I’ve been messing around lately with spyderco stones and specifically the Fine and Ultra Fine. I was a coticule guy for quite some time but after I found out how much keener a blade could get using other methods (in most not all cases) I decided to drop the obsession with them and venture on to something else. Not to say I couldn’t get good edges off them. There were a few out of 50-60 that really were excellent finishers and most were vintage pre 2008 or so before the soft flaky stones were being sold.

I digress I wanted something reliable and that left a wicked edge. Options were endless. High grit waterstone, JNats, eschers charnleys, arks, the list goes on. I have had many different stones and sold just as many. I’ve only re bought a few and included in that list was the spyderco F and UF.

The pros are they are relatively maintenance free. No lapping, can be used dry, with water or oil. Users preference. Some people do opt to lap them but I never did and have had great results. To each their own on that.

Cons are the can leave somewhat of a chippy edge if used incorrectly.. to many strokes. Remedied by a run on the thumb nail and some more light laps usually.

Now to the main event sorry for the long introduction. I had a razor that was shaving poorly off a coticule. Dulled it on the edge of my spyderco Fine. Used it dry and did laps until it could easily shave my arm hair all the way along. I then jumped to the ultra fine and continued doing x strokes on a dry stone until it would tree top arm hairs along the edge. At this point I killed the edge to remove and microchips that may have occurred and did some ultra light finishing laps. From there I gave it 5 licks on some crox to tame any harshness and I’ve got to say it was damn near 10/10.

I’ve found it’s really hard to beat a well done spyderco UF edge. Just my opinion but for a razor with harder steel and some faith the edge is wonderful. Ymmv and all that. This post wasn’t to knock coticules or any stone for that matter just to let you know in 2020 with all the options out there that there is someone who still uses the spyderco Fine and Ultra Fine to hone.

Oh and I forgot to mention the clean up is amazing just slip them back into their cases and put them away