http://www.mse.iastate.edu/fileadmin...nifeShExps.pdf

What a read! This looks to be a very controlled and repeatable set of experiments by a mechanical engineering professor with some very interesting findings.

p.24 takes the cake for me, in that a 20 deg total angle (i.e. straight razor geometry) blade ground at 600 grit and then stropped with chromium oxide ends up with edge geometry and width almost identical to the same blade ground on a 6000 grit waterstone and then stropped with chromium oxide.

Which is why I use my 600 grit DMT diamond whetstone to bevel my edges, my translucent arkansas to polish the edge, and then a loaded strop to do the final polish (although lately, I've been doing 10 passes on newspaper, too!)

Lots of grist for the forum mill! Let's discuss!