Spinoff question - sharpening as comparison to sanding wood

T

tuffluv

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spinoff from here: http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1281235-Why-sharpen-to-such-high-grits


When sanding wood it's standard practice to start at a low grit and work your way up through higher grits in sequential steps being sure not to skip grits.

Is this sequential sanding necessary when sharpening knives?

I ask because I've seen some people sharpen at 325 grit then 1200, then strop. Even Murray Carter has his 1000 grit stone followed by a 6000 grit stone.
 
Depends on the abrasive,

The 1k and 6k waterstones are a large gap regardless of how we look at it but the abrasive cuts aggressively enough that unless the steel is very hard or wear resistant its not that big of a jump. Some sharper and harder abrasives Found in higher quality stones makes jumps like this a common thing. Take the Shapton Glass stones for example, they recommend basic sets like 500-2000-16,000 all the time.

It's not always about getting all the scratches out either, some of the best cutting edges are a mix of polished and toothy the 2000-16,000 jump of the Shaptons or the 1k-6k of the Kings are a perfect example of this.

The only time a tight grit progression is needed is when you want a flawless surface.

There was a time when I polished every edge in lust of the shine, eventually reminding myself that my goal was the edge and not its shiny flat sides.
 
A lot of my favorite edges come from honing with a ~320-grit SiC stone (or similar sandpaper) or a 'Fine' diamond (~600/25µ), followed by stropping on denim with some 2-5µ white rouge compound. It just seems to work well for me, and I've not had much reason to go further with the finishing. They cut like demons, and I don't need to fix what ain't broke in a quest to make it look 'prettier'. To me, the real beauty is in the cutting anyway. ;)

And even with wood, it comes down to what it's being used for. This last week, I refinished some rustic outdoor furniture at our place using some 60-80 grit sandpaper on an orbital sander, followed immediately by oil-based stain/sealer. Looks great. :)

Edit:
I just finished resetting bevels on a Victorinox paring knife, using a Coarse DMT (325 mesh/45µ) and following with the 2-5µ white rouge on denim, as mentioned above. That's made for a wicked-toothy & effortless slicer as well. So, whatever works...


David
 
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It is similar in that every progression takes out the scratch marks put there by the previous sanding/sharpening, repeat until satisfied by the surface or edge.
 
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