03-04-2021, 07:21 PM
Here's a thought. The Scotch-Brite belts have abrasive in them, and the ultra-fine are about 400-600 grit depending on who is ranking them. Perhaps the edge you are creating is actually a 150 grit edge refined and deburred by the SB, and then finally honed by bare leather.
I spent some quality time deburring using scotch brite and found the best success with alternating high angle passes at almost no pressure (almost 45º as you say) followed by two at-angle passes (at the sharpening angle) with medium pressure. That alone will almost completely eliminate the burr and provide a very usable edge. One more pass with light to medium pressure on coarse-side, unloaded leather refines the edge so that it will push through newsprint paper but also split a tomato skin with ease.
Curiously, the coarser the edge, the better it worked. I suppose that's due to bigger saw teeth on the edge. Now if these edges are more functional for real world cutting, what's with the obsession with ever finer grits and mirror polish?
I do think that perhaps with water stones and hand sharpening, the teeth are never really polished off and the burr refined and then flipped back and forth until it severs; there's no real equivalent to leather honing with compound. Even when a hand strop is used with compound, the rate of polishing is magnitudes smaller than when done by hand.
I'll wait until I get some diamond compound and report back on how that compares.
I spent some quality time deburring using scotch brite and found the best success with alternating high angle passes at almost no pressure (almost 45º as you say) followed by two at-angle passes (at the sharpening angle) with medium pressure. That alone will almost completely eliminate the burr and provide a very usable edge. One more pass with light to medium pressure on coarse-side, unloaded leather refines the edge so that it will push through newsprint paper but also split a tomato skin with ease.
Curiously, the coarser the edge, the better it worked. I suppose that's due to bigger saw teeth on the edge. Now if these edges are more functional for real world cutting, what's with the obsession with ever finer grits and mirror polish?
I do think that perhaps with water stones and hand sharpening, the teeth are never really polished off and the burr refined and then flipped back and forth until it severs; there's no real equivalent to leather honing with compound. Even when a hand strop is used with compound, the rate of polishing is magnitudes smaller than when done by hand.
I'll wait until I get some diamond compound and report back on how that compares.