Spyderco Ceramic Stones Good & Bad

[@JohnC29]

If you drop it, drop it on your toe so the stone won't break. Your toe should heal eventually.

[@NeevesKnives]

Good idea, since the stone cant heal

[@classifiedagent8807]

Lol

[@TravisTennies]

Sounds like most people have one toe. I have eight toes...so...i guess i am less worried than y'all.

[@Resolute900]

Hahahaaa. Will not be a bad idea to market toe protectors and advertise them as "Whetstone Toe Protectors." "Stay protected from falling knives and stones!" Get yours today.

[@ratiounkn3210]

Just got the med grit spyderco stone and i love it. My ability to sharpen is slowly getting better but before now i have i always used pretty much garbage stones. The first time i used one of these i got the best and sharpest edge i have ever been able to so im incredibly happy. Buying the ultra fine next!

[@NeevesKnives]

If you really want to get an amazing edge, use a diamond stone first preferably a 300 get then 600 grt then use your medim Ceramic, your edge will be incredibly sharp, I'm going to put some very affordable diamond plates in the description for you if you want to try them. Ultra sharp diamond stones best deal you will find and quality

[@chevyman6999]

How do you feel about these stones now? I keep the brown one in the kitchen to quickly throw an edge on kitchen knives when needed. Super handy and almost zero mess to worry about getting on the counter and blade when in the middle of preparing a meal. Not my favorite stone ever, but just simple, easy, and clean.

[@NeevesKnives]

I love ceramic stones i use my rods more, and my bonded stones at finer grits typically over these

[@chevyman6999]

@NeevesKnives yeah definitely, there's no substitute for the bonded diamond stones when it comes to sharpness. They are a bit messy though, can't really be doing that on the same counter at the same time when you're in the middle of food prep haha. That's the only time I use it and I absolutely love it just for that. I was just curious, haven't heard you speak of any Spyderco sharpeners in a while and was rolling through some of your older vids past few days

[@TheWatcher60401]

Spyderco ceramics are my favorite stones to sharpen on. I have the 2x8 medium and fine and the 3x8 ultra fine, I use them as finishing stones. When I learned they were discontinuing the 2x8's I bought back ups of the medium and fine. My hope is that spyderco has 3x8's of the medium and fine coming down the pipe! 🤞

[@1130jawz]

I own all 3 Spyderco stones. The medium and fine both have beveled edges around the stone, but the UF does not, it’s squared. Is this the same on yours? Or did they miss a step on mine 😂? And should I worry about it gouging my edge/blade?

[@willblair8998]

The feedback of these stones allows me to push and pull confidently as I progress without screwing up.

[@NeevesKnives]

For sure especially once you get used to them, when I first used the medium, I was so used to natural stones, Diamond and aluminum oxide exc.. That it took me a few uses to really get the hang of it. I was so used to a more aggressive feeling and the sounds I was used to was different

[@lavenderpants8695]

And I wish somebody a long time ago sold me about the "suction cup" feeling a long time ago. So many people have takes about how to know when you have the proper angle but never have described that (from the sources I used). That's how I know when I am stropping properly. It's almost like a suctioned or magnetic dragging feeling.

[@NeevesKnives]

@@lavenderpants8695 I have only heard one other knife sharpener talk about it, when you put two flat surfaces together that hold moisture all the air is pushed out so it creates a seal that sucks the two things together, when you have that feeling you know your angle is as flat.

[@gregkis]

Ajax powder soap and a scrub brush are the best things to clean them with

[@NeevesKnives]

I normally just clean them off asI go with soap and water that I have next to me that way it never builds up, and a scrub brush takes it right off, I let it build up through a sharpening so that I could show this, because i get asked how to clean them but im sure ajaxworks good to

[@k1dw0k]

I have a way that is a bit faster. I rarely ever use my ultra-fine without having used the medium first, so they both usually need to be cleaned. I just use the two stones to clean each other. Get both stones wet, sandwich BKF or automatic dishwashing detergent paste in between, and rub them both together. Just a few rubs cleans them both like new.

