Question for Spyderco owners

[Michael Titus]

I recently purchased the Spyderco 302UF ultra-fine bench stone. For other 302UF owners, how flat is your stone? My stone has visible grinder swirl marks, which have become highlighted by swarf (see photo), but can't be felt by touch. If I lay a straight-edge across the stone in various places, I can see slight dips in the surface of the stone. My finest feeler gauge is .0015" and it won't fit under the straight-edge, so the surface varies by less than that. Which of the following best describes this stone?

1) Most 302UFs are not like this -- request a replacement.

2) All 302UFs are like this, and need further flattening.

3) All 302UFs are like this, don't worry about it.

4) This is as good as it gets with any stone, don't worry about it.

Thanks!
175285
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/images/misc/pencil.png

[Greg Portland]

If you can see dips then there is a problem. I would talk to Spyderco tech support and see what they say; your image makes the issue pretty clear.

[Salem Ganzhorn]

Got one for christmas too. Mine has similar swirls in use. I have not measured it yet. But I can tell you it leaves a great edge and cuts very fast compared to my arkansas stone. In use it has been great!

[Michael Titus]

I've used it to sharpen a couple of chisels, and I do like the cutting speed and the fine edge it produces, but I'm a little hesitant about using it on wide plane irons.

[Stephen Cherry]

I've had a spyderco stone for a few years. I think mine is a "fine". I flattened it out using a diamond stone. My usual sharpening routine is diamond up to 900, then the spyderco stone for a secondary bevel. Works great, fast, not too messy, water is optional. I wouldn't trade mine for anything that I've tried.

[Leigh Betsch]

Mine looked like yours. I never measured the flatness but I flattened it with a dimond stone anyway. It seems to have a couple of sticky spots in it that didn't improve when I flattened it. I'm not sure what the the sticky spots are. I can't feel them with my finger but a plane blade will stick when I flatten the back of the plane iron. I use a little water and dish soap and then it works fine.