Goldenstone & Duckfoot: How do you all use them?

[JD Spydo]

I've had my Spyderco Goldenstone and Duckfoot sharpening units for quite some time now. I've been hoping that they would get a video made on the Goldenstone by now but nothing doing yet. So I'm wanting to just ask all of you sharpening aficionados how you all use your Goldenstone & Duckfoot units? Also tell us what tricks or tips you've learned about any of the other Spyderco sharpening tools while you're at it.

I know that the Goldenstone & Duckfoot are designed to be held at a preset angle but I'm sure by now many of you who like to experiment with your sharpening techniques have probably discovered some efficient ways of using those great sharpening tools.

Also I'm not giving up on the idea of Spyderco making a base to use the Goldenstone and Duckfoot units on as well as the 701 Profiles. Or maybe some of you guys have went ahead and made your own. I also want to know how many of you would like to see the Goldenstone offered up in different grit sizes?

OK let's compare notes on the Goldenstone & Duckfoot

[phillipsted]

Hey, JD - great idea for a discussion. I've got a Goldenstone, but no Duckfoot. I use mine primarily for field sharpening at Scout Camp, fishing, vacation, etc. The 40 degree preset angle is great for me, because I rarely (if ever) reprofile in the field. Mostly, I just want to straighten out rolled edges and put a little bite back into the edge.

The only ergonomic thing that bugs me about this category of device is that you've got to switch hands and tilt the sharpener to the other side to work the other side of the blade. Consequently, I find myself sharpening one side for 5, 10, or more strokes before switching. This isn't the best technique for keeping the bevels symmetrical, but during a quick field-sharpening, it probably doesn't hurt the edge too much...

One other thing that excited me - in the Sal's Casual Bombshell thread, Sal mentioned that they were considering re-releasing the Duckfoot in CBN material. Ohhh, Baby!

TedP

[JD Spydo]

Hey, JD - great idea for a discussion. I've got a Goldenstone, but no Duckfoot. I use mine primarily for field sharpening at Scout Camp, fishing, vacation, etc. The 40 degree preset angle is great for me, because I rarely (if ever) reprofile in the field. Mostly, I just want to straighten out rolled edges and put a little bite back into the edge.

One other thing that excited me - in the Sal's Casual Bombshell thread, Sal mentioned that they were considering re-releasing the Duckfoot in CBN material. Ohhh, Baby!

I do remember him saying that for sure>> I also remember him saying that they were working on another sharpening system and the name escapes me at this time but he also on that same thread said there was the possibility of another Galley V sharpening kit similar to the old/original one from back in the mid to late 90s maybe making a comeback. Those "Cat's Eye" stones from that unit were extremely versatile and you can get a Dodo model extremely sharp with those stones and other recurves as well. It was also the best sharpener for long culinary blades that are so big that they are awkward to use on the 204 Sharpmaker.

I also remember him saying something along the lines of the possibility of some type of a base unit that will pre-set angles to make it easier to work with for the Goldenstone and/or Duckfoot units>> that's one reason I started another thread on the Goldenstone because as much as Spyderco has invested in the Goldenstone and Duckfoot with time and money they are not going to let them die in the water so to speak.

Also the Goldenstone & Duckfoot units have been out long enough I'm willing to bet that some of the Brothers have probably figured out all kinds of techniques for using them on various blade styles and designs. I just hope that the Goldenstone becomes successful enough to where they end up offering it more grits and hopefully an ultra-fine version as well.

I know that me and Ted aren't the only ones that like and use the GOLDENSTONE so folks please tell us what you know about it let's share what we've discovered using it.

[sir_mike]

I dont use one cause there isnt other grits available so no need. I just hope some of this stuff they he is WORKING ON makes it to the market someday soon and not in 3-5 years later!

[yablanowitz]

About the only thing I use mine for is serrated blades. I did make a special base for my Duckfoot that I calibrated to 15 degrees per side for cutting back bevels, but I haven't used it in a long time.

