Thread: Why lapping film rules

whom are you referring to, 25609289?

If you are referring to the original thread starter, Seraphim, he unfortunately left this forum.
Actually it says he was banned. I do not know why this is, but if you want to contact him, he is a very active member over at badger&blade.

Seraphim uses nothing but lapping film, so he did not make any comparisons with any other stones.
So he did not compare the lapping film with naturals, or any other stones

Originally Posted by Lesslemming

whom are you referring to, 25609289?

If you are referring to the original thread starter, Seraphim, he unfortunately left this forum.
Actually it says he was banned. I do not know why this is, but if you want to contact him, he is a very active member over at badger&blade.

Seraphim uses nothing but lapping film, so he did not make any comparisons with any other stones.
So he did not compare the lapping film with naturals, or any other stones

I was reffering to your photos of the de blades. You said that you had used every stone out there and I was wondering if you had an estimate of the grit level of some stones; say Jnat
finishers.

I bought the amazon pack. I'm a little disappointed that 1um is the finest grit that come in the pack. My wife is very excited though. She wants to use the film on her engraving tools.

That being said, my Temperite keeps coming out a little harsh. The shave is very comfortable but I always lose more skin than I like.

I think I will try touching it up on the 1um just to see what it looks like and how it feels.

Where can I buy .1um without having to buy a case of it?

Crotalus, try LeeValley. They carry the 0.5 (my favourite) and the 0.1

@25609289

I used alot of stones out there, especially synthetics, that is true. But still I did not find a suitable way to determine the level of fineness or "grit".
The main problem is that "grit level" is only a small part in what is to be calld more correctly the overall performance of a stone.
Even if I could estimate the grit (more accurately the dominant micron size of the abrasive particle) I wouldn't have a reliable indicator for what the stone will act like and what kind of edge it produces.
You see your question is a typical newbie question (no shame in being new!) and the only answer I can give you is:

The best way to estimate what a stone is worth to a sharpener is to have experience.
Compare stones, try them and make up your own mind. By the way, two professional sharpeners may give you two different opinions on the same stone.
Go figure

Thanks Less.

I've got some on order.

Originally Posted by Crotalus

McMaster $35 / sheet? Is this correct or are there several sheets in a package? Amazon has 6 sheets for $8, but the darn page doesn't list the grits.

It looks like you have to buy a whole case at rs Hughes

Nope. They DO sell single sheets. RS Hughes is a vendor of single sheet 3M lapping film at Amazon. It's where I got my 1.0um and 0.3um AlOx sheets.

Ok, their Amazon listing stinks. They tell you there are 6 grades in a pack, but nowhere do they tell you what grades you are getting.

To my disappointment they stop at 1um. I'll use them, but I just bought .5 and .1 from Lee Valley which is quite a bit more expensive.

but I just bought .5 and .1 from Lee Valley which is quite a bit more expensive

That's the reason why it stops at 1µm. The 0.5µm und 0.1µm are a little more expensive.
It sucks that they did not tell you what grits you would get

But since the 0.5 and 0.1 will be used only for a couple of very light strokes for the finish, they will last you a long time.
Btw. I just finished over 20 razors in a row on the Al2O3 lapping film without a replacement.
I used a 5µm for setting the bevel and jumepd directly to 1µm for the finish. Perfect!
And even after 20+ razors, there is no sign of extensive wear. It seems they still got a lot of life left in them.

Here is a recommendation for you. Try using the lapping film with just a hint of dish soap in the water.
It prevents lutos effect (especially a on the 1µm film) and it helps to wash out steel swarf from between the abrasive particles of the film.
I think this helps make them last longer

Well, you sent me on a web adventure trying to figure out what the heck lutos effect was.

Damn! Sorry I misspelled. Of course I meant Lotus Effect.
I mean, the water on the lapping film does not spread evenly thus not providing proper lubrication and cushion.
A little dish soap will keep that from happening and does in no way harm the lapping film.
Just be causious not to drop the razor, because the tang may get slippery