Leather, Cork, or Felt

[trugracie]

I know there are a lot of you out there that sharpen your knives with a belt sander, including knife makers. What do you use, say after 800 grit on your machine to get those wicked, shiny, hair whittling edges?

 

[grizzled gizzard]

I've been perfectly satisfied with leather. Doesn't mean I wouldn't use anything else. I just haven't been notified that there is anything better.

IMHO, leather should tend to keep the compounds "in touch" with the blade better. (kinda hard to explain) The compounds don't soak in too far to be ineffective would be my chief reasoning. It seems like it would take a whole bunch more stuff to fully charge a felt belt, and cork has all those little surface voids to fill.

I could be totally off on that, that's just my impression.

 

[fierostetz]

I've had a lot of luck with grits down to 9 micron, then felt, then leather for finishing. I dont bother with diamond compounds on the felt, I use one of the big bars of white compound or green compound on my felts, then good green compound on a surgi sharp leather. Then I hand strop for finishing; hair whittling indeed!