[phillipsted]

I do remember him saying that for sure>> I also remember him saying that they were working on another sharpening system and the name escapes me at this time but he also on that same thread said there was the possibility of another Galley V sharpening kit similar to the old/original one from back in the mid to late 90s maybe making a comeback. Those "Cat's Eye" stones from that unit were extremely versatile and you can get a Dodo model extremely sharp with those stones and other recurves as well. It was also the best sharpener for long culinary blades that are so big that they are awkward to use on the 204 Sharpmaker.

I remember that earlier discussion, JD, and I really really hope that Sal re-releases the Galley-V. That was a truly great product.

You are the only person I've talked with that has had one. I bolted mine to my workbench and it was my main sharpening platform for a lot of years. Unfortunately, I forgot to unbolt it from the bench when I moved. I hope the guy who bought my house enjoyed it. He was a professional chef, so I'm sure he knew what to do with it... :rolleyes:

TedP

[JD Spydo]

I remember that earlier discussion, JD, and I really really hope that Sal re-releases the Galley-V. That was a truly great product.

You are the only person I've talked with that has had one. I bolted mine to my workbench and it was my main sharpening platform for a lot of years. Unfortunately, I forgot to unbolt it from the bench when I moved. I hope the guy who bought my house enjoyed it. He was a professional chef, so I'm sure he knew what to do with it... :rolleyes:

I'm really surprised that no one discovered just how great those Cat's Eye stones were that the GALLEY V unit was equiped with. Just by accident one day I was using my GALLEY V sharpener and I was at that time checking out my new blue PE Dodo model. It was frustrating me because up till that time I hadn't found a satisfactory way of sharpening it. I immediately seen how the Cat's Eye stone contoured almost perfectly into the shape of the Dodo blade. I worked with it for almost an hour and I couldn't believe how sharp I got that plain edged Dodo with that Cat's Eye stone from the GALLEY V sharpening kit. Since then I've found that stone also works well for a lot of recurve blades as well as plain edged Hawkbills.

I was lucky enough to get some extra stones for the GALLEY V that they had at SFO. Spyderco has always been ahead of their time with many of their sharpening tools. Which is why I'm asking people what they are using their GOLDENSTONE for? I know that there are a lot of things that can be done with the GOLDENSTONE & Duckfoot sharpeners. I have to believe that they have more things in mind for the GOLDENSTONE down the road because it's hard for me to believe that they would discontinue other tools like the 701 Profiles if they didn't have plans to expand their marketing for the GOLDENSTONE.

I would think that the GOLDENSTONE would be a woodworker's dream tool. I also think that there must be a lot of uses for it in the machine tool area of metalworking. I believe that they have big plans for the GOLDENSTONE.

[wrdwrght]

I'm surprised this thread has been so quiet. And disappointed, too. I was hoping to go to school on everyone's lessons learned. Is the Golderstone (the one I've been wanting) priced too high for what it does, especially if one already has a Sharpmaker?

[sir_mike]

I'm surprised this thread has been so quiet. And disappointed, too. I was hoping to go to school on everyone's lessons learned. Is the Golderstone (the one I've been wanting) priced too high for what it does, especially if one already has a Sharpmaker?

I am one that thinks it is high priced for what you get but also seems like a lone wolf as there is no medium grit one. They also need to make some coarse stones to go with their other products as well as getnsome new products out o the market! We need more than the Sharpmaker and the Med., and Fine benchstones! :)

[JD Spydo]

I am one that thinks it is high priced for what you get but also seems like a lone wolf as there is no medium grit one. They also need to make some coarse stones to go with their other products as well as getnsome new products out o the market! We need more than the Sharpmaker and the Med., and Fine benchstones! :)

Yeah "wrdwrght" I tend to agree with you that this thread is eerily quiet especially for all of the sharpening fanatics we have here at Spyderville. I think that Spyderco's chess move of discontinuing the 701 Profiles might have been to hasty. Because at least you had 2 grits with those stones/tools. I also liked the mobility of the 701 Profiles better than I do the Goldenstone. But I'm willing to see what they have coming down the new product pipeline before I say any more about that.

