Michael, I suggest you check your source for your “Diamond Lapping Films”. From the micron grits you have listed I’m thinking they may be another abrasive medium other then diamonds. Here’s a 3M source for the various grits 3M makes and it doesn’t appear to coincide with your grits. W.E. offers only: 9, 6, 3, 1.5, 1, & 0.1µ DLFs. Jende offers these grits: 80, 60, 45, 30, 15, 9, 6, 3, 1, 0.5 micron. Many sellers don’t readily disclose the abrasives compounds used in the lapping films they sell. It can be misleading what you’re purchasing.
That being said that doesn’t mean that non-DLF materials won’t work. They just are not aggressive in cutting harder steels and won’t last as long either.
The normal suggested progression some W.E. users, myself included, have found to work well is 1500 grit >> 6µ DLF, >>3 >>1.5 to 1µ DLFs.
I am in the “school of thought” that airscapes mentioned that feels it’s an “either/or” proposition. 1500 grit to ceramics to strops, or 1500 grit to DLFs to strops.
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