Some questions on Grit sizes.............

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NeedItCheaper

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Jun 17, 2012
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So I like to sharpen my knives. And I am looking online for something bigger than what I have for my bigger knives. I have an Eze 600 grit diamond stone, which brand new could basically reprofile an edge. Then I have my Lansky 600 grit stone from the Deluxe model, which will get pretty close to polishing before the 1000 grit. My lansky 80 grit is pretty close to the 600 grit diamond stone in terms of how it sharpens.



I'm confused............If you want more data, I am looking at the Arkansas Knife Sharpening Stone - Soft 8"x2" 600 grit. Looks great and am looking for something I can sit in front of the tube and sharpen with.


Any help?
 
Grit is a confusing term and there is no real way to simplify it. Arkansas stones and other natural stones don't have a grit rating and it's more of a guess by experienced sharpeners and stone handlers. Arkansas stones and other natural stones also cut modern steels VERY slowly so they would not be the best of choices for most of todays knife collections.

Diamond stones use a synthetic diamond abrasive fixed to a metal plate by a nickle metal spray. The abrasive is very sharp and jagged so it cuts a sharp path leaving a aggressive edge. The diamond abrasive is also many times harder than any steel or alloy element found in the steel so the reaction between the two materials is extreme. Being of extreme hardness and also that the abrasive does not move means it will cut a even and pronounced path on a bevel through the hardest of steels, leaving consistent sharpness regardless of steel. On the down side, softer and less wear resistant metals are torn, ripped, and gouged by this aggressive abrasive and may not be the best of choices for such steels.

Your other stones are made of a softer abrasive that is likely to fracture under pressure. This will typically mean that the stones cut slower and will be effective on a smaller range of steels. The fact that the abrasive is softer and is likely to fracture will cause more polishing and at a lower grit than say a diamond hone.

Beyond that it would be in your best interest to educate yourself on the different abrasive types and their properties.
 
Good answer. What do you recommend for big blades? DMT seems nice. Thinking of there 6 inch Extra Coarse for re-profiling........


What do you use?
 
Depends on the steels you plan to sharpen. I also view a 6 inch stone to be on the small side, 8 inch stones are the standard for "full size" stones and when it comes to coarse grinding bigger stones are better.
 
knifenut1013 said:
Depends on the steels you plan to sharpen. I also view a 6 inch stone to be on the small side, 8 inch stones are the standard for "full size" stones and when it comes to coarse grinding bigger stones are better.
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Lol, I am currently using a 600 Grit Eze Diamond stone, 1x3 on my 7 inch blades. Not talking shit, just saying, anything bigger than that I will like a whole lot more.

I looked around and decided my next set will be a Combo Arkansas Tri-Hone Knife Sharpener(3 stones- 220, 600, 1200). And a 220 Grit DMT Diamond stone. All will be 2x6.

Now on a side note if I like any of these brands/styles I might up to a bigger version. But right now this some what to save money. I actually dislike the Eze brand, it no longer removes metal like it was. Between my CS LeatherNeck and my Tops Steel Eagle it is now shot in just a few months.

Thanks for the help, I will repost the results after I get them and test them out:)
 
I wouldn't get them but that's just me. I started out using Arkansas stones and they work but are by far the slowest way to remove metal. Lots of good options available, let me know if you would like to explore some.
 
knifenut1013 said:
I wouldn't get them but that's just me. I started out using Arkansas stones and they work but are by far the slowest way to remove metal. Lots of good options available, let me know if you would like to explore some.
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What do you use for your large knives?
 
I typically use 8x3 inch waterstones.

A simple set would be, Naniwa 150 grit Omura, 1k Arashiyama & 6k Arashiyama. It's a combo of stones I use often and is a very effective starter set.

What type of steels and blades do you sharpen? It will make a difference if you sharpen basic carbon or a premium stainless like S90V as to what stones would best suite your needs.
 
Just thought I should mention, you can get a very good idea of a natural stone's grit size by studying the scratch pattern using a microscope.
 
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