And "SirMike" I agree with you that if they had that Spyderco Goldenstone in other grits it would make me a bigger fan as well. I do think that eventually it will be offered in more grits. I just wish that they had more information on the Goldenstone>> it's hard to get inside of an inventor's mind to see what he was trying to achieve when he made the Goldenstone. I do enjoy experimenting with it>> but as far as sharpening Spyderedges I prefer my 701 Profiles over the Goldenstone myself and I do hope they eventually come back in more grits as well.

It could be a case of the Goldenstone just being too far ahead of it's time. Because I do remember when the 204 Sharpmaker hit the market in the late 90s. It took quite a while before a lot of people were sold on it>> or could even get one for that matter. I got one just right after I first learned about it through some of the knife magazines. I had a good local dealer here in Kansas City, MO USA at the time and it took them almost 6 to 8 months before they were able to get me a 204 Sharpmaker. I had a terrible time getting my first one because many of the dealers still had the 203 unit still in stock so they didn't want to stock the 204 until they were sold out. But I loved 204 Sharpmaker almost immediately when I started using it>> and it came with a really nice, well thought out instructional video which really did help get you started.

I hope the rumor is correct about the Duckfoot coming back with CBN instead of diamond. Because that's one of my biggest complaints about most of Spyderco's sharpening equipment is that they don't have many sharpening tools that remove stock rapidly like many of the vendors that sell diamond equipment do. Hopefully we'll here more from the company as time goes by.

[sir_mike]

JD,

I am not trying to come off bitter but I just wish them would prioritize some new and updated sharpening equipment instead only worrying about sprints and exclusives! It doesnt do them any good if everyone owns there blades but then have to buy some other companies equipment. Just seems like they are lagging behind in this area some but maybe they arent and like where they are at! :)

[rodloos]

Hey, JD - great idea for a discussion. I've got a Goldenstone, but no Duckfoot. I use mine primarily for field sharpening at Scout Camp, fishing, vacation, etc. The 40 degree preset angle is great for me, because I rarely (if ever) reprofile in the field. Mostly, I just want to straighten out rolled edges and put a little bite back into the edge.

The only ergonomic thing that bugs me about this category of device is that you've got to switch hands and tilt the sharpener to the other side to work the other side of the blade. Consequently, I find myself sharpening one side for 5, 10, or more strokes before switching. This isn't the best technique for keeping the bevels symmetrical, but during a quick field-sharpening, it probably doesn't hurt the edge too much...

One other thing that excited me - in the Sal's Casual Bombshell thread, Sal mentioned that they were considering re-releasing the Duckfoot in CBN material. Ohhh, Baby!

TedP

I don't switch hands, but rather I still hold the device (Duckfoot/Goldenstone) with my left hand, and reach under my left hand with my right to hit that side of the blade. A little faster, but I have to take more effort to be sure I'm still holding the knife vertical.

I too would purchase a medium grit Goldenstone if they made one.

To me, a big part of the advantage of them is their compactness (is that a word?). No assembling of the rods into the base like on the Sharpmaker, just pull it out of the leather case and use it. It *does* help to have a flat surface available though. I have a harder time keeping the angle right balancing the Duckfoot on a log at the campfire.

I don't use mine a lot, but I do use them. And I keep a Duckfoot in each vehicle along with a Doublestuff, you just never know when you might need to touch up an edge :) .

