Strop micron order?

[Kelly Curtis]

Is there a posting of the strops and paste in order from largest to finest? As well as paste/strop material? I know there is a lot of numbers being thrown around and I loose track of what is rougher or what is finer than the next. For instance, will you get a more polished edge with a balsa, nano fiber, kangaroo, or leather strop with the same paste? I’d love to have a visual data sheet of all of the items available from WE in order so I don’t accidentally grab the wrong paddles and take a step backwards. Hey, I’m getting old and need visual info instead of numbers! :S For instance, I just ordered some random balsa strops and paste to add to the collection, and I’m sure I can sort out easy enough what will cut harder than the rest or what will give more of a polish, but to be able to see a list would make me have to think less. Thanks.

[Robert Nash]

Welcome to the forum! Great question –
Clay had a photo page showing micro photos of each grit – and they were in order. Can’t find it now but I’ll keep looking. Anyone else have that link? Last I had seen it, it didn’t yet have comparisons of the same grit on different substrates though.
When you move into the various polishing compounds they will be measured in microns or nanometers – larger the number, coarser the grit (exactly the opposite of the stones) – so move from big numbers to smaller. In my experience the effect of the applied compound gets more pronounced in this order – balsa, leather, roo, nano (that is with leather and balsa the substrate has a larger effect on the metal and nano has the least).
I haven’t compared much to determine what order gives the best polish at the same grit and this could turn into a huge debate but I think it would go balsa, nano, leather, roo – i.e. roo is the best. I’m not really committed to that order on the middle two though as I’ve only really used the nano at 0.25 and smaller, but since the leathers burnish much more I put them in position 3 and 4 – I don’t think there is much debate about roo as the best with most folk’s experience so far.
Of course generally you are going to use the nano and roo to best effect below 0.5 micron IMO and you aren’t going to use balsa at those finer grits so the comparison is really just between the leathers and the nano and I’m not sure at that level of polish my old eyes can see much difference (though the microscope can).
Thoughts from others?

[Robert Nash]

PS – I didn’t mention that you can back up in grits when stropping without noticing much detriment, in fact sometimes it give you better results even. So don’t worry too much about going backwards and then working your way back down through the grits. Someone correct me if I am remembering this wrong but I think Clay has taken to going to 0.125 on the nano and them following it with 0.25 on roo when he is cleaning the edge for his studies.

[Chris]

Welcome to the forum! Great question –
Clay had a photo page showing micro photos of each grit – and they were in order. Can’t find it now

Down the bottom Bob. (Popular Links)

http://wickededgeusa.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=74:grits-comparison-chart-for-the-wicked-edge-sharpener&catid=31:general&Itemid=46

[Tom Whittington]

I think you’re right, Bob. It’s pretty interesting to see the difference just the substrate material makes. On the topic of backing up, I end up doing it a lot on oddly shaped blades or when I’m working right next to serrations on cheap knives where the grind tends to trail off a bit. The big thing is to try and get all of the scratches from the prior grit out as best as you can. It definitely doesn’t hurt to back up, just spends a little extra time if it didn’t really need it 🙂

[Kelly Curtis]

Thanks for the info, guys. So many stones, so many strops, so many tubes of pastes, and not enough time in the day! With just the basic pro pack 1 and one evening I am extremely impressed at my results. My other strops and paste should be here by friday giving me all weekend to mess with my WE. As a suggestion for marketing, I’d still do a list from the roughest stones to the finest paste/stop combo. Plus it would give me a clear list of where my money will be going!

[Robert Nash]

Check out that link in Billabong’s post and see if it helps some – that is the one I was thinking of – Thanks Billabong!

[Kelly Curtis]

That list really helps. I just got in a few more strops today, they balsa 14 and 10 micron as well as the 1 and .05 leather. These will go with my pro pack 1. I think I’m going to order the fine ceramic stones as a last “stone” before stropping, being I think the ceramic will give it finer scratches to remove with the strops. Or am I headed in the wrong direction? The 800 and the 1000 do a good job, but I can still see some scratches after stropping like a mad man with the 5 and the 3.5 leather. I think the balsa strops will remove those last deep scratches I’m talking about, but you can never have enough parts for you kit! On that note, I’m going to need more knives! Anyone have a Kershaw Tilt they want to sell, cheap?!? :cheer:

[Robert Nash]

but you can never have enough parts for you kit! On that note, I’m going to need more knives! Anyone have a Kershaw Tilt they want to sell, cheap?!? :cheer:

😆

That list really helps. I just got in a few more strops today, they balsa 14 and 10 micron as well as the 1 and .05 leather. These will go with my pro pack 1. I think I’m going to order the fine ceramic stones as a last “stone” before stropping, being I think the ceramic will give it finer scratches to remove with the strops. Or am I headed in the wrong direction? The 800 and the 1000 do a good job, but I can still see some scratches after stropping like a mad man with the 5 and the 3.5 leather.

You are heading the right way with what you are thinking. Until your diamonds really get broken in, it is hard to get out those scratches with just the strops. Having the extra steps, including the balsa, will definitely help some, as will spending plenty of time at each grit to make sure you have obliterated the scratches from the previous grit (of course even when you think you have done this, the strops often have the effect of uncovering scratches that have just been buried). Having ceramics is a big help – the 1200/1600 and/or Micro fines – to help get those scratches out. But even then you’ll sometimes notice that your strops uncover things.