[@NeevesKnives]

I do the same thing with my aluminum oxide stones sometimes, thats how i used to always doit before i got a stone flattener/cleaner bar keepers friend is what i use at the sink

[@edcevo3052]

I use the spyderco 306uf Stone to maintain my knives. Love it love it love it!!

[@NeevesKnives]

Awesome!

[@jonmeddings2427]

Try using glycerin for sharpening lubricant & clean up , for some reason the swarf is easily removable with glycerin .If You use it once you will never go back works on natural Arkansas stone also. I do not know why , I'd it is viscosity , of the jelly like quality , but it really works best on Spyderco stones .

[@saldomino1639]

Great explanation brother ! I use DMT Stones for the knives I use !

[@NeevesKnives]

I have DMT, I pretty much have every stone now my favorites are bonded diamond stones

[@saldomino1639]

@ I know you do You D Man !

[@richterknives]

I use mine all the time. Great great stones. The feedback is awesome. I’ve learned that Bar Keeper’s Friend or Comet cleaners work really well to get these things looking and performing new again.

[@NeevesKnives]

Yeah thats what i use when i really need to scrub them is bar keeper, but i try to keepem clean in between sharpening

[@paulberkuta4965]

I have both the fine and medium 2" X 8" ceramic stones and have been using them for about 18 years now and I use them for my knives, chisels, plane blades and anything that needs to be sharpened to a good cutting edge. These stones DO NEED TO BE FLATTENED before and after use. They WILL get dished out and not give you that fine cutting edge. I surface them with a 3" X 8-1/4" 400 grit Japanese Atoma diamond plate. If I want a better cutting edge I will move to a finer grit Sharpton ceramic plate which also needs to be flattened from time to time. Without a flat and clean stone you will not get that keen edge you are looking for. Thats a FACT!

[@Kh2456]

These don't dish even after ten + years of sharpening.

[@flipflat4814]

Jared would I be better off getting the Lansky BS-TR100 tristone with the Diamond, Alumina-Oxide and Ceramic for $44.81 Or the Ultra sharp ll (600 grit and 1200 grit) 2 Diamond Stone system for $42.95? Side note, I have a lot of D2 blade steel to sharpen, and a strict budget of $45 unfortunately. I'm thinking the Ultra Sharp ll might be the better option for me, but not sure, any thoughts would be appreciated.

[@jonduncansakurawallknifegarden]

I love these ! I want more stone reviews!!

[@NeevesKnives]

Im definitely going to keep doing more and more im thinking about even doing live videos about stones or while sharpening

[@robertmunguia250]

So in your opinion are these the best stones to have? Over Shapton, DMT, Norton?

[@andrewsteinberg7103]

the medium grit did dish a bit in time, not so for the fine

[@tahnjr]

The two best ways to clean ceramic sharpeners: 1. Crock Stick® EraserBlock® 2. 3M (green) Scotch-Brite® pad and Ajax/Comet powdered cleanser

[@NeevesKnives]

When im at my sink I use bar cleaner, but thats when its really bad.

[@tompossessed1729]

Btw use barkeeper friend to clean the cermic stone just use a eraser with water then just wipe it back and forth unitl no powder is left and your done but if not sure let it sit a bit then clean off

[@NeevesKnives]

I use bar keepers friend as well

[@EumlOriginal]

if your UF-stone leaves a grinding pattern like a 2500 Jis stone you should dress it ... the quality of the stones are unfortunately very different the stones are never really flat, I have 4 stones and had to dress them all, after one I worked on the 120 DMT after 6 hours and then gave up ... and with the deepening by cutting the stones I wouldn't want to use them at all otherwise these are my favorite stones

[@jonrost5574]

I have the medium and fine stones from Spyderco. I will eventually add the ultrafine to the set. What would you recommend for just one stone that is more course than the medium for reprofiling or repairing a damaged edge? I know it can be done on the medium, but it feels like it would just take entirely too long.

[@johnathanscott3407]

I have the same stones like him but also have a 325 to 1000 diamond plate sharpal

[@LosRiji]

Revealing thank you. What about the Spyderco Bench Stone 306UF in Ultra Fine??

