Originally Posted by
Euclid440
The number one cause of dulling is improper stropping.
The number of laps needed depend on the substrate the paste is on leather, nylon or wood, each will perform differently, the amount of pressure you apply, the steel of the razor, the condition of the bevel and edge and the purity or the type of the paste you are using.
There are much finer paste, Diamond and CBN for example go to .10 um 160k grit, though each will perform differently. It is not just about grit size.