The only thing that I don't like:

I have come to enjoy all aspects of str8 razor shaving except for one. That is the lapping of my stones. I don't know why but it just plain gets on my nerves. I do it and I realize that it very important and it doen't really take that long to do. It just BUGS me! I have read posts where some people have taken 8 hours to lap a spydero stone. Others posts where they have gotten their spyderco lapped in 3 hours! I have a spyderco as 1 of my hones and it will NEVER get lapped! I would sooner throw it away then spend that much time honing the hone. Even though I am reluctent to try a 8k diamond stone I love that idea of not having to lap it! Thank You for letting me vent.

You could just make friends with a machinist and con... er... sweet talk him into putting your stones on the lapping table in his shop for you.

Dubbya said:

You could just make friends with a machinist and con... er... sweet talk him into putting your stones on the lapping table in his shop for you.

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I always wondered if I could have a machine shop do the lapping for me. Or if there was a machine that could do it.

I'm with you on lapping stones.

I sharpen knives all the time and I use water stones and they are a pain in the butt to lap but If I had to spend 8 hours lapping one stone I would get a slack belt sander and keep my sanity. Even three hours seems like it is just an incredible amount of time to spend grinding a sharpening stone down.

Sullybob said:

I'm with you on lapping stones.

I sharpen knives all the time and I use water stones and they are a pain in the butt to lap but If I had to spend 8 hours lapping one stone I would get a slack belt sander and keep my sanity. Even three hours seems like it is just an incredible amount of time to spend grinding a sharpening stone down.

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I thought about using that too with a granite plate as a support.

It wasn't too bad though, only took a weekend to lap a 3 stone spyderco set with a D8xx. If I had to do it over though. I would use 60 grit sandpaper from 3M, whatever they use, the abrasive lasts very long, gives smooth results and cuts really quickly.

Another option is to pay a college kid to do it for $5 per hour. Let him watch tv while he does it and he'll probably agree. Or pay him in beer. I'm not advocating giving alcohol to minors however, so I'm just going to assume the hypothetical college kid is over 21.

leighton said:

I thought about using that too with a granite plate as a support.

It wasn't too bad though, only took a weekend to lap a 3 stone spyderco set with a D8xx. If I had to do it over though. I would use 60 grit sandpaper from 3M, whatever they use, the abrasive lasts very long, gives smooth results and cuts really quickly.

Another option is to pay a college kid to do it for $5 per hour. Let him watch tv while he does it and he'll probably agree. Or pay him in beer. I'm not advocating giving alcohol to minors however, so I'm just going to assume the hypothetical college kid is over 21.

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LMAO! I am now in search of a college kid!

You could use diamond lapping film on a glass plate to hone your razors and sell your hones.

now i don't have a spyderco so i cannot speak on them, however this is my insight.

i hone with norton, king, chinese 12k, and a dmt 325. when i hone on anything over 1000 and under 12k, i keep the 325 handy. little water on my stone, a couple circles with the 325, and flattened hone.

i do this pretty regularly when i hone as it keeps them clean, flat, and gives me a mean slurry. the initial flattening sucks, but the maintenance thereafter is a piece of cake.

good luck.

vgod

vgod said:

now i don't have a spyderco so i cannot speak on them, however this is my insight.

i hone with norton, king, chinese 12k, and a dmt 325. when i hone on anything over 1000 and under 12k, i keep the 325 handy. little water on my stone, a couple circles with the 325, and flattened hone.

i do this pretty regularly when i hone as it keeps them clean, flat, and gives me a mean slurry. the initial flattening sucks, but the maintenance thereafter is a piece of cake.

good luck.

vgod

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So if I understand correctly, you simply use the 325 DMT to maintain the flatness as you hone. I know, while I'm honing I can start to feel that the stone isn't flat and I always say to myself dammit I need to stop, waste time and lap. One more question, can you do the initial lapping with the 325DMT? I imagine you could? Hell I might pass on the college kid and buy one a our local knife store today, it sounds reasonable to me. Thanks for the input.

leighton said:

I always wondered if I could have a machine shop do the lapping for me. Or if there was a machine that could do it.