[@NeevesKnives]

The white one I have is the same thing, I think your referencing the pocket one, size will be the only difference, these are great for honing

[@jensebu78]

I have the three DMT in the wooden box. Get really nice edges out of them. Bought the Spyderco UF and enjoying the Mirror edges which i get now. Because i love that UF stone that much i ordered the medium now as well. Looking forward to get it these days. Guess i won't use the DMT much anymore.... Great video. Thank you!

[@leotam3372]

How would you use the F/UF with a diamond progression? What's a good fine grit dmt to transition into the UF?

[@NeevesKnives]

Over 1200

[@itzlegitzyt7012]

Any good lubricants to use for this set. I found that.windex works great but isn't really that food safe

[@NeevesKnives]

Soap and water works or plain water i like soap and water though the oils help keep the steel particles off the surface

[@andrewsteinberg7103]

The fact that flint knapping stone age tools actually cut better than steel in comparison tests b/c of the serrations.Neeves is right you don't need more than up to 600 grit and stropping and keeping micro serrations for work knives . Polishing is for food prep and sushi cutting

[@rickkerans8485]

Thanks for showing those. I won't be doing something that extreme for a while. Want to learn freehand and decide if I prefer it over fixed angle. Unless you think something like this is needed to start off with to get a fair comparison.

[@NeevesKnives]

No its definitely not something you need to start off with, I reccomend diamond plates or aluminum oxide stones to start with, hell even as a professional

[@Resolute900]

Thank you for a great video and review. Can you advise, if we use the Medium, then the fine and then the ultra fine to finish off, will that be a good idea?

[@RobbieT015]

I have those stones for years i also got the ultra fine bench stone but to get a real mirror finish i use a leather strop in the end But i wished they had 1 stone up from medium a course grind..because but a totally new edge on with that medium stone takes way to long I clean my with just regular dishwashsoap .

[@NeevesKnives]

Yeah i find the best way is with bar keepers friend if your at your sink

[@RobbieT015]

@@NeevesKnives they dont have that in my country but found the equivelant brand in my country that dose also a fine job...biggest issue i have i clean my stones under hot water..but if its to hot you burn your fingers the stones absorb the heat of the water verry good

[@NeevesKnives]

@@RobbieT015 oh nice, baking soda is another one that works great for cleaning the stone and im pretty sure its available in all countries, the grit from the powder works great for cleaning the surface fast and easy as long as your at your sink and using the faucet anyways

[@DANVIIL]

Sold both of my Spydeco stones about 8 yers agoo because there are so many better options for the money. They clog up fast and just aren't worth the time or the trouble. Depending on tthe steel, I'll use diamond, water or Arkansas stones over these any day. I have no idea why anyone would bother with these stones.

[@skylondergan5507]

HELP. I got this stone, and i REALLY wanted to like it, but I CAN’T GET ALL THE MATERIAL OUT!!! i tried using green scotch brite pads and dish soap and scrubbed it for 15 minutes but i still see a bit of material in it, and its not as coarse as it was before now( which i assume happens because i used it, and that happens) Please respond!!!!

[@NeevesKnives]

Use bar keepers friend, its a powder with grit, scrub it with it and it will come out, also its not supposed to be very coarse i would never use it unless ive sharpened past 600 to 800 grt already, or higher. Then use it, its a medium but not like other medium grits which are around 4 to 600 grt it should be used more as a fine grit

[@caseytyler8326]

You can also use something like the comet bathroom powder scrub meant to clean ceramic toilets for example (: that’s what I clean my ceramic rods with

[@NeevesKnives]

Yeah I use baking soda and different stuff if you keep up with cleaning it, and dont let it build then its easy to clean, I let it build up for the video

[@caseytyler8326]

Neeves Knives ah I’m awful at keeping up with anything lol

[@profesorEDC]

Great vid buddy. Compared to CHOSERA 1000 and 3000?

[@NeevesKnives]

I dont know I havent had the Chosera yet

[@NeevesKnives]

Have you ever had a lansky set?

[@profesorEDC]

@@NeevesKnives not yet, just been focusing on free hand sharpening.

