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Sharpening Stone Grit Chart

Sharpening Expert Dan holding two sharpening stones

Our Sharpening Stone Grit Chart

QuickStart Guide

Looking to build the perfect sharpening setup? Use the chart below to find your precise grit ranges, or start with our most-trusted picks.

Start at Medium Coarse (220–300) Refine with Fine (600–1000) Finish at Extremely Fine (2000-6000) Browse All Stones

Understanding grit levels can be confusing. One company's "fine" might be another manufacturer's "coarse". That's why we created this 1 to 10 Grit Chart to help you compare stones and find the right ones for your setup. Each of the levels links to a page where we've selected our favorite stones in 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 scratches on edges. 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 Micron	600 - 1000 Grit
7	Extra Fine - Slow sharpening rate. Edge is starting to look polished. 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. Leaves edges polished to the naked eye.	2-4 Micron	6000 - 10,000 Grit
10	Mirror Polish - Sharpest edge possible, extremely slow sharpening. Leaves mirror edge without visible flaws.	0-2 Micron	10,000+ Grit

Tip: Click any grit link in the chart to see stones we recommend for that level.

Which stones should you buy?

Here are reliable starting points based on where you are in your sharpening journey.

Repair / Reprofiling

For chips, very dull edges, or thinning, start at Coarse (150–220) or Medium Coarse (220–300) to save time.

Shop Coarse Shop Medium Coarse

Beginners

Start simple: one Medium Coarse (220-300) and one Fine (600–1000) or Extra Fine (1000-2000). This covers repair and a toothy finish for most kitchen and general purpose knives.

Shop Medium Coarse Shop Fine Shop Extra Fine

Need Finer Edges?

Add an Extremely Fine (2000–6000) to the Beginner setup for sharper edges and cleaner cuts.

Shop Extremely Fine

Polish / Sharpest edges

Jump to Near Mirror (6000–10,000) and Mirror Polish (10,000+) for refined, polished edges.

Shop Near Mirror Shop Mirror Polish

Sharpening Stone Grit FAQs

What grit should I start with?

For most knives, start at Medium Coarse (220-300) if the edge is dull. Start with a Coarse (under 220) for repairing chips or heavy reshaping.

What grit is a mirror polish?

Near Mirror typically starts around 6000–10,000, while a Mirror Polish is 10,000+, with very slow metal removal.

Do I need all 10 levels?

Many sharpeners can get good results with just three stones: one for shaping (Coarse to Medium Coarse), one for refining (Fine to Extra Fine) and one for finishing (Extremely Fine and above). Add higher grits for better polish or specialized cutting tasks and lower grits for faster repairs of damaged or very blunt edges.