Anybody use the shapton stone holder?

So I've been playing with my new shaptons, and for the life of me, I can't figure out why anybody would pay $80 for a stand to put their hones on while using them.

I get the need for more elevation since they're such thin hones, but why an $80 stand?

I could make a really nice wooden stand with nothing but hand tools for about $20, or glue rubber feet to the whole set for about $10.

Is there something special about the stand that I'm not seeing from the photos, or is it just a really expensive piece of plastic?

Heard good things about em. Rubberized bottom keeps it from slipping when doing big blades. I use a 2x4 with rubberised shelf liner :p

Some have been modified to fit in a gizmo like an edge pro, but with full sized stones :p

What I've been using is a dish towel folded up so it's about half again as wide as the stone. Gives me just enough elevation, doesn't slip when on my wooden coffee table, and soaks up all the excess water that runs off the hones. (I keep a spray bottle handy and refresh the water regularly because swarf build up on the shaptons pretty fast)

i use the dmt stand. however, if i wear down the shapton enough, it won't work anymore unless i stick the shapton on top of the entire apparatus.

I haven't seen a DMT stand. I'll have to take a look. Something a bit more stable than a dish towel wouldn't be a bad thing.


Edit - Is http://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/DM...er-P16C24.aspx the one you're talking about?

Call me a sucker if you like but.... I adore my shapton holder simply because it is HEAVY and Solid. Thing weighs 2 kilograms. I think they have some marketing line about the glass in it completely eliminating microscopic flex which if your getting up to a half micron..... may become an issue for the perfectionists among us?

Well, that's reasonable. I don't think that would make it be worth $80 to me, but I can at least see the value in that. I had no idea it weighed almost 5 pounds.

Quote:

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Originally Posted by DwarvenChef

Heard good things about em. Rubberized bottom keeps it from slipping when doing big blades. I use a 2x4 with rubberised shelf liner :p

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When I'm using my shaptons for knives I do the exact same thing - 2x4 with rubber shelf liner. (Use a treated 2x4). When I'm doing razors I just set the shaptons on shelf liner right at the edge of the table, and then sit so that I'm perpindicular to the length of the hone. It's super comfortable for me and I have several feet of knuckle clearance :)

I didn't understand the Shapton stand thing until I saw the video of Harrelson honing. If you see the whole set it becomes clear. There is a pond to contain water and swarf that runs off of the hones. The pond holds a few of those stands solidly and precisely.

Watching Harrelson put his shoulder into lapping the hones as he goes through the progression you can really see what Shapton means by a "system". So the whole ball of wax is expensive and not something I personally would invest in but I can see why they made it.

I bought the holder with my shapton's.
As FreyGrimrod said it is very heavy and stable. It also makes lapping very easy. As for buying it again at $80.00 I'm not sure.

I also use the Veritas® Stone Pond with all of my hones.
Veritas Tools - Sharpening - Stone Pond
I also use a small garden sprayer to rinse swarf and keep things clean.
Everything is self contained so I can hone at the kitchen table with out the Evil eye from my lovely wife.

It was a nice E-Bay purchase with 3 King water stones (800,1000,4000) for a little less than $100 shipped.
If I was going to do it again I would get the stone pond over the holder.