Thread: Anyone with a DMT D8C....

This may be an incredibly dumb question, but....

Anyone willing to rent or loan it to me for a weekend?

I just received three Spyderco stones and the fine (302F) is off quite a bit. Oddly, the other two (302M and 302UF) are pretty good. I would like to pick up a DMT D8C, but I would seldom use it and I just got SWMBO to allocate the funds for the Spydercos.

I can just see it now.... "But honey, I need this stone for the other stones....
(She really isn't that bad, but she is uber-cheap)


Hey, I figured I'd ask......


v/r

Allen

If your spyderco hone is off, I would send it back for exchange. They describe them as flat and they should come that way.

In other words, I'm not loaning my DMT to anyone!

Along the lines of needing a stone for other stones, the Norton lapping hone is the funniest because after a while it needs to be lapped. Thus you could need a stone for your stone for your stone!

No reason you can't make such a request. I think under most circumstances, there would be people that would oblige and help you out.

My guess is.......no one will loan you their coveted DMTs for lapping your Spyderco ceramic hone. If you haven't read the recent threads, some have tried to lap their Sydercos with their DMT D8C and not only altered the cutting surface of the Spyderco unfavorably, but also potentially wore their DMT down unfavorably as well.

I'm betting others will second what I've said with some" "What he said" kind of posts.................

I agree, send it back.

Chris L

I had to return a DMT D8E to DMT due to a surface defect and DMT was just superb and honoring their guarantee and then some. I can only assume Spyderco would to the same.

Hey, it doesn't hurt to ask!

I have contacted Spyderco via email and will see their response. I figured slow, light pressure lapping (while very time consuming) would be beneficial for all three of the stones regardless, but especially the 302F.


My request still stands with the offer that should anything untoward happen to the DMT, I would obviously replace without hesitation.

Right is right....

v/r

Allen

Originally Posted by RMC_SS_LDO

Hey, it doesn't hurt to ask!

I have contacted Spyderco via email and will see their response. I figured slow, light pressure lapping (while very time consuming) would be beneficial for all three of the stones regardless, but especially the 302F.


My request still stands with the offer that should anything untoward happen to the DMT, I would obviously replace without hesitation.

Right is right....

v/r

Allen

If you lap the Fine then you will turn it into an Ultrafine. Both are made of the same material; but the fine has ridges in the surface from the firing process that make it a courser stone. Exchange it for another if the stone is not flat.

Spyderco's guarantee is +/- 0.020" over the entire surface (unless they've changed it recently). This means over 8 inches, or, in theory, even over 1 inch or less. Visualize 2 parallel lines forty-thousandths of an inch apart. This means they simply guarantee that all points on the hone's surface will fall within these two lines, regardless of distance apart (run distance, i.e. variation-per-inch).

I suspect they'll replace it even if it is within tolerances.

I have sent them emails over a week ago regarding lapping and their guarantee. No answer yet received, but during a phone call tech support told me they sent my original email to the sales department. Now I'm really confused.

Regarding lapping the Spyderco's, I have lapped all three. They were all w/in stated tolerances, but a bit too much for my razors. My DMT D8C, using light pressure, survived over 75 hours of lapping all 3 hones. Most of the time was spent on the F and UF. The Medium lapped considerably faster than the other two.

Originally Posted by Sticky

Regarding lapping the Spyderco's, I have lapped all three. They were all w/in stated tolerances, but a bit too much for my razors. My DMT D8C, using light pressure, survived over 75 hours of lapping all 3 hones. Most of the time was spent on the F and UF. The Medium lapped considerably faster than the other two.

I had heard from some that lapping a fine would result in a u-fine finish (as mentioned previously). Your post helps support what I figured about this. I read a post (elsewhere) by "Sal" from Spyderco that he lapped his 302F to get an "ultra-fine" for finishing. I understand that point, but Sal made this statement before the 302UF was released. Prior to it's release there was no ultra-fine offering thus a dead-flat, smooth 302F was the best Spyderco had to offer. I offer this not to dismiss what heavydutysg135 offered, but to give my interpretation of the information I have been able to gather on the matter of lapping a 302F.

On another note....

Sticky- could I PLEEEZZEEE borrow your D8C?
If you or anyone else would entertain this, I can't tell you how much it would be appreciated <grovel mode off>.


v/r

Allen

Originally Posted by RMC_SS_LDO

I had heard from some that lapping a fine would result in a u-fine finish (as mentioned previously). Your post helps support what I figured about this. I read a post (elsewhere) by "Sal" from Spyderco that he lapped his 302F to get an "ultra-fine" for finishing.
...
Sticky- could I PLEEEZZEEE borrow your D8C?
If you or anyone else would entertain this, I can't tell you how much it would be appreciated <grovel mode off>.

The F and UF are different densities/hones. The difference goes well beyond surface finish. Tap each and hear the difference. I've heard that they are fired differently and have a different mix of binder/grit ratio. After lapping all of mine, I still use them in a normal progression and haven't had any problems at all that way. (I've posted in more detail on this in another thread.)

You really don't wanna' pay shipping both ways do you? Use that shipping money to get you closer to buying one of your very own! Maybe somebody should start a "DMT Club"?

If I were in your position then I would pm JoshEarl. He has a DMT XX Course stone and offers a very reasonably priced barber hone lapping service (if I remember correctly he expressed interest in helping out Sticky when he was having trouble making progress with the DMT-C). The stones could all be shipped in one of the Priority Flat Rate shipping boxes for $8.95 both ways. I still think that lapping the Fine stone will turn it into an Ultrafine stone based on what I have read, but other people feel differently.

Well, I got a call from Spyderco this afternoon. The customer service rep (yes, read the one they have to field requests) Charlynn was trying to answer my questions but was not well informed on the sharpening stones and quickly transferred me to another rep, Cody.

He was quite helpful and, after describing the stones, has arranged to return both the meduim and fine stones.

I was not really concerned about the meduim (it seems to have a high spot in the center of one side) but he recommended returning it as well. Based on my description of what I experienced with the 302F, he immediately thought it was not right and offered to swap it.

It took a couple of days to get an answer from them (seemed within a very reasonable time-frame) and they were very helpful.

I'll report back after I get the medium and fine stones swapped.

On the other hand, my OCD side still wants to get ahold of a D8C regardless of how the new stones arrive!


v/r

Allen