[@carbonitegamorrean8368]

What you said about the "sucking" to the stone, I have picked up stones many times, if I ever run across any pics I will post them if I can ever get Instagram to work again and back on it. I have never had finer than a XF in Cera- and finer, wish to hell I could have half the stuff I had. I have had the stupid fine Spyder, I friend back then gave it to me. I still have a stone I made and a small DMD (I think) and a few odds and ends to go with my Dia plates, but I'd love two full size like that, they are kinda pricey, but amazbawls, is your dark one synthetic sapphire ? Theres a smaller two side like that for about 22 bucks I'd like to try. I still cant grasp the coarse ceramic concept, dont see how its possible, but I'm old and dense.

[@NeevesKnives]

The darker one is just ceramic i also have a saphire stone but its pearl white, and I think the coarse isnt very coarse although I dont have any, but I kinda feel the same way about it, I think a coarse aluminum oxide couples with these nicely a diamond is great also.

[@mayscat44]

I have the medium & fine grit stones. I guess my next purchase will be an ultra fine. I have a question for you tho. What do you think the rockwell limits are for these stones. For example, it’ll handle s35vn, D2, M390, but probably won’t handle maxamet. What about M4??

[@NeevesKnives]

Im sure M4 will be fine and Maxamet I dont know but I think Micheal Christy does Maxamet on them but im not possitive, Im sure they will do it because ceramics are so much harder than steel, just might take a while, I think as long as you start out with diamond for all the profiling it will be fine

[@mayscat44]

Neeves Knives Michael Christy is the one that told me that I’d better use diamond with something that hard. I recently sent my super freek (in M4) to him because I wasn’t sure about my ceramics. PLUS i wanted one of his edges. He also did my M390 Manix. Not cheap but totally worth it! Great videos my man, y’all keep up the good work!

[@AaronJohnson1979]

What about dimand lapping fluid?

[@NeevesKnives]

Bar keepers friend is the best ive found for cleaning them at the sink

[@R357R]

Are those the same stones that SPYDERCO uses for their triangle SHARP MAKER?

[@NeevesKnives]

Im not a 100 percent but probably theres different grits so the sharp maker might be a different grit

[@JohnC29]

the brown one is the same the white one is finer than what you get with the sharpmaker but you can buy an ultra fine sharp maker rods separately.

[@R357R]

@@JohnC29so there is really no point in me investing in the stones if I have the SHARP MAKER?

[@JohnC29]

@@R357R If you want to use your Sharp Maker as a bench stone, you take out two rods of the same grit and close up the sharp maker, flip it over put the rods in the V grooves in the bottom and there you go.

[@R357R]

@@JohnC29 I prefer the 40° angle setting. It works really well for the type of knives I have. I was just looking for a more course ceramic stone to purchase.

[@jameshealy4594]

Hey Jerad, just got a SMOKING deal on the 8x3 version of the UF, you wouldn't believe me if I told you! Excited to see how it fits in with my set of venevs from 80 - 1200. Wondering if I should look for some cheaper/faster stones to do all the European kitchen knives which trend fairly soft and stuff in more basic carbon steel. Would love any input you have and to pick your brain on sharpening as a business! I suspect I do a lot more boring stuff than you haha, nice knives are expensive in Aus and I have no social media presence for fancier stuff, I'd be terrified if someone sent me something really nice. Apologies for the rambling, I tend to go on...

[@NeevesKnives]

You can use the venev stones on those knives/ steel, but it's not necessary and you would possibly have better results from a wet stone, but as long as you finish on one of the higher grit stones you should get great results. The scratch pattern is very different than a natural stone, aluminum oxides work great also. King stones are great for chef knives while still being affordable

[@jameshealy4594]

@@NeevesKnives Thanks for taking the time to reply Jerad

[@JoeMama-vj8es]

Wish spyderco offered a coarse option.

[@NeevesKnives]

Yeah that would be sweet, just go with a diamond plate

[@agent7796]

Great video and very informative, cheers, 😎👍👍

[@taylor4386]

for anyone looking for a MUCH FASTER way to clean spyderco stones just use comet and a toothbrush with water and dish soap. The swarth comes right off. This is what spyderco recomends

[@Loganisnotaloserr]

Great vid 👍

[@lavenderpants8695]

Didn't have to say "bang", the firework did it for you! Cool review! So when the stones become dipped and you say you have to relevel them, how exactly do you do that?

