Spyderco Ultra Fine (benchstone): Dry, oil, or water?

[basedlarrydavid]

Title is pretty much everything here. I understand it was designed for dry use, but practice sometimes supersedes design. I used it with water last night, I’m thinking this was suboptimal.

Discuss.

[vivi]

dry.

on low grit stones like my DMT plates I use water, because it increases the number of strokes I can use between wiping the stone down.

On something as fine as the UF stone I see no point. You're not building up a swarf.

[FK]

If you are observing black streaks on the UF stone,,,,, that is swarf and will clog the stone.

I like a small amount of water mixed with liquid soap on that stone.

FK

[Bloke]

Windex! :)

Windex is the sharpener’s friend.

[FK]

Yes, to the Windex,,, a friend who engraves likes it on his rotary plates both diamond and ceramic, to sharpen his tools. I never liked the ammonia odor.

Regards,
FK

[demoncase]

Dry as 2 day old toast

[Bloke]

I respectfully disagree on using any abrasive dry. :)

One of the very few things I’m anal about is clean, flat stones and believe the finer the stone the quicker it clogs. That said I do use my SharpMaker stones dry only because they sit vertically near enough and washing and drying the base is a nuisance but the times I’ve painted Windex on the stones with a 1/2” artists brush what little swarf was created simple ran off the stone and didn’t leave the slightest hint of dark streaking you’ll likely see when the stone is used dry.

Just my $AU0.02c worth. :rolleyes:

[Woodpuppy]

Yes, to the Windex,,, a friend who engraves likes it on his rotary plates both diamond and ceramic, to sharpen his tools. I never liked the ammonia odor.

Regards,
FK

Does he spray it on his elbow too? :D

[ABX2011]

WD-40

[Zatx]

Dry... then use a large white pencil eraser to wipe off any metal particles. Works great!

[anagarika]

Alternating dry & oil on UF.

[xceptnl]

I have only ever run my M,F or UF benchstones dry. All with extremely desirable results in my eyes. Thus I have never thought to try it wet. I will give the Windex a try next time.