How sharp from the coarse stone

[drumlooper]

How sharp would you say the blade of your knife has to be coming from the coarse stone, lets say 325 grit, bevor moving to finer grits. Paper cutting sharp? Hair popping sharp? Can you get the edge razor sharp on a 1200 grit if it cuts paper from the low grit?

 

[AntDog]

Shaving.

 

[Blade Lab]

I would say that cutting paper cleanly is sufficient. The main thing is to be sure that you've developed a burr all along the edge on both sides before moving on. It's a good idea to try to minimize the burr before going to a finer stone, just to prevent the burr from contaminating it, but I don't think it's necessary to get it perfectly clean.

 

[Alberta Ed]

Some steels, like D2, cut best with a coarse edge. High carbon steels with low carbide content, like 1095/52100 will take a very keen edge using finer grits, up to 1200 (ultra-fine DMT or Arkansas black natural stone). For most super steels with high carbide content, I rarely go past 600 grit (fine DMT) as they don't seem to cut any better with a polished edge.

 

[garry3]

A beginner thinking he will make his knife sharper on the next grit in the progression is a mistake. Master the coarse grit and shave your arm hair off the 325 grit stone.

Nothing wrong with a 325 grit edge either, more useful than a polished edge for almost everything.

I always think of Joe Calton when this subject comes up, a big fan of 325 grit edges.

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

Depends on how broken in the stone is. In my experience, coarse stones don't stay coarse for very long and with light strokes you can get a keen toothy edge.

 

[garry3]

Some steels, like D2, cut best with a coarse edge. High carbon steels with low carbide content, like 1095/52100 will take a very keen edge using finer grits, up to 1200 (ultra-fine DMT or Arkansas black natural stone). For most super steels with high carbide content, I rarely go past 600 grit (fine DMT) as they don't seem to cut any better with a polished edge.

At the risk of being stoned to death I can't get my head around getting the latest and greatest super steel for it's superior edge holding ability and then putting a polished edge on it.
Maybe it's just for entertainment purposes because it's just fun to sharpen?

 

[garry3]

Depends on how broken in the stone is. In my experience, coarse stones don't stay coarse for very long and with light strokes you can get a keen toothy edge.

What stones are you talking about diamond plates?

My water stones and crystolons are friable and stay coarse, my India's are prone to glazing so they can act finer if not dressed, diamond plates will fade.

 

[SwissHeritageCo]

What stones are you talking about diamond plates?

My water stones and crystolons are friable and stay coarse, my India's are prone to glazing so they can act finer if not dressed, diamond plates will fade.

Yep, diamond stones are what I'm referencing. I should have clarified

 

[Blade Lab]

A beginner thinking he will make his knife sharper on the next grit in the progression is a mistake. Master the coarse grit and shave your arm hair off the 325 grit stone.

Nothing wrong with a 325 grit edge either, more useful than a polished edge for almost everything.

I always think of Joe Calton when this subject comes up, a big fan of 325 grit edges.

It's just a waste of time, in my opinion. Why kill yourself attempting to deburr completely on a course stone, when you're just going to raise another burr on the next stone in the progression? Even if I am intending to finish sharpening on a coarse stone, I will always go to a finer stone to deburr that edge before moving on to a strop.

 

[garry3]

It's just a waste of time, in my opinion. Why kill yourself attempting to deburr completely on a course stone, when you're just going to raise another burr on the next stone in the progression? Even if I am intending to finish sharpening on a coarse stone, I will always go to a finer stone to deburr that edge before moving on to a strop.

I just think beginners have a tendency to think they can make the edge sharp on the next stone, finer is sharper mindset.

I'm not even a burr sharpener preferring to mitigate them as I go. Lots of different ways of doing things.

 

[Seedy Lot]

Off a course stone I like a solid apex that will cut paper.

 

[sodak]

[...]
My water stones and crystolons are friable [...]

Would you mind telling me what brand of crysolons you use? I need some, and I like what you are describing, thanks.

 

[FortyTwoBlades]

Would you mind telling me what brand of crysolons you use? I need some, and I like what you are describing, thanks.

Crystolon is a brand name of Norton.

As far as the greater question goes, learn to get a keen and burr free edge off of coarse stones and you'll master the fundamentals and some of the intermediate skills as well. Above all else it'll teach you a lot about scratch pattern management and pressure modulation. You have to think about the orientation of the scratches being produced, how to check for and prevent or remove burrs, and so on. It all matters a lot and is useful to know when moving up grits as well.

 

[AntDog]

I just think beginners have a tendency to think they can make the edge sharp on the next stone, finer is sharper mindset.

Exactly, 100%. If it isn’t sharp off of that first coarse stone, it won’t get sharp as you go to finer grits. The shitty edge will get shinier, but it won’t get sharp.

Anybody who’s aiming for a sharp edge should get it sharp off their coarse stone, then move on. This has nothing to do with burrs or their removal. Get it sharp, then refine the edge.

 

[elevator man]

I can shave after sharpening with my coarse stone. I try my best to deburr and it's a usable edge at that point. I go stones finer to refine and duburr, and strop. But if I was in a hurry a coarse stone edge probably a few passes on the strop for deburring would be a shaving sharp edge I would be happy to put back in my pocket.

But I agree with what others said, if your not apexed with the coarse stone, the finer ones won't do anything for you. I know from my experience once I raise a burr on both sides, then deburr, it'll shave. But when I first started sharpening I was checking often through the process and shaving arm hair was my indicator I'd done good enough on the first stone.