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There is a machine. You don't want to buy it though. Well you might, but they're expensive and the last one that I used would have taken up every inch of a two car garage. A good machine shop should have one though.

Here's one:




Edit to add:

Just looked. The same company makes a model for jewelers with a 14" disk that may be much more affordable.

leighton said:

I thought about using that too with a granite plate as a support.

It wasn't too bad though, only took a weekend to lap a 3 stone spyderco set with a D8xx. If I had to do it over though. I would use 60 grit sandpaper from 3M, whatever they use, the abrasive lasts very long, gives smooth results and cuts really quickly.

Another option is to pay a college kid to do it for $5 per hour. Let him watch tv while he does it and he'll probably agree. Or pay him in beer. I'm not advocating giving alcohol to minors however, so I'm just going to assume the hypothetical college kid is over 21.

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I would scrap the granite plate and just put a convex edge on all my knives. Finished on a worn 600 grit belt or maybe 1200 grit and they would be fine. Obviously that solution wont work for razors.

One whole weekend to lap three stones? How long for each stone? Those Spyderco stones must be hard!

Sullybob said:

I would scrap the granite plate and just put a convex edge on all my knives. Finished on a worn 600 grit belt or maybe 1200 grit and they would be fine. Obviously that solution wont work for razors.

One whole weekend to lap three stones? How long for each stone? Those Spyderco stones must be hard!

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You have no idea....

But the payoff is never having to lap again.

Get a pro hone. Strop as used/needed. Send it out for honing as needed.

leighton said:

You have no idea....

But the payoff is never having to lap again.

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An entire weekend?

Did you try and get a quote from a machine shop? I would think a machine shop could make short work of a hundred of them if you so desired... Getting a few lapped shouldn't be that expensive. Certainly cheap enough to make up for maintaining your sanity!


As for lapping on a D8C as someone else asked, I thought people were recommending the D8XX now? *Shrugs* You people confuse me with all these different stones .

vgod said:

now i don't have a spyderco so i cannot speak on them, however this is my insight.

i hone with norton, king, chinese 12k, and a dmt 325. when i hone on anything over 1000 and under 12k, i keep the 325 handy. little water on my stone, a couple circles with the 325, and flattened hone.

i do this pretty regularly when i hone as it keeps them clean, flat, and gives me a mean slurry. the initial flattening sucks, but the maintenance thereafter is a piece of cake.

good luck.

vgod

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I broke down and bought a dmt 325 as you suggested. I will be working on several razors the next couple of days. Will post results.

SavantStrike said:

An entire weekend?

Did you try and get a quote from a machine shop? I would think a machine shop could make short work of a hundred of them if you so desired... Getting a few lapped shouldn't be that expensive. Certainly cheap enough to make up for maintaining your sanity!


As for lapping on a D8C as someone else asked, I thought people were recommending the D8XX now? *Shrugs* You people confuse me with all these different stones .

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Nah, I hired the college kid.

Cost me $20.

just got a chance to reply, i did not initially lap with the 325. i used sandpaper on a granite plate for all my waterstones to lap the first time.

if you do start into honing bad razors, the 325 is great for making quick work of chips.

good luck and keep us informed.

vgod

BEAR DEN said:

I broke down and bought a dmt 325 as you suggested. I will be working on several razors the next couple of days. Will post results.

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I've spent all of 6 minutes lapping stones my entire life. Maybe consider a new hone?

leighton said:

Nah, I hired the college kid.

Cost me $20.

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I thought you said you did it yourself over a weekend?

*scratches head*.

SavantStrike said:

I thought you said you did it yourself over a weekend?

*scratches head*.

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If I did it all by myself, it would have taken...8 hours with a d8xx.

I did the 4k stone in 1 hour, that was really easy. 1 side of the UF in 45 minutes or so, that was nice, it was pretty flat. 1/2 a side of the fine in 1 hour and 1/2 the other side in 1 hour. Then 30 minutes for 1/2 the final side of the UF. Then I paid a college kid to finish it up. I was losing my sanity after how slow it goes once you get 1/2 way done.