People here don't even know what grits are. :mad:

Size depends on the type of grit. your basic storebought grit is fairly small, and very uniform in size. Stone ground grits tend to be a little larger, with much more variation in size, creating a more interesting texture when eaten.

Frankly I would stay away from those grits you're talking about. Never heard of grits from Spyderco, but extra fine isn't a good thing, unless your in a blasted hurry to cook them, and synthetic grits?!?!?! bleh.

That sounds like a great idea. I think I'll go make some. Yeah, Moses, they might ask you, "what's a grit?" Although I think I have my Yankee in-laws convinced that grits are good! :biggrin:

But to stay on post, I assume you need a VERY fine grit stone to hone a straight. I have been thinking about getting one (EDIT: A straight, that is) , and will monitor this end of the forum for news on how to hone and with what stones/strops. Thanks all for the great info.

[rtaylor61]

Why is it that when I hear the word "grits", I think about "My Cousin Vinny"?

Randy

[moses]

When my father started teaching in the sixties, he worked with a slightly older prof who was from NYC. This gentleman and his wife had only very recently moved away from the cold North, and he was not yet familiar with the legendary food of the South. He and my father, and their wives, went to a conference in Georgia. The first day there, they breakfasted at an establishment call Pitty Pat's Porch. The Yankee ordered something, I really don't know what, it doesn't matter. Say eggs and bacon. Much to his surprise, when it came out, there was a bowl of something white and goopy with it. Now this was especially a surprise, because the menu did not mention anything else coming with the eggs and bacon. It was like the toast, it just showed up. Not being from the more blessed part of the country, he did not realize this was normal. The Yankee, being a yankee, says to the young woman serving them: "I didn't order that - What in the hell is that stuff?"

The response, in an ice-cold voice not to be questioned: "Georgia ice cream. EAT IT."

[PalmettoB]

When my father started teaching in the sixties, he worked with a slightly older prof who was from NYC. This gentleman and his wife had only very recently moved away from the cold North, and he was not yet familiar with the legendary food of the South. He and my father, and their wives, went to a conference in Georgia. The first day there, they breakfasted at an establishment call Pitty Pat's Porch. The Yankee ordered something, I really don't know what, it doesn't matter. Say eggs and bacon. Much to his surprise, when it came out, there was a bowl of something white and goopy with it. Now this was especially a surprise, because the menu did not mention anything else coming with the eggs and bacon. It was like the toast, it just showed up. Not being from the more blessed part of the country, he did not realize this was normal. The Yankee, being a yankee, says to the young woman serving them: "I didn't order that - What in the hell is that stuff?"

The response, in an ice-cold voice not to be questioned: "Georgia ice cream. EAT IT."

:lol: And they're not Cream of Wheat...or oatmeal...you don't put sugar, brown sugar, or any fruit mess on them....butter and salt. Jus' eat yor grits like God intended! (although I suppose in some quarters, cheese grits are acceptable, but I'm not a fan!)

[GarageBoy]

There's no equivalent grit for Spyderco hones mainly b/c, it's not grit. It's fused ruby like particles, that's been baked. The underlying particles then "melt" into the surface.
I can tell you, the UFs (in the black box) are REALLY REALLY fine

[jnich67]

Baked grits?

Jordan

[sphughes]

I just thought it was worthwhile to bump this thread for a few reasons. The grit v grit dialogue is pure humor IMO. Seriously though, I recently picked up a Spyderco Ultra Fine Stone and I have to agree that it is more of a finishing / polishing surface than the 8K side of my Norton. I have now used it on all the razors in my rotation and I am very, very pleased with the results. It is nice to be able to use it dry and it does a super job. It really takes the blades to the next level after the 8K.

I am on Tony Miller's waiting list for a Thurigen but I think most folks that hone their own will tell you, a good surface is well worth the investment and like everything else, you can't have too many. The link to the Spyderco stone on their website is earlier in this thread, but I found it $30 cheaper here, http://www.knifecenter.com/kc_new/store_detail.html?s=SP302UF . This place also has shaving gear as well which helps if you don't like ordering just one thing.

-Scott

[JohnP]

:lol: And they're not Cream of Wheat...or oatmeal...you don't put sugar, brown sugar, or any fruit mess on them....butter and salt. Jus' eat yor grits like God intended! (although I suppose in some quarters, cheese grits are acceptable, but I'm not a fan!)

+1
I grew up with grits and they are definitely not the same as all that other stuff. I don't mind cheese grits, but just butter& salt usually does the trick. Pepper, bacon bits, whatever else...is just topping.
I find I (usually) like the grits served at Denny's, even out here in California...however once in awhile they really mess them up, and they come out with brown sugar and cinnamon already sprinkled on them. YUCK. If I wanted cream of wheat, I would have ordered it. The waitress insisted that that was how they were supposed to be eaten....I don't know. Not where I grew up. I also grew up where tea was brewed with sugar in it, and drank cold....no need to add anything to your glass...

Reading this has me wanting to dig out my Spyderco hone again. I found the black case to it, (302UF) and I've recently renewed my interest in straights, and, therefore....hones.
Will this sickness never end?

(I never did find out what a "Fernslers' Ruby" hone was...)
John P.

[PalmettoB]

Now that I have purchased a straight, I am inclined to be a little more "serious" in looking for a hone. :biggrin: And while I still love grits, I am a little curious. I am thinking of getting a Norton waterstone 4000/8000. Tony Miller mentioned that you can go from that to a hanging strop and do okay, but also mentioned that I might want a pasted/paddle strop for an "in-between" strop. For a really great edge, do I need finer than the 8K?

[JohnP]

I don't think so, but some like it.
Nothing wrong with something if it works. Try the Norton straight to leather, and if it still isn't what you like, give the paste a shot, we all have our peculiarities in this game...
John P.

[mparker762]

For a really great edge, do I need finer than the 8K?

Not really. But ironically this becomes more true with experience. When you're just starting out it's tricky getting a great edge off the 8k. Getting a good edge is eminently doable, but getting a great edge requires a bit of extra finesse.

[mjsorkin]

Now that I have purchased a straight, I am inclined to be a little more "serious" in looking for a hone. :biggrin: And while I still love grits, I am a little curious. I am thinking of getting a Norton waterstone 4000/8000. Tony Miller mentioned that you can go from that to a hanging strop and do okay, but also mentioned that I might want a pasted/paddle strop for an "in-between" strop. For a really great edge, do I need finer than the 8K?

I would get the 4k/8k and learn to hone on that first. Getting a finishing hone at this point brings more variables into the mix and it get's complicated. You will be able to shave with a razor finished on 8k and then you can decide if you need a finer hone. I find razors finished on 8k to cause me some irritation and so I finish them on a finer "finishing" stone.

-----Michael