Spyderco303MF 1" by 5" DoubleStuff Sharpening Stone - Medium & Fine Sided and Includes Protective Case - 303MF

This is my first traditional ceramic sharpener and I have to say I'm impressed. I own numerous other sharpening media including DMT diamonds, glass-based ceramics (expensive water stones affixed to a glass base), Arkansas stones, oil stones, as well as Japanese water stones, but none compare to the portability of this stone and its ease of use. Oh, and did I mention it rarely needs cleaning and never needs flattening?I was a little concerned about the width of the stone as I'd always brought the tool to be sharpened to the stone and at 1" wide I figured I'd have to skew whatever required sharpening so that it wouldn't hang over the edge of the stone. Simple fix: Bring the stone to the tool, which ended up simplifying the sharpening process considerably especially for penknives and kitchen knives. The medium grit feels abrasive to the touch and does a nice job of restoring the bevel on a dull blade, while the fine grit is as smooth as a baby's backside and produces a stunning hone. However, if you have a severely damaged tool and need to reset the primary bevel I'd suggest something more abrasive than the medium grit unless you have a lot of patience and a great deal of free time.A nice bonus is the leather pouch, which is not the smooth leather as shown in the photograph but the rougher variety; exactly the type that takes honing/buffing compound and allows you to strop a 'wicked sharp' edge on whatever you're sharpening (keep the stone in the pouch, apply the compound, then strop to your heart's content.)Overall a superior quality tool that's an all-in-one sharpener that even provides a means for stropping if you don't mind one of the surfaces of the pouch getting a little beaten up and soiled with honing compound. Oh, and did I mention it rarely needs cleaning and never needs flattening?

I really like this. I use a Spyderco Sharpmaker for most routine sharpening, sometimes DMT diamond bench stones for reprofiling a blade. But I sometimes just want to sit down and leisurely sharpen a knife while watching TV or listening to music and the Sharpmaker and bench stones aren't really geared to this type of sharpening. Enter the Double Stuff. It's a Spyderco medium ceramic stone and a fine ceramic stone glued together and stored in a suede leather pouch (I've read that the pouches vary, some being soft suede while some are standard leather). Being 5" in length, it's long enough to hold in your hand while using. I've sharpened up to 4" blades easily. Probably not the best choice for your 16" machete, but it's fine for a large folding knife.It works great as long as you know how to free hand sharpen. Cleaning is a breeze, just like the Spyderco Sharpmaker ceramic rods. Any abrasive cleaner like Comet or Bar Keeper's Friend will work. It helps to use a Scotchbright pad. Sprinkle it on the pad, scrub lightly, rinse off and towel dry. You can also just wipe off the metal residue with a dry tissue or cloth while sharpening to extend time between cleanings. The stone is small enough to carry in a large pocket or pack for touch ups while in the field. It doesn't take the place of a sharpening system or bench stones but it's a convenient and handy addition for anyone who can free hand sharpen.

As many of the other reviews mentioned, the fine stone was not glued to the medium stone very precisely. A bit of a sloppy job. They sharpen well but they are so thin that they are hard to hold while sharpening without getting cut. Best to lay them on a non-slip surface if possible.

Good points:-Gives you a very nice polished shaving sharp edge-Product fit and finish is very nice (they took the time to radius the stones!)-Very nice quality leather sheath doubles as a strop for final polishing in a pinch-Ceramic is of the hardest materials known to man, only second to Diamonds-5 inch length provides a workable length to sharpen knives on without being overly awkward-Good value for the money-Ceramic is VERY long lasting and will pretty much never wear outThings to be aware of: (Note I didn't title this "bad points")-Although Ceramic is very hard, it is also brittle by design and will shatter if dropped-Ceramic by it's very nature is a fine abrasive and is more geared towards the finishing process. So if you have a chipped or damaged blade, don't bother using ceramic. You will be there all day! Instead use a different sharpening medium for heavier stalk removal.-Ceramic loads with steel faster than other abrasive mediums such as diamonds or synthetic stones, so they will require routine cleaning. Simply use some Comet cleanser and a NYLON scrubbing pad with water... Do not use steel wool or you will simply load the stone with more steel.Bottom line: Keeping the above in mind, I think this is a great sharpener from a great company. Give it a try!

I’ve bee using the Spyderco 4 stone set for years to hone/polish knives and fine metal parts. This is a perfect upgrade for larger blades or parts. This larger stone works well on larger parts, the 4 stone kit complements it for the fine work.The white part of the large stone appears to have the same grit/finess of the 4 stone set, and the darker side of the stone is slightly coarser - handy for starting out axes and large knives.