The Grand Unified Grit Chart

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Komitadjie

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May 31, 2011
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EDIT: Since creating this chart, it has gone through many revisions and has become far too unwieldy to keep saving as a JPG. Mainly, because it won't fit on one *screen* any more. So, the latest version will now be kept HERE!

Well, I've seen a lot of charts comparing various grit sizes in different systems out there, and at the behest of a friend on another forum, I've started somewhat of an ongoing project. None of this data is mine, it has been compiled from internet sources, and cross-checked where possible. If you spot an error, or have additional data that you would like added to the chart, let me know and I'll revise the tables and post up a new version.

The current chart compares the JIS, ANSI, FEPA-P, FEPA-F, EdgePro stones, Shapton Pro, and Chosera stones, and ranks them all to their particle micron size as best I am able to determine.

gritchartrev1.png
 
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Great info. Could wind up making a good sticky. Which category would DMT stones fall under?
 
The DMTs are on their own scale, since they rate by "Coarse" "Fine" etc. They give micron sizes in their sales literature, so I've added a column for them. When I get home tonight I'll post up the new version that has those. New version also includes the Spyderco Sharpmaker rods, per another request, and the Trizact grading system for the 3M belts. It will also include the grit sizes for the WEPS stock plates.
 
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Komitadjie said:
The DMTs are on their own scale, since they rate by "Coarse" "Fine" etc. They give micron sizes in their sales literature, so I've added a column for them. When I get home tonight I'll post up the new version that has those. New version also includes the Spyderco Sharpmaker rods, per another request, and the Trizact grading system for the 3M belts. It will also include the grit sizes for the WEPS stock plates.
Click to expand...

Here's all of our stuff: http://sharpeningtechniques.blogspot.com/ - might save you some time compiling it. I have it in Excel format if that will help make it faster.
 
Awesome, thanks! I'll use those both as a check-comparison to the existing table, and to add the new WEPS data in.
 
And here's the latest version. Added a bunch more data, and cross-checked with Clay's numbers. They agree nicely, so this is a good thing! Hooah repeatable results.

gritchartrev3.png
 
And yet another improvement, I've added more Shaptons, found numbers for their "Glass" line of stones courtesy of Tom over at Jende. I also added the CAMI standard that I was missing.

gritchartrev4.png
 
where did you get the infos for the choceras ?

by the time i looked the 10K superstone was given for rougly 1micron pretty much everywhere. and SS and chocera share the abrasives type and size.

and this is pretty much coherent with my experience, IF i take my time with it on my Jap. kitchen knives, i've yet to refine a 10K SS scratch pattern with 1 micron compound. 1mic dmt on balsa even feels like a downgrade ...
 
The Chosera information was from a table provided by Jende, as I recall. Have you found another chart with measured values? I may well be wrong there, I only have one source.

Some new information from 3M, in response to an information request I sent earlier today:

"If the product reads as P100 then it is using the FEPA grading system and
if it reads just 100 grit it is using the ANSI grading system."
 
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late answer sorry.

no i have no chart but jende's specs doesn't match with JIS standards, the 10k SS is one of the best finishing stone availlable, it leaves one of the best mirror finish i've seen, and your chart makes it "coarser" than a 8K JIS, wich in my pretty wide experience with waterstones isn't true at all.

chocera uses the same abrasives, same range of grit just much more concentration and in a different binder. the only time i used a 10K chocera i don't remember the finish was coarser than my beloved SS 10k

i also remember reading a quote from them saying that they were dead on the JIS specs regarding average grit size. but that was before the chocera are introduced and my memory can also fail. what i trust more is that if the 10k chocera is 1,47, i've yet to see a 8k with the "on spec" 1,2 mic average abrasive size.

and again from SuperStones that are sold as using the same abrasive: a properly finished 10k SS bevel will get cloudier after 1micron dmt compound on balsa.
 
Bearing in mind that all of the information here is STRICTLY based on micron size. Binding agent, abrasive material, slurry, and the steel involved will all play huge rolls in what kind of finish you get off of the stones. I really can't think of a good, objective way to rate by "finish" since there are so many variables. I've been looking for another source to check those against, and I haven't spotted one as yet. If you can find a source, I'd be more than happy to update the grit ranges. An ideal one would be the Chosera catalogue or their own sales literature, but I haven't been able to locate that yet.

(Also, if you notice, that particular number is still an "approximate" value, and not one that I've found a solid source for.)
 
Komitadjie,
Thanks so much for going to the work and putting this all together. Found it very helpful. I will keep this one subscribed to just for the charts.

Huauqui
 
Cool this is a sticky now!

Do you have any data on the fine and super fine EP diamond stones? Just wondering and thanks again for the work putting this all together.
 
Hey, thanks! I'm glad someone else finds this interesting as well. :)

I don't yet, Huauqui, but I'll drop an Email to Ben and see what he says!

EDIT: Just sent an Email over Ben's way to see if he'll confirm the numbers listed for the EP stock stones, and offer the information for the diamond plates as well.
 
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You're welcome. I know I've said this elsewhere, but this is an awesome piece of work that will help so many of us - thank you!
 
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