[JD Spydo]

JD,

I am not trying to come off bitter but I just wish them would prioritize some new and updated sharpening equipment instead only worrying about sprints and exclusives! It doesnt do them any good if everyone owns there blades but then have to buy some other companies equipment. Just seems like they are lagging behind in this area some but maybe they arent and like where they are at! :)

Sir Mike I share a lot of your concerns because to me I just can't understand why you would introduce a new sharpening tool and no information on it ( or very limited information at best)? I know that Mr. Glesser put a huge amount of thought and innovative trial and error in putting the Duckfoot and Goldenstone units on the market to begin with. And in all fairness to Sal Glesser I'm sure he is as busy as a beaver trying to clog up Niargara Falls on a day to day basis. And he has brought a lot of great innovations to the cutlery and sharpening tool industry without a doubt. But I wish he would get some kind of a video or information packet maybe similar to the one he had put together on the 204 Sharpmaker. The information packet that came with the earlier model of the 204 Sharpmaker was very well done and very informative. I hope something of that detail on the GOLDENSTONE will be soon coming.

It's interesting too that the design and idea of the GOLDENSTONE had been around for several years but it's only been recently that they have had the technology to make the GOLDENSTONE to the demanding specs that it had to be made with in order for it to be the outstanding tool that it is. I just want to know more about it just like yourself.

I also fervently agree with you that they don't have any really coarse sharpening tools that would have the ability to remove stock fast from really beat up blades. Now they (Spyderco) probably feel that there are so many diamond tools on the market that they don't need to do anything in that sector of coarse sharpening tools because they might think that the market is already saturated with the ones that are already on the market.

I do hope that the talk of a base unit for the GOLDENSTONE and Duckfoot does indeed come to fruition because I do think that the GOLDENSTONE holds huge potential for being a portable sharpening tool. I'm willing to bet that if they would come up with some type of a base unit for the 701 Profiles it would bolster the sales of the 701 Profiles exponentially>> because a lot of people are intimidated with any type of freehand sharpening and some type of sharpening guides for the 701 Profiles would send sales of those tools through the roof.

It truly amazes me that someone hasn't figured out more methods of sharpening with the GOLDENSTONE. I am aware of and I do own the video that came with the Duckfoot sharpener but I did think that it left me with more questions that it gave answers to many of my questions. I'm holding out hope that this thread will get the attention of more people that share the same concerns as we do.

[sir_mike]

I have wanted a base for the 701's forever....that would be so awesome and truly make this great set even better and that is about the only way to make them any better except a coarse and ultra fit grit additions! :) I would think that it would be that hard as to use the Sharpmaker base and redo the triangles to fit the 701's to use thd flats, edges and maybe the round part for recurves.

I like the looks of the Goldenstone (and the Duckfoot idea) and too wish it had more info, a base and more grits! If so, they probably would have sold a ton, probably two! :)

[JD Spydo]

I have wanted a base for the 701's forever....that would be so awesome and truly make this great set even better and that is about the only way to make them any better except a coarse and ultra fit grit additions! :) I would think that it would be that hard as to use the Sharpmaker base and redo the triangles to fit the 701's to use thd flats, edges and maybe the round part for recurves.

I like the looks of the Goldenstone (and the Duckfoot idea) and too wish it had more info, a base and more grits! If so, they probably would have sold a ton, probably two! :)

I agree with you 100% on all you just said. As far as information goes I went on record 2 years ago saying that they would do well with their sharpening tools that they market if they would come out with a comprehensive video covering all of their sharpening tools to give people a great overview of what Spyderco's intentions are behind their products.

I will give Spyderco huge credit in the fact that they actually make equipement to sharpen their blades with>> whereas most knife companies that market sharpening equipment either contract other companies to make it for them with their name on it>> or they import them from somewhere and those usually have extremely poor quality.

Buck is one of the few companies other than Spyderco that actually makes some really decent sharpening tools>> I know I have a few of them.

Just the other day I tried to touch of a Spyderedged blade of mine on the Goldenstone but I still like the 701 Profiles better>> so my challenge to Spyderco is this???>>> tell me what I'm doing wrong or tell me what I'm overlooking using the Goldenstone.

