Sharpening Stone Grit

[Adventure Wolf]

I'm preparing to purchase a new sharpening stone. I was wondering if anyone has any advice on what the grit rating for a single stone or should I purchase multiple stones each with a different grit?

 

[David Martin]

I wouldn't get a single grit stone when a twin grit may be purchased for a little more change. 100 and 300 grit. DM

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Grit standards are widely different for each abrasive type. A 'fine' diamond' will leave a coarser finish on a given steel than a 'fine' ceramic or other aluminum oxide stone, or a 'fine' natural stone (Arkansas). There's no universal translation between 'grit' or 'mesh' numbers between different abrasive types either (diamond, silicon carbide, ceramics, natural stones, waterstones, etc.).

So, having said that, I think the more important considerations would be:

What steel(s) are you planning to use & sharpen?
What type of edge finish will you prefer ('coarse & toothy', or high polish, or in between)?
Will you be doing any heavy grinding, re-bevelling/reprofiling?

It's always helpful to have an array of stones available. Whether they'll be very useful depends on if they're appropriately matched to the steels & sharpening tasks expected. A coarse or extra-coarse diamond hone is probably the most versatile for re-bevelling or other heavy grinding, on any steel. Beyond that, which stones you finish with can depend more on the steel type and finish desired. As mentioned, diamond hones will leave a generally coarser finish than other similarly-rated 'grits' in other different abrasives. Simple carbon steels and basic stainless will finish nicely on natural stones, or aluminum oxides/ceramics, or almost any other type. More abrasion-resistant steels with very hard carbide content, like S30V, will likely benefit more from diamond hones. Silicon carbide stones are very popular as 'all-purpose' sharpening tools; they'll do pretty well, or even excellent, with most steels.

Probably the safest bet for a starter set would be a coarse/medium/fine diamond set (or coarse/fine/extra-fine, depending on brand). They might be somewhat 'overkill' for simpler steels, though they'll still work fine, even excellent as technique improves. But, they will also be useful on tougher, more abrasion-resistant steels, and everything in between. On the other hand, if only buying & using natural stones (Arkansas), you will probably find them to work very slowly on the tougher steels, if you can use them at all. And ceramics (such as Spyderco's hones) should be reserved for finishing tasks only, as none of them are aggressive (coarse) enough for heavy grinding or re-bevelling.