Sharpening Stone Grit Chart
Our Sharpening Stone Grit Chart
We decided to come up with a grit chart based on 10 levels. Since one person's "fine" and one manufacturer's "fine" may mean something completely different we established a 1 to 10 grit chart with 1 being the most coarse and 10 being the finest. Each of the levels links to a page where we've selected stones that meet that grit range.
| Level | Description | Particle Size | Approximate Grit |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Extremely Coarse - Fastest metal removal, leaves very visible scratches in cutting edge. | 100+ Micron | Under 150 Grit |
| 2 | Coarse - Very fast metal removal, leaves visible scratches in cutting edge. Most coarse stones commonly available. | 60-100 Micron | 150 - 220 Grit |
| 3 | Medium Coarse - Fast metal removal rate, scratches not as visible. Finest recommended grit for dull tools and knives. | 45-60 Micron | 220 - 300 Grit |
| 4 | Medium - Good metal removal rate, light sctaches edge. Intermediate stage before finer grits. | 35-45 Micron | 300 - 400 Grit |
| 5 | Medium Fine - Minimum recommended grit for final stage of most knives. Edge does not appear scratched but frosted. Finer than medium but sharpening rate slower. | 25-35 Micron | 400 - 600 Grit |
| 6 | Fine - Modest sharpening rate, leaves metal edge with frosted appearance. Edge sharpness equivalent to majority of factory edges on knives, tools. | 15-25 | 600 - 1000 Grit |
| 7 | Extra Fine - Slow sharpening rate. Edge is showing a polished looking edge. Very sharp edge better than most factory edges on good knives. | 8-15 Micron | 1000 - 2000 Grit |
| 8 | Extremely Fine - Edge is extremely sharp. Very slow sharpening speed. Edge reflects light very well. | 4-8 Micron | 2000 - 6000 Grit |
| 9 | Near Mirror Polish - Edge is very near perfect. Grits past this stage provides only modest benefit. Leave edge polished to naked eye. | 2-4 Micron | 6000 - 10,000 Grit |
| 10 | Mirror Polish - Sharpest edge possible, extremely slowing sharpening. Leaves mirror edge without visible flaws. | 0-2 Micron | 10,000+ Grit |