Quote Originally Posted by Seraphim View Post
The diamond lapping films that I use exhibit none of these characteristics. I started using them wet (water), but I have definitely gotten better results dry. My razors glide along quite effortlessly on all of the grit levels.

I think the diamond lapping films have the abrasive embedded into the film, whereas the abrasive papers have the abrasive adhered on top of the paper. This may have a dramatic effect on how well the blade is able to move across the surface.
3M abrasive film have the abrasive embedded into the film (resin) as well, making for a longer lived product than traditional sandpapers. However, the .5 micron Chromium Oxide 3M film has a surface so smooth it's similar in nature to the emulsion side of old photographic film. On chromium oxide "pasted" balsa or leather, a razor glides very smoothly across those surfaces. I've found this not to be the case with the 3M chromium film.

I found the coarser grits of 3M film to be just fine for honing and seemed to cut aggressively. Water or oil is advocated for use in conjunction with the films for improving the life of the film but to me has the disadvantage of storage issues.

All of this is fun to experiment with for certain.

Chris L