[@NeevesKnives]

Theres many ways but basically any kind of flat surface and just rub it back n forth until its flat, if you take a pencil and draw a swirl or lines all the way down it you can see whats getting removed as you go along or what is left to get, they make flattened stones that work great

[@ianmccracken9797]

@@NeevesKnivescan you rub the stones on a cinderblock, construction brick, or your drive way to flatten a stone? I'm not about to pay 60$ bucks for a stone flattener

[@NeevesKnives]

@@ianmccracken9797 yes you can, it does work, the surface wont be as good but it does work, there are some decent flatteners for great prices out there, depending on what your flattening, you can even find a cheap diamond plate, it wont be any good afterwards if its a cheap one but theres aluminum oxide stones as well for like 20$, but a cinder block works it just takes a lot longer, if you have a sheet of glass you can get some silica carbide powder or aluminum oxide powder and use that as well thats a very common way to flatten stones fast and it gives you the best surface when finished

[@ianmccracken9797]

@@NeevesKnives Thanks a million!

[@kevinAuman1]

I usually use a 1500grit or 2k grit wet dry sandpaper and dawn dishsoap to clean ceramic stones and it also really freshens them up nicely and makes them cut like new again and depending on what grit you use you can make it have more bite or cut faster or you can make them leave a much higher polish if you so choose...

[@NeevesKnives]

The best way i found to clean them is with bar keeper or baking soda in the sink, but that is when your really wanting to scrub the ceramic, if your just at your bench soapy water and a rag works good with a little elbow grease

[@kevinAuman1]

@@NeevesKnives right but doing it the way that I mentioned not only cleans them but it also conditions the stones as well, hell I took 2k wet dry to my yellow lansky ceramic and it will now remove all scratches and leave an incredibly polished edge far beyond anything it was able to do prior to conditioning it....

[@NeevesKnives]

@@kevinAuman1 nice! Yeah when I really want to condition the stones I use one of my old diamond plates or my flattening stone and they work great but you right the differences between conditioned and not is night and day

[@chrisolenick953]

i used a dmt to try and flatten one of the spydercos it ruined the finish by making it burnished. i see same kinda results from sandpaper until the silicon carbide particles start to fall off. your best bet is actually silicon carbide powder on glass if your trying to refresh the face seeing that the sic powder rolls over the face rather than just scratching a pattern into it. ymmv

[@ohiogarbageman9507]

Ceramic stove top cleaner works good on ceramic stones.

[@NeevesKnives]

Yeah theres a lot of things that work good I usually just dont let it build up like i did for the video, and usually when I clean it it in a sink with a scrub brush

[@mildyproductive9726]

What no one talks about is a way better fine ceramic whose patent expired about 5 years ago. It's more expensive to make, yet it's cheaper to buy than a Spyderco fine, because the best manufacturers are all in China. Sintered ruby. You don't hear about it, because you can't make it for a 3 dollars then sell it for $50 and then spend the rest on marketing. When the patent was still good, Geisswinn made it for $20 then sold it for $250. Now you can buy a stone that size for $40 bucks all day.

[@chrisolenick953]

it may work well but there is almost no stronger material than sintered aluminum that spyderco sells. its patented and produced by the coors beer company aka coors tek which is one of the most advanced ceramics maker and distributor in the world. they sell multitudes more ceramics than they do beer and you cant even leave the company without them looking at survey photos you took while working as a subcontractor because of their concern for their methodology being stolen. its quite an awesome material in itself. not saying ruby isnt!

[@silencesir1987]

In most cases, a good hone & strop will be enough to get that razor edge back on. These stones provide that hone very well, at least in my experience having both of them. Thank you for the video, great content.

[@NeevesKnives]

Absolutely

[@jeremyspaulding7735]

Very nice stones look a tad more professional than my skill level lol but definitely put a really nice edge on for sure

[@NeevesKnives]

Yes they can definitely give you a hair whittling edge, I think a lot of people re ally like these especially since you dont have to deal with a mess.

