Replies

1. 
   pantalones868 | Oct 15, 2021 07:24pm | #1

   I always though a grit size was a size...like gauged. A measurement of the actual size of the abrasive. Big number is small ,small number is big. I never thought of equivalents. Am I wrong? Somethings cut better than other things depending on what they are made of but the scratch they leave behind should be about the same for the same grit.

2. 
   _mj_ | Oct 15, 2021 07:40pm | #2

   Many manufacturers will state grit size in microns, some don't. I use the back of a beater chisel to see if one grit/stone will erase another. I have given away odd fit stones to folks happy to have them, taking question marks out of my own collection in the process. Mix & match from diamonds to water only leads to frustration.

1. 
   kp2woodworks | Oct 18, 2021 07:47am | #8

   Thanks will try I got a couple glue chisel that need a sharpening.

3. 
   esch5995 | Oct 15, 2021 07:59pm | #3

   Sharpening media are marketed in two common scales the common "grit" and microns but the actual particles are measured in microns. So your 8000 grit Shapton is composed of smaller micron particles that a 4000 grit King Waterstone. That said how different media actually performs is determined by several factors. Some media, like the King, fractures more easily exposing fresh media and cut faster but they also wear quicker. Stones like the Shapton don't fracture and wear as easily and can feel different in use but it still comes down to the size of the grit in determining how fine the scratches made in the steel are.

   
4. 
   john_c2 | Oct 16, 2021 07:16am | #4

   Microns are an actual measurement, as an inch or millimeter are. Grits are not standardized.

   There are two main grit size scales, the US CAMI, and European FEPA P scale. Grits from one are not the same as the other. And grit sizes on sharpening media are different between manufacturers.

   Short story -- trust micron, not grit.

   More to the OPS concern, the 8,000 Shapton is absolutely finer than the 4,000 King. Not the same at all.

5. 
   kirbyk | Oct 16, 2021 12:16pm | #5

   Lee Valley recently published a Grit Chart using ranges of micron sizing on their web site. It includes the stones they sell grouped into functional classes (e.g. - shaping, polishing ). At the bottom of the grit chart page is a downloadable pdf for reference.

1. 
   user7596380 | Oct 16, 2021 04:04pm | #7

   Thank you for posting this information. It is extremely helpful, especially when looking for another "Stone" to add to the collection. Being on their mailing list, I was also sent their "Sharpening by Hand" 24 page guide. It includes the chart you refer to.

2. 
   kp2woodworks | Oct 18, 2021 07:56am | #10

   Thanks will check it out thanks for the help.

6. 
   ajg1942 | Oct 16, 2021 12:37pm | #6

   The King stones I believe uses the JIS standard.

   Here is a chart that compares different brands of stones.

   https://i.pinimg.com/originals/2b/20/7c/2b207cda56a6de1edccb8658b76e76e1.jpg

1. 
   kp2woodworks | Oct 18, 2021 07:51am | #9

   Thanks I figured they were close I was trying to get a good stone to be between the 8000 and 1000 should have stuck with the same brand. Thanks for the chart I was looking for one exactly like this.