Sandpaper sharpening with grit rating higher than 3,000

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Bearzilla911

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Nov 3, 2018
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When I am being lazy and don't feel like getting out the waterstones, I will sharpen with sandpaper tapped onto a flat tile and typically progress through 1,000, 2000, then either 5,000 or 7,000 grit wet/dry sandpaper. I usually use a utility knife and steel ruler and cut strips and use two sided thin tape to apply. However, that is completed at the end of sharpening so that it is ready do go when I fell like sharpening because getting that set up is actually probably just as time consuming, ha. Nevertheless, I sharpen with the sandpaper dry. I recently bought 50 sheets or 3,000 grit sandpaper, Fuji Star, Turns out you can get a mirror polish from 3,000 grit. Seems similar in consistency to my 16,000 grit Shapton glass stone. Does that sound about right? Do any of you take sharpening beyond the 3,000 grit sandpaper?
 
I've done similar with a wooden sanding block to avoid all the tape. I put some peel and stick rubber feet on the top (what I wanted to make the bottom) and ran that for a while.

Also tried sanding sponges for convex edges as well as sand paper over mouse pads.
 
I tried sandpaper on a mousepad and the method worked just okay for me. I like the surface to be a little harder, the edge ends up being a convex anyway, but is less convexed with a harder surface. That might just be me though.
 
The grit in silicon carbide (SiC) sandpaper is friable, meaning it's easily fractured and will tend to break down in particle size with much use. So, the more worn it is, the finer it'll finish. And this means even above 1000 rated grit or so, it can start to produce mirror-like effects on metals the more worn it is. I've only taken polishing as far as 2000 grit myself when I was using sandpaper for sharpening or finishing blades. At that level, it has always been 'mirror enough' for me. If I wanted more polish beyond that, I'd do that on a hard strop of wood, or on denim over wood, using a fine polishing compound like white rouge, green compound for less wear-resistant steels, or 3-micron or finer diamond compound on more wear resistant steels with much carbide content.
 
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I've been sharpening with Sandpaper for decades, I lay them on a thin piece of cardboard. And never sharpen past 1500 grit even on my Custom Kitchen knives.
 
This is how i do it:
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Photos Thread 'Sharpening on wet & dry SiC paper'

User Fallkniven A1 Pro in CoS stainless steel @ ~60 HRC from an experienced Dutch hunter, with it's apex at ~30 degrees inclusive.
The factory edge reflected light from slow wear, no dents or chips, and the owner wanted the new edge to have a somewhat toothy apex.
Pulled the edge a few times very lightly over a Chinese 3000 grit diamond plate, this to remove the weakened metal in the old apex and create a very narrow and continuous light reflection all along the edge.
I use this line as a guide to sneak up upon while sharpening, and in the end make it disappear as evenly as i can...
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