Thread: Mixed reviews Spyderco Ultra Fine -- because

It's too bad it didn't have that pattern on it while it was flat.
It looks real pretty with the swarf on it.

I have a spyderco UF and have read that the original factory finish is the desired finish for this hone. I kept one side of this hone original and lapped the other side with a DMT 325. Then I bought a vintage Boker from the classifieds and the seller told me that he finished the boker edge with .1 micron ferrous oxide powder on a Spyderco UF hone. This Boker edge was a super shaver.

I have tried this method and it basically works on the original factory finish side of the hone but not very well on the lapped side of the hone. Apparently the factory finish is the correct finish and any subsequent lapping is detrimental to the finished product.

If someone else has played with a Spyderco UF, please chime in.............

Hi,

I have used my Spyderco UF for slurry experiments, for which it is excellent.

My standard monthly touch up now comprises of 5 - 10 passes on the UF spritzed with SRD 0.25 micron diamond spray, again with excellent results

My UF has the factory finish.

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

Originally Posted by PhatMan

Hi,

I have used my Spyderco UF for slurry experiments, for which it is excellent.

My standard monthly touch up now comprises of 5 - 10 passes on the UF spritzed with SRD 0.25 micron diamond spray, again with excellent results

My UF has the factory finish.

Have fun !

Best regards

Russ

+1
It does play very well at about 0.25 micron.

To follow up on my previous post.

The ultra fine hone does settle in and will give a fine
polished edge to a razor once the user finds
the best side and has used it for a while.

If it has no good side call Spyderco!

If it has only one smooth side mark the bad side
with dot using a marker.

It can be conditioned differently on the top
and bottom. If you do you can write on it with a magic
marker so if you are want to use it with say two micron
diamond as an accelerator use the back so the top surface
is not "unpolished". It will act like a two micron hone for a
long time if you apply two micron bits to it.

If the bevel has suffered badly a half spritz of submicron
diamond can speed it up a lot. Once it has been worn
smooth it will leave a polished mirror edge on steel.

I suspect it will hone dry but I like to rinse it clean of lint,
dust and hairs so it gets used wet in my den.

I almost gave up on mine. Especially now that I have a Chosera 10K.

Here is my history.
After lapping mine smooth with a DMT and then honing some razors it acted too
coarse and I put it away. Then months later I used a bit of two micron diamond
and got the deep scratches out. I was encouraged. Next I used 0.25 micron bits
on it and it began to polish and "finish hone" razors. After a number of uses with
0.25 bits it was polishing and honing to a degree I am VERY happy with. Now that
it is polished it may never need any spray or lapping in my life time.

After conditioning with 0.25 diamond it is honing a lot like a 10K or 12K hone.

In hindsight I wish I had called Spiderco to get the initial surface
corrected. Fundamentally it is a superior hone and for an
individual it will never need lapping once it is flat and smooth.

They could become famous especially if Spiderco fixes their out of box experience.

Originally Posted by mrsell63

Apparently the factory finish is the correct finish and any subsequent lapping is detrimental to the finished product.

I have read that if an Ultra Fine is lapped it will remove whatever treatment the factory gave it and it will become the equivalent of a Spyderco Fine. It will also void the warranty. I don't know if any of that is correct. I've also read that like Dia Sharp with their DMT, Spyderco guarantees their stones to be flat within a certain tolerance. That tolerance may not be what some of us would consider absolutely flat. I sent two diamond plates back to Dia Sharp because they weren't , as far as I was concerned flat. They agreed with me on one of the two. So they replaced one and sent the other back with it. My experience with the UF and the other Spyderco ceramics was that they were too slow for my liking and gave absolutely zero feedback. YMMV.

Certainly no expert but I like it. I'll usually set the bevel on a 1000 King then go to a slurried coti thinning to clear and end up on the Spyderco UF doing about 100 laps. It is slow, but I do get a mirror finish and the finest scratch pattern (microscope) with this combo with the stones I have available. I'll ride this horse until until I find something better.