What's new
What's new

How low is it reasonable to go? GRIT WISE

pcm81

Cast Iron
Joined
Apr 10, 2014
Location
USA FL
I've been sharpening knives for years and have gone down as low as 12.5nm (that's nano-meter 0.0125micron) abrasive slurries on a strop. I usually took knife blades down to 0.5 micron AlOx on a strop. Now, with buffing wheels and compounds i see grits going down to 320, which people use after 1500 grit sand paper. I get it that the buffing wheel is whole lot less aggressive than stone or even strop, for the same grit number, due to more give provided by the wheel just as strop is less aggressive than stone.

My question is: how low is it reasonable to go? I still have couple pounds of 800 grit down to 0.05 micron powders. I am thinking of treating some loose buffing wheels with these powders and giving it a go. Am I crazy? how low is is practical / reasonable to go on a buffing wheel before the abrasive essentially stops doing anything?
 
I like to go down to 2.5 micron with my Edge Pro on my mostly 440c knives. I still haven't got a strop yet, other than my Levies pant leg. No joke, when I strop on my pants while wearing them I can see what scratches that are left on my knife slowly smooth out under the microscope. Of course what grits you use depends on your knives, bond, and abrasives, they are very dependent on each other.
 
I like to go down to 2.5 micron with my Edge Pro on my mostly 440c knives. I still haven't got a strop yet, other than my Levies pant leg. No joke, when I strop on my pants while wearing them I can see what scratches are left on my knife slowly smooth out under the microscope. Of course what grits you use depends on your knives, bond, and abrasives, they are very dependent on each other.

I was more asking in regards to general purpose polishing on a buffer wheel. The buffer is whole lot less aggressive than something like a strop or a stone.
Don't bother buying a strop. Buy some leather and stretch it wet over a piece of wood what ever size you like, staple it on the back. I like edgero, but i find it too slow, because it has such a small stone. I like the shapton glass stones on EP better than choseras. Shapton GS stays flat longer. After 16K shapton i usually go to 0.5 micron AlOx on a strop.
 








 
Back
Top