Coarse grits (200-1000) are ideal for repairing damaged blades, while medium grits (1000-3000) are versatile for general sharpening and maintenance. Fine grits (4000-8000) excel at polishing and honing knife edges to razor-sharp perfection.
Medium (1000 grit): Ideal for general sharpening and maintaining a sharp edge. This is often considered the standard grit for kitchen knives. Fine (3000-8000 grit): Use this for honing and polishing the edge after sharpening, providing a razor-sharp finish.
Ultra-fine grit stones: Ultra-fine grit stones, typically in the range of 8000-12000 grit, are used for polishing and finishing the edge of a blade. They remove almost no material and are great for giving the blade a super-sharp edge.
8,000 - Getting a near-perfect edge
With minimal effort, you can get a very sharp edge and nearly mirror-like polish on your blade. For straight razors that aren't too worn down but have some light scratches or chipping, a grit that comes close to a mirror polish works wonders.
Levels of 120 to 400 grit are good at sharpening exceptionally dull knives or those that have chips or burrs. For standard blade sharpening, a stone between 700 and 2000 grit works best. A high grit level of 3000 or more creates an ultrasmooth edge that leaves little to no serration on the blade.
A 3000 grit stone will leave a fine edge suitable for many situations, it may have a small amount of tooth to the edge. Water stones 5000 or 6000 are common finishing grits, and give a good slicing edge with a very slight tooth. Water stones 8000 and higher will leave very smooth and polished edge for clean cuts.
The Knifewear 220 does an excellent job for any steel type, but if you want to get fancy, grab yourself the Shapton 220. It doesn't need any soaking and works really fast. You should also get a 1,000 grit stone to establish a good clean edge before you start polishing.
While the best number of blades for shaving will vary depending on your skin type, hair texture, and shaving product, two or three blades should be enough for a clean shave. You get the benefits of the close shave multi-blades provide, with a lessened risk of shaving irritation.
Your two main stones should be around 3,000 grit and 8,000 grit. You could finish on the 8,000 grit and polish on a strop, but I like to have a third stone in the 10,000+ grit range for polishing. It's nice to have a water stone this fine for a comfortable shave.
Understanding Grit Numbers
Coarser grits, such as 200 to 1000, are ideal for repairing damaged or dull blades. Finer grits, such as 3000 to 8000, are used for refining and polishing the edge to achieve a razor-sharp finish.
Soak the whetstone: Soak your coarse grit whetstone for 15 to 20 minutes. Soak your fine grit whetstone for 5 minutes. 3. Remove the whetstone and set on a towel: After soaking, place your whetstone in the center of a kitchen towel.
Sandpaper, commonly used for smoothing and shaping surfaces, can also serve as an alternative sharpening tool for your knife. It provides an abrasive surface that can effectively remove material from the blade, resulting in a sharper edge.
The coarsest grade, designated as extra-coarse, includes 24-, 30- and 36-grit paper. The finest grade (i.e. ultra-fine) includes 800- and 1,000-grit paper.
Coarser grits (P36 - P150) are used to grind away stock material. Fine grits (P180 - P800) may be used to hone or sharpen blades. Ultra fine grits (P1000 - P5000) deliver a sleek, smooth finish at the end.
I use what I simply refer to as coarse, medium, and fine diamond stones. The manufacturer refers to them as coarse, fine, and extra fine. The coarse one is about a 300-grit (American system equivalent.) The medium one is a 600-grit and the fine one is 1,200-grit.
We recommend starting with 1000 grit for most sharpening situations. 4000/6000 grit: A stone in this range is considered a polishing stone, and the higher the grit, the finer the polish on the knife's edge. The grit you choose will be determined by how you use the knife.
An 8,000-grit stone can give your blade a near-perfect edge, and it can easily polish the surface of your straight razor with minimal effort.
Feather, from Japan, is considered to be by far the sharpest blade. That is exactly why so many people are so fond of this blade; it leaves no stubble unshaven.
Single blade razors offer a closer, more precise shave. Multi-blade razors can create more friction and increase the risk of ingrown hairs. With single blade shavers, you're likely to see fewer nicks and cuts.
Stainless steel is a very hard material that isn't very knife-friendly. This means the sharp edge of your knife will become blunter faster than other materials like wood or plastic. Stainless steel cutting boards are very smooth and uniform — sometimes to a fault.
For those who have reasonable experience with sharpening, we recommend a finish stone of 8000 grit. If one is not certain, or for beginners, stones with a grit between #3000 and #6000 will produce acceptable results. So, in principle one needs at least three stones if one has to do significant amounts of sharpening.
In summary, titanium steel is lighter, more resistant to corrosion, and handles heat better, while stainless steel is tougher and more affordable.