[@tallica4life81]

Good thing I always wear steel toe red wing boots every day. I don’t worry about dropping anything on my toes.

[@tallica4life81]

Even right now when it’s 93 degrees and humid out.

[@NeevesKnives]

I do also but usually am at my sharpening bench in socks or barefoot

[@meangene4038]

I was wearing steel toe shoes when I dropped a cast iron cylinder head form waist-high on my foot. It landed with the long edge angled across my big toe and broke my toe in half the long way, slicing it right down the middle. Man, did that hurt! Every time I stepped down on my toe, I could feel it separating. OOUUUCH!!! If I hadn't been wearing steel toes, It probably would have amputated my toe.

[@NeevesKnives]

@@meangene4038 i for sure would have I know ive been saved many many time from steel toe, my dads foot got crushed in steel toe boits one time and they had to be cut off of him but if not for them it woulda been his foot beeing cut off instead of boots

[@kevinAuman1]

You guys ever try the new composite toe boots? It's like Kevlar and carbon fiber combined so many many times stronger than steel but they don't weigh anymore than a pair on non steel toe boots... Granted cost a little more but yeah, it will prevent amputation and a squashed set of piggies when the steel gets flattened lol

[@jonduncansakurawallknifegarden]

And that firework made me want to go shoot lololol. Much love from Ca. Thought about you when I was pissing off my neighbors by rocking out on the guitar.

[@NeevesKnives]

😆 Jam out! I love it I want to go out shooting myself, we definitely blew a lot of stuff up that night

[@russcagle6965]

Nice intro! Good info. I agree with John's comment. Amazon affiliate links would be cool. Thanks Jerad. I hope Kara is not going to perform any DNA experiments with the dinosaur bones. If Douglas gets replaced by a baby T-Rex, I'm going to be worried. Lol. Ttyl

[@NeevesKnives]

I put a whole bunch of links below I think that theres some in there including many other reccomended sharpening supplies

[@russcagle6965]

@@NeevesKnives I know you do. But, if you had "affiliate" links, you guys might make a buck or two off of your recommendations. I'd be happier if some of the money I spend went your way. Just a suggestion. Have a great evening!

[@NeevesKnives]

@@russcagle6965 all the links below are affiliate links so anything you click on down there we make a small profit on but it all adds up

[@NeevesKnives]

@@russcagle6965 and thank you Russ

[@russcagle6965]

@@NeevesKnives Nice! I wasn't aware. I'll make sure to use your links in the future. I always want to support the channel as much as I can. 🙂

[@mlankford6077]

I just wish they were flat. I bought the fine and medium and they're both .011 out of flat. Convex on one side and concave on the other. "They're flat and stay that way" is just advertising BS. They work great for knives, and I love them, but don't try to flatten the back of a chisel or plane iron.

[@NeevesKnives]

You can get some silica powder and a sheet of glass to make them perfect

[@classifiedagent8807]

Actually any sharpening stone would make a knife sharp if you know how to use it. But its good to use coarse stone to repair the edge of knife, medium stone to sharpen the knife, fine stone to polish the knife and leather strop(optional) to remove micro burr to make the knife edge really really straight and sharp

[@NeevesKnives]

I totally agree, some systems work faster than others and some work better for certain steels, I always start with a coarse then move to med then fine because im always going to remove the same amount of steel when I start to create an edge bevel that I want, so it goes faster that way. But yes anything will work for the most part as long as you do that

[@chrisolenick953]

unless you want to waste time newer steels dont work on all stones as well. some better than others based on composition of steel

[@TheZachatree]

You don’t need to use water on them. That’s why yours are so dirty and you can’t get it clean. No water required.

[@CosmicJhana]

You have a great channel. Thanks for the tutorial. Sharpening is a skill I’m trying to develop so the info is much appreciated.🔪🪷

[@NeevesKnives]

Glad to help! go through my playlist of sharpening videos also the shorts

[@CosmicJhana]

@@NeevesKnives Will do! Thanks.