Lapping film to pair with 1500 stones?
- This topic has 12 replies, 8 voices, and was last updated 11/09/2017 at 8:35 am by
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Welcome James. I use 6 Micron Diamond Lapping Film with mine. Does a great job. That came with the kit I brought. I am sure others will chime in. I am a new user of the Wicked Edge.
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I also use the 6 micron diamond film. Clay has shown that the 6 micron film does a great job completely removing the scratches left by the 1500 grit diamond stone. The three micron film did a good enough job where you could use it if you were willing to do a higher number of strokes. The 9 micron film is a step in the opposite direction. To see the original posts by Clay, see this thread.
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Yup, 6 micron here too. Thanks for the link to Clay’s experiment, Organic.
Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge
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If you are only going to use one lapping film and you have the 1500 stone then 6 micron is the best choice in my opinion. The 6 micron works very well after the 1500 stone.
Welcome James!
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Sorry to barge in on this thread, but silly newbie question.
My current setup goes as fine as the 800/1000 diamond stones. After around 8 knives now, I am starting to break in the stones and to get the hang of it. This evening’s attempt was my best so far (200mm Henkel chef’s knife). It could certainly cut paper easily (though by drawing the knife, not just pushing it) and it will shave my arm hair pretty effectively.
So, could somebody please help me to understand how much of an improvement the 1500 diamond + 6 micron film would be over the 1000 grit diamond I have now. To be fair, the 800 / 1000 stone was on back order so that stone has done fewer knives than my others, so I suspect that there is more break-in to be had on the 800 / 1000 stone.
AlieN
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It’s hard to classify sharpness. But I can say the 1500 grit stones are high quality ones and will definitely give you a major improvement, particularly with the 6 micron diamond films. Also take a look at Clay’s experiment (see above) and the grit comparison table (knowledge base).
Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge
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AlieN, I don’t know what terms or terminology to use to help you to understand this. Now you’re getting into the question, “how sharp is sharp?” In mathematics I could explain it in the difference of decimal places. Which is more precise 1.0 or 1.00001? As you sharpen with finer grits you are able to extend the apex to a closer, finer, thinner point that is indeed sharper. Then you also will deal with the issue of durability or longevity of the cutting edge. The more sharp or thin and pointed the very tip of the apex of a cutting edge is, the more susceptible to damage the edge is. The higher, finer grits enable us to finish the metal at the tip to a thinner width. 1500 grit is 1/2 again as fine as 1000 grit, going by the numbers as descriptive, so yes it should be sharper. But also it will be thinner and more susceptible to damage and thus less durable. How much less durable is determined by the hardness of the steel and the angle of the bevel, you are sharpening.
A 20º per side bevel taken to 1500 grit is probably sharper than the same 20º bevel only taken to 1000 grit. Also a 15º per side bevel taken to 1500 grit is probably noticeably sharper than the 15º edge only taken to 1000 grit. The difference in sharpness and durability between the 1000 grit edge at 20º will be noticeably different from the 1500 grit 15º edge. The comparisons become more easily evident when they are more different.
I will say, IMO, you will notice a bigger discernable difference in sharpness , comparing the same bevel angles, of the 1000 grit edge compared with the 1500 grit edge when both edges are stropped to finish. I believe that properly done stropping truly brings out the best cutting quality of the edges.
Marc
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Mark76 and MarcH, thank you both for your answers.
The durability of the edge is something it is too easy (for me at least) to forget when considering sharpening a knife.
Currently, I feel that I want a little more sharpness that I am currently getting from the 1000 grit diamond stone. I do realise that I am being impatient and will let the stones break in some more and work on my technique before throwing money at the issue. That said, I could see my getting the 1500 stone and 6 micron film in the not too distant future.
AlieN
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Hello again AlieN! Once your stones break in, the 1000 grit with some stropping on your 5 / 3.5 strops should have no problem push cutting news print paper. If you haven’t tested out those strops yet I think you’ll be seriously impressed once you get the technique down.
I can enthusiastically recommend purchasing the 1500 / glass set. The lapping films are great and that 1500 grit stone leaves a fantastic finish. The 1500 grit is my go to finish for a knife if I’m not concerned about it having a mirrored edge and I’m not going for an aggressive amount of tooth. You’re going to want it in your tool kit.
Marc is totally correct; a more acute sharpening angle will produce a more dramatic difference in sharpness than a more refined edge will.
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What a great forum! I too wanted to try the 1500-grit stones but have not yet used any lapping film, so this was a good chance to try this out. Thanks to the recommendations here, I bought and received my stones and 6-micron diamond films recently and tried them out on a Shun Santoku that was due for re-sharpening. My previous technique took me through the 1000-grit stones, then the ceramics and strops included in my WEPS ProPack2. This time I went from 200-grit quickly through the 1500-grit, fumbled around getting some experience with the lapping film, and have a knife ALMOST as sharp as I remember the previous sharpening to be. I’m guessing that as the 1500-grit stones get broken in, and my admittedly clumsy lapping film technique improves, that the sharpness will be indistinguishable from one technique to the other, though I’d welcome comment on this from more experienced folks (almost everyone else on the forum). With the 1500-grit/6-micron film, I think I can get by without the ceramics and strops, and just go through the diamonds and film.
Again, thanks to all who contributed to this topic…mostly helpful in my opinion.
That’s good to hear SalisburySam. And I don’t recall ever welcoming you, so: welcome! Your contributions are appreciated.
Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge
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