Honing oil works better then H2O most of the time. Stainless sharpens quite well on the big stones..."BUT"...(I feel better now)...any stainless blade (with Rockwell above 56-57+) sharpens easily..."IF"...you don't let it get dull!
I "touch" my blades up, "during" their use, allowing for a quick sharpening job. If you get a Rockwell-60 dull and rounded, you're in for some work, no doubt. That is "always" the case!
When I am cleaning, gutting, skinning (fill in the blacks) I touch my knives up several times during the process. A good rule I use is: Every time I have to wash the blade (& my hands, etc.) during the task...I hit the blade 3 or 4 times on The Spyderco!
Works for me...Hope this helps,
Capt. Chris