Finer Ceramic or Diamond Film?

Legacy Forum Archive basic-techniques-and-sharpening-strategies
1

Forgive me if this has been covered here before.

If I’ve read the grit comparison chart right, the “Super Fine Ceramics 1200/1600” use 5µ and 2.85µ sized particles.
The 3.5µ diamond paste stropping compound the Wicked Edge system ships is coarser? Am I really adding scratches if I use 1600 grit (2.85µ) ceramic stone and then follow it up with a 3.5µ strop?

If I’m understanding this correctly, I think I would be better off following up a Super Fine 1600 ceramic with a 1.5µ and 1.0µ diamond film instead of stropping?

…or perhaps the Microfine 1.4µ / 0.6µ stone and no stropping?

2

See if this thread answers your question…

https://knife.wickededgeusa.com/forums/topic/new-we-user/#post-34140

3

Thanks that was very useful actually. …so after reading that, I’m thinking diamond film to 1µ to get the polish level I’m after.

My open question is, “Am I really adding scratches if I stop with 3.5µ diamond paste after using a 1600 grit (2.85µ) ceramic stone?”

According to the charts, the material in the paste is just a big larger - so I wonder I’m going “backwards” when stropping.

 

4

Probably not. Although the diamond paste is slightly larger, it’s on a softer medium (usually leather or balsa), so it typically finishes at a higher finish level.

5

From what I understand the stropping paste and strops behave very differently than the equal particle size in the stone.

They 14/10 paste has the ability to polish where as the stones with 14 or 10 microns would be relatively coarse.

6

Form me it’s not either or. They just work differently. But if I go from a stone to a stropping compound I usually do it laterally, i.e using about the same micron size.