Finishing with diamonds..

Ill keep this simple.

Im getting good shaving edges with the process that im using to hone but i wanted to get some opinions on the last few steps i use to finish up a blade.

Im using all synthetics right now. 1k Chosera, 4k/8k Norton, 12k Naniwa.. pretty standard i guess.

After the 12k I do about 25 laps on felt with .5 micron diamond spray, then 25 laps on .25 micron spray.

Then i do 50 laps on the scrub leather and 50 on the premium leather (SRD modular paddle).

Then the shave test.

As stated im experiencing no issues, i just thought id see what people thought.. Im wondering specifically about the diamond sprays. I see no change under the scope after the .5 and .25 laps.. or the scrub and premium leather. Im not even sure what prompted me to add the diamond sprays into the process in the first place.. but so far it works and i do it every time.

I'm open to any opinions or critiques on this process. Any advice is always very much appreciated.

Thanks my blade dudes.

If its working for you its all good. But I never used to go with that many laps on diamond. The stuff cuts just too fast for that many laps IMHO. I never used to do even as many as ten laps. But if you are getting satisfactory results, that's what matters.

There are many areas of experimentation that you could go to from here. You could start to play with naturals, you could change your diamonds to Chromium oxide, Ferrous Oxide, and Cerium. You could try without any pastes. There are so many places to go, and of course there is always don;t over think it and stay in your happy place, OH and the SG20k. It's full of all kinds of wondering and wandering. Above all else have fun. Meets are a great place to try out new things with people who love their process.

I use .5 diamond spray right after my Naniwa 12k, and follow that up with chromium oxide to lessen the harshness of the edge. I use the modular paddle for all of my pasted stropping, with all pastes going onto plain leather. It has worked well for me so far, I am become more consistent with my honing:)

This is exactly what im looking for.. some tweaks to try out. Ill try reducing the strokes on diamonds.. and i have a Crox crayon and a less expensive paddle strop i bought just for pasting but never got around to it. Ill have to get that into the mix.

Eventually id like to have a few natural finishers but im forcing myself to wait for that fateful day.

If anyone wants to send me an extra nakayama, escher or coticule i could probably find room for it here somewhere :)

So, it depends on what you are trying to achieve, keenness or smoothness/comfort.

With Diamond a lot depends on the Diamond, not all diamond spray concentrations and suspensions are alike, if it does not suspend well, it can clump and cause all kinds of problems, Substrates also determine results, the harder, the more aggressive the cut and can be chippy and harsh.

You should be able to get an excellent shaving edge off a 12k Super Stone and Chrome Oxide.

For a smoother edge with a bit more keenness .50 CBN is a great way to go from a 12k Super Stone, from .50 CBN you can go to .25, .125 and .10um CBN, though I find .10 a bit too keen. I like .125um CBN and strop on it daily.

Results will also depend on the condition of the finished bevel/edge and a progression of nano grits, if you make too big a grit jump results will suffer.

Ok you inspired me. I dug out the first strop i ever bought.. which i pasted originally with the green bar that came with it. After some research i found out the company i ordered it from catered to woodworking tools and the green bar i used might not be razor grade Crox. I washed all the paste out of it and stuck it deep in a drawer..

So i just pulled out the SRD Crox crayon and the neatsfoot oil and pasted it up proper. Im looking forward to trying out an edge off this puppy.

Attachment 233567

To be quite honest, i dont know if i want a smooth edge or a keen edge. Im still too new to know the difference.. hence the thread. I want to mix it up a little bit and try some new things.

I was unaware of the Cubic Boron Nitride until reading your post Euclid. Ill do some research. Maybe that's something i will try in the future.

Also all my diamond sprays are from SRD.. and i think i would stick with the felt. Lynn explained in one of his videos the bounce and give of the felt works well with the diamonds.