How high grit of whetstone do you use?

[ksskss]

Jake,

The question is too vague. What kind of knife? What are you cutting with it?, etc etc.

I have knives I finish at 24 grit and knives I finish at 1.2 million grit and everything inbetween. Generally a 1k edge is a basic sharpened edge, but for finer tasks and finer steels, you can go MUCH higher.

---
Ken

 

[TheDandyLion]

Jake,

The question is too vague. What kind of knife? What are you cutting with it?, etc etc.

I have knives I finish at 24 grit and knives I finish at 1.2 million grit and everything inbetween. Generally a 1k edge is a basic sharpened edge, but for finer tasks and finer steels, you can go MUCH higher.

---
Ken

Well I own many types of knives and most of them will be sharpened on these stones

 

[ksskss]

Well for your softer knives HRC below 55, a 2k edge is more than enough. For more abrasion resistant knives with high vanadium content, some waterstones will hardly work on them for instance knives with s90v or other steels with 4% or more vanadium, so you would be better off with diamond plates or CBN or diamond abrasives. For white and blue steel knives you can easily go to 15k or even 30k on stones or higher with strops. A 1k edge is just an entry level edge, nothing spectacular, but nevertheless an essential stone or grit level.

---
Ken

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

That depends; whats the grit of a case brand soft arkansas stone?

Seriously, what is it? Ive been wondering, but i know it gets my knives sharp as hell.

With 'natural' stones, as all Arkansas stones are, it's hard to assign an exact grit spec to them. They'll all be variable, because they're natural quarried stone, and not man-made to specific tolerances. However, in terms of the equivalent finish left, at least one reputable dealer of Arkansas stones classifies a 'soft Arkansas' as a 'medium' at around 600-800 grit (and even that can be very vague or subjective).

Bottom line, if you like the sharpness and finish of the edge coming off your stone, that's all that matters. A good stone is a good stone.


David