Our Grit Selection Chart

We have chosen to use effective (or actual) micron grit size as the scale by which we can compare the effective fineness of stones, understanding that particle size alone is not the only determinant of finish. Factors such as grit shape, bonding material and grit durability can all influence effective fineness. We charted five grit standards using micron grit sizes from 4125μ, down to 0.3μ, and added Shapton stones, ceramic stones, water stones, diamond stones, oil stones and specialized sheet abrasives to create a table of relative fineness.

Moving from a damaged edge to an ultimate edge involves four stages of sharpening:

1. Shaping: establishing the basic profile of the tool, usually required only after major damage
2. Grinding: establishing the geometry that defines the edge – bevels and relief
3. Honing: preparing the blade for use
4. Polishing: imparting a keener edge to a honed blade

We divided our chart into grit ranges appropriate for each sharpening stage, with the last three ranges split into three subranges (low, medium and high, designated by letters A, B and C). Grouping them together in micron-sizebased bands reduces the complexity of comparing different products. Conceptually, it makes selecting a sharpening solution for each stage easy while choosing abrasive solutions that complement what you may already own. A good general rule is that for each sharpening stage, you want to move from one range to the next, keeping two or more divisions difference between steps.

Condensed Grit Chart

This chart shows a selection of the sharpening media we carry. The full grit chart can be downloaded below.

How Fine is "Fine"?

When it comes to grading sharpening media, there are several standards used by manufacturers. For abrasive papers, the two most common standards are the US CAMI (Coated Abrasives Manufacturers Institute) standard and the European FEPA (Federation of European Producers of Abrasives) paper standard, which prefixes paper-based grits with the letter P. Japanese manufacturers often use the JIS (Japanese Industrial Standard). Other standards include the FEPA F (for stones and wheels) and the ANSI (American National Standards Institute) standards. At the low end of the scale, say 60x, the five tandards are numerically close – CAMI 60x is 268μ, FEPA P60 is 269μ, and JIS J60x is also 269μ. The scales diverge at different rates as the grits get finer: in the 5μ to 7μ range, FEPA paper is 5000x, ANSI is 1000x and FEPA F is 800x. All of this can make it difficult to compare grit sizes among manufacturers.