[Kelly Curtis]

The balsa strops work awesome! Wow! They really take down the surface profile! I shaved last night with my ZT/Hinderer, and that is a thick blade! I also went to Walmart and got a cheap set of knifes to work on to break in the stones a bit. For the life of me I can’t figure out why trying to get a perfect edge get’s so addicting, but it is!

[Tom Whittington]

Uh oh, you’re already falling down the rabbit hole 😆

You’ll probably end up with lots of cheap knives to work on, I know I’m always picking up the bargain bin blades at auctions and yard sales. Even dad is bringing home knives when he finds them cheap! It’s amazing what a great edge can do on even the cheapest of blades. I have a feeling I’ll have quite the selection of razor sharp pieces to sell on the cheap at the next gun show!

Have fun and enjoy the pursuit of that perfect mirror edge 🙂

[Phil Pasteur]

Kelly,
Is this what you are looking for?

http://www.wickededgeusa.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=74:grits-comparison-chart-for-the-wicked-edge-sharpener&catid=31:general&Itemid=46

It is in the FAQ, you get to it under the resources tab from the main page.
It has been up there for at least a year, likely much more. It is quite useful as it has small micrographs of what the scratches for each grit actully look like.

Phil

Thanks for the info, guys. So many stones, so many strops, so many tubes of pastes, and not enough time in the day! With just the basic pro pack 1 and one evening I am extremely impressed at my results. My other strops and paste should be here by friday giving me all weekend to mess with my WE. As a suggestion for marketing, I’d still do a list from the roughest stones to the finest paste/stop combo. Plus it would give me a clear list of where my money will be going!

[Kelly Curtis]

That is the one! I noticed it was done in 2011, and I’m sure Clay has more insight as of now. I’d like to see an updated one with the new line up of paddles and sprays, just listed in order of what WE sells. The pics are also a huge help, but I’m sure it’s a pain to go through the hassle of taking pics between steps and then listing them on a webpage.

[Phil Pasteur]

Last modified Feb 2012.

Grits are grits. They don’t change with time…usually. Just curious about what insight you mean? Most of the insights that the group have had are documented in the thousands of posts on the board.

I did not look close enough to see if the microfine ceramics are there, but I think everything else is.
What exactly are you looking for?

I think that a better way for you to understand what is in the kits is to look at the different discussions by people that have used the equipment and look at the numerous photo esssays that Clay has done. In fact, Clay has documented in many articles many progressions with photos between each grit, and even to the point of showing the effects of different substrates. It would be impossible to do this for severy possible progression given the number of variables. This is all available on the foorum if you care to look a bit. Tom has done lots of progressions with micrographs on his BLOG at jenendeindustries as well. I can’t imagine how anyone would have the time to put all of that information into a single chart. The charts of this kind that I have seen in all cases have been no more than a quick reference. The one at the link I sent is better than most… I think it is up to the buyer to know what they want and what they are ordering. This takes research, not simply looking at any one chart. Just my thoughts, as I have spent litterally tens of hours on many different web sites doing research before I order anything. I have never depended on a single vendor’s charts or marketing info to give me instant gratification for an exhaustive discription for any purchase .

All meant to be friendly advice only…

BTW, You could volunteer to update the chart for Clay… make it what you want it to be and learn something along the way…
🙂
I hope you are ready to write a large book while taking 100s of hours to document it all with photos and update it at least weekly based on new input from the forum! It would be a great resource though.

Phil

[Kelly Curtis]

I know we are talking knives and just knife sharpening here, but I spend 15 years in the abrasives industry before I changed careers. Grit is not grit, unless you have two of the same abrasives on the same substrate. Then you get into synthetic abrasives and now what may have the same “grit” will have substantially different results. Now I’m the customer, not the research dept. Not everyone is a knife nut who has days to watch every “expert” on youtube who thinks they are a great show host, or time to read every blog. As a marketing tool, a simple list, that you don’t have to look for, that has every paddle, strop, paste and spray sold by WE in order isn’t asking anyone to do hours and hours of research on. The photos help, but they aren’t even necessary. This entire thread came about because I bought my stuff on Amazon and clicked over here looking for what else to buy and had to read around for it. I got the pro pack first, and was then looking for other items to fill in the gaps between what you get in the kit. That’s it, that’s all. The list that he did in 2011 just needs to be easier to find because it really does sell the product.

As far as research, another thing that drew me to the WE system was Clay’s bog. It’s a blog using his system, his products, and his results. I don’t have time to go see what the guy over at Apex Pro came up with, or what the guys at Lansky have figure out. Honestly, I wish I did. I don’t even have time to research everything before I buy them, hence having some faith in Clay’s contraption (I say that in a good way). Eventually I will find time to watch more 19 year olds who need girlfriends who upload videos of them sharpening their favorite knives, but as for now I have to stick to what I know is working. And working incredibly well! But as for me doing hours and hours of work to make a list? Not going to happen.

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