04-07-2017, 08:52 PM
Jan, Thank you for correcting me on martensite atomic structure. I should have checked for myself. I took for granted we would be discussing martensite, but I knew something wasn't jiving. It's great to have your knowledge here!
Grepper, I have tried around 40 compounds, but I only use Ken Schwartz's because I've never seen anything better, and I know I can trust him. I've seen his lab's analysis of many compounds, and I can certainly see why many people are not having much success with compounds. The garbage that comes from China is pervasive. It doesn't cost much, but it doesn't work.
Ken's standard compounds are at least as good as anything I've ever seen, and yes, they work. Every time.
You get as many carats of grit per ounce of compound that you want. As you go to larger grit, you get fewer grit particles per carat, so I order double carats per ounce. That's mainly because I don't like to constantly apply compound.
I've pushed the envelope toward coarser grits because I don't like polished edges any more than you. It doesn't matter much what you use, if it's 1 micron, that's 16k grit. 16K is going to polish anything, but that's the most popular grit. It works great for straight razors, which is a huge chunk of the compound market, but most people don't make that connection either.
I've used 30 to 80u CBN to great success, especially on burr prone stainless steel. It's more effective to use a linen belt with 80u CBN than using 200 grit belts with AlO grit.
Keep in mind that I see far more cheap stainless knives than anything else. The most important thing is minimizing and eliminating burr. Boron Carbide (Black Diamond) is most effective at removing burr, but it leaves a very smooth edge, so after polishing the edge, I make a very light pass with 8u diamond.
It's probably not possible to describe everything perfectly. Hope this gives you a little better picture.
Grepper, I have tried around 40 compounds, but I only use Ken Schwartz's because I've never seen anything better, and I know I can trust him. I've seen his lab's analysis of many compounds, and I can certainly see why many people are not having much success with compounds. The garbage that comes from China is pervasive. It doesn't cost much, but it doesn't work.
Ken's standard compounds are at least as good as anything I've ever seen, and yes, they work. Every time.
You get as many carats of grit per ounce of compound that you want. As you go to larger grit, you get fewer grit particles per carat, so I order double carats per ounce. That's mainly because I don't like to constantly apply compound.
I've pushed the envelope toward coarser grits because I don't like polished edges any more than you. It doesn't matter much what you use, if it's 1 micron, that's 16k grit. 16K is going to polish anything, but that's the most popular grit. It works great for straight razors, which is a huge chunk of the compound market, but most people don't make that connection either.
I've used 30 to 80u CBN to great success, especially on burr prone stainless steel. It's more effective to use a linen belt with 80u CBN than using 200 grit belts with AlO grit.
Keep in mind that I see far more cheap stainless knives than anything else. The most important thing is minimizing and eliminating burr. Boron Carbide (Black Diamond) is most effective at removing burr, but it leaves a very smooth edge, so after polishing the edge, I make a very light pass with 8u diamond.
It's probably not possible to describe everything perfectly. Hope this gives you a little better picture.