[sir_mike]

Well, I guess time will tell if Sypderco does indeed come out with new/upgraded stuff. We will see at that time if I am in the market for some sharpening equipment or if I already bought something cause I couldnt wait forever! :)

I have blades now and some are kinda dull so could use some coarse stones to fix them!!!

[JD Spydo]

Well, I guess time will tell if Sypderco does indeed come out with new/upgraded stuff. We will see at that time if I am in the market for some sharpening equipment or if I already bought something cause I couldnt wait forever! :)

I have blades now and some are kinda dull so could use some coarse stones to fix them!!!

If your blades are that dull and banged up then I would recommend you check out one of the main companies that make coarse or extra coarse diamond stones. Currently I have stones by DMT, 3M, Norton and CeraHone which are all made with monocrystalline diamonds and they all remove stock at a pretty fast pace. I've heard that those "Atomas" diamond stones are the top of the heap however I've not yet gotten the pleasure of using one. I even have an older Norton stone callled "Queer Creek" which I heard is a natural stone mined somewhere here in the USA. It does a fairly rapid stock removal for dinged up blades. I got that one on Ebay about 10 years ago.

As for my Goldenstone>> it's more of a finishing stone at this point but it does a fairly decent job at touching up blades as well.

[sir_mike]

If your blades are that dull and banged up then I would recommend you check out one of the main companies that make coarse or extra coarse diamond stones. Currently I have stones by DMT, 3M, Norton and CeraHone which are all made with monocrystalline diamonds and they all remove stock at a pretty fast pace. I've heard that those "Atomas" diamond stones are the top of the heap however I've not yet gotten the pleasure of using one. I even have an older Norton stone callled "Queer Creek" which I heard is a natural stone mined somewhere here in the USA. It does a fairly rapid stock removal for dinged up blades. I got that one on Ebay about 10 years ago.

As for my Goldenstone>> it's more of a finishing stone at this point but it does a fairly decent job at touching up blades as well.

Dull yeah but not really banged up. Mine dont see alot of use so mainly just dull and I have a couple of beaters to practice sharpening with. I heard good things about Atomas but havent seen any prices or reviews as I haven't researched them. Do you know how they are price wise?

[JD Spydo]

I was also wondering if people used the Goldenstone along with another Spyderco sharpening tool like maybe the 701 Profile? I would think that the 2 of them together would be really nice for Spyderedged blades.

Now I've only used my Goldenstone flat on a couple of occasions. To me if I need something completely flat I just use the Spyderco 302 Benchstones which are available in 3 different grits.

I'm wondering now if they have more plans for the Goldenstone as well as a new Duckfoot with multiple grits because it just doesn't seem like they really thought out the Goldenstone when they put it on the market. Because there is such limited information on it and there is only so much you can do with one grit (fine).

If they're going to make the 204 Sharpmaker available in 4 different grits then why don't they do the same with their Goldenstone? I have to believe that they just wanted to get the Goldenstone to market and get it well known and then offer it up in other grits later>> it really makes snese when you think about it. Because I think we've only seen the beginning of the Goldenstone concept.

[sir_mike]

I was also wondering if people used the Goldenstone along with another Spyderco sharpening tool like maybe the 701 Profile? I would think that the 2 of them together would be really nice for Spyderedged blades.

Now I've only used my Goldenstone flat on a couple of occasions. To me if I need something completely flat I just use the Spyderco 302 Benchstones which are available in 3 different grits.

I'm wondering now if they have more plans for the Goldenstone as well as a new Duckfoot with multiple grits because it just doesn't seem like they really thought out the Goldenstone when they put it on the market. Because there is such limited information on it and there is only so much you can do with one grit (fine).

If they're going to make the 204 Sharpmaker available in 4 different grits then why don't they do the same with their Goldenstone? I have to believe that they just wanted to get the Goldenstone to market and get it well known and then offer it up in other grits later>> it really makes snese when you think about it. Because I think we've only seen the beginning of the Goldenstone concept.

why not the bench stones or any equpment they come out with also? :)