What are the most common finished edge grits?

hardheart

hardheart

Joined
Sep 19, 2001
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I would like some info on what are common finishing grits in use. I figure this will be skewed somewhat because of the population bias, so I would also appreciate anyone's input on what they know of their friends, family, co-workers, common business practices, what sells best for Norton/Naniwa/DMT, etc.

If you or someone you know finish off an edge with anything from a bastard file to 0.01 micron diamond paste, please mention it. I'm not going to bug anyone about how well it cuts or how long it lasts, just need to know what the edge is finished with for something I'm researching.

If you don't know the grit, just identify the abrasive as best you can. Translucent Arkansas, orange colored Norton stone, really expensive Japanese natural, etc are fine, I can still use the info.:)
 
I'd have a hard time answering that simply because I vary the fineness based on use. I would think most enthusiasts would fall into this category.


IF, I had to pick one, I'd say I typically stop at Spyderco's UF stone simply because of ease of use, results and the durability of that particular "stone". I freehand exclusively and all of my users are high RcH/high alloys.




..I'm immediately torn after typing that because I often strop with 1micron DMT or chromium oxide depending on the steel and heat treat! Sorry, not much use, I know! :p
 
Gotta be honest...it depends

In the past month I have "finished" about 20 knives.

About 10 of them I finished on Spyderco Fine Ceramic (probably about 9 micron).
another 4 were finished on Spyderco Ultra Fine (this one is well broken in so ~3 micron?)
Another 3-4 were finished on DMT EEF (3 micron), and
2 or 3 were finished on a chromium oxide loaded strop, and or on an unloaded leather strop.


Oops, I forgot a REALLY cheap knife a supplier gifted to me...the bevels did not even meet. I finished that on 180 grit Emory tape followed by stropping on cardboard (just used what was available...and I won't be investing any more effort into that POS).
 
600 to 1200 on average. Depending on the blade and intended use I can take it up to 8,000 grit with a DMT paste strop on leather. That's rare though

Between the two I usually go 600 grit (red)

All grits DMT diamond.
 
Most sportsman types that I know who sharpen their own knives usually use Medium Arkansas or fine diamond, so about 600 grit.

I know a few people that work in a kitchen too, and one of them use to use a Norton stone, but I'm not sure which kind it was. It was kind of bluish-green on one side and an organish-brown on the other. I'm not sure if it was Fine/India or what.

Another friend of mine is going to culinary school and they have one of the older Norton TriStone sharpeners that uses Fine India.

I finish off on my Norton 1000 grit water-stone, and then strop on CrO. So I count the 1000 as the finishing grit since there's such a leap there. You get more of a 1000 grit finish than a CrO finish.
 
A general rule for myself: on anything ~59-60 or greater on the Rc hardness scale I will finish with 0.3 micron lapping film, although lately I've been bringing out the 0.05 micron lapping film just because I don't own that many knives and I'm bored.

I learned my lesson about wasting my time giving our current stock of cheap kitchen knives mirror bevels edges. They'll cut wonderfully for a short while until you hit the cutting board or a bone or if you breath on them wrong and the edge gets warped, dulled, you name it. I usually go up to 1000 grit water stones with them anyways, because I don't consider that super-honing. Can't wait until I get my Tojiro DP 210mm so I can finally have a worthy mirror beveled edge in the kitchen for Jedi-slicing some veggies.

Hunting and skinning knives, while I don't know their particular hardness, also get the full mirror polished treatment to 0.3 micron lapping films since that makes gutting and skinning certain antlered ruminants much more of a pleasure than in the past.
 
When I get a new knife I will usually hone up to my 10K Naniwa and finish with .25 diamond on leather just to get a feel for what it will do. Once I start using a knife regularly I will use the Naniwa 2K and a quick stropping with the diamond spray. I haven't found any functional advantage in honing finer (unless I have a lot of TP that needs cutting....) and the 2K lets me renew an edge in just a couple of minutes.

I do hone my woodworking tools up to the 10K because I don't want the slight convexing that the diamond strop gives me.
 
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