Thread: Which edge lasts longer - 600# or 6000#?

I say 600. Do we need to present some rationale?

a) The cut surfaces don't show like they do on a wood carving. Finishing a carving, 4K or 6K then honing for thin cuts will be nice.
b) The 600, while having a thicker edge perhaps, may have more steel behind the edge for support.

It depends what you are doing.

For general stuff, a 600 sharpened chisel will be no different to a 6000 chisel.

But for fine work, where a 6000 sharp chisel is needed, you notice quickly when it goes off, and a 600 sharp chisel would be a pain to start with.

Our esteemed OP has defined the wood working task.
You get to make three guesses.

I think the more pertinent question is who gets to keep his job ? The guy slaving away endlessly over his stones or the guy with a good working edge and getting his work done ? My Hard Black Arkansas is 1000- 1300. It has served me well for 35+ years.

Come on, Ball Peen! No sitting on the fence. Place your bet.
Secretly, about a 1K grit would be just fine for what I think of in wood working.
I need another $50,000 for tools to bat in that league.

Originally Posted by Robson Valley

I say 600. Do we need to present some rationale?

a) The cut surfaces don't show like they do on a wood carving. Finishing a carving, 4K or 6K then honing for thin cuts will be nice.
b) The 600, while having a thicker edge perhaps, may have more steel behind the edge for support.

Hi RV, if you want to present some rationale maybe you could explain to us how there is more steel behind the edge if both edges are sharpened to the same angle just saying

Secretly I would also go for 600-1000.

Also RV, got to say you live in a beautiful part of the world, I was there two weeks ago and was stunned by the beauty of the place. We did the Jasper to Dunster train trip & Mt Robson was clear of cloud on the day, one of only a few days a year when this happens apparently.
Cheers, Ian

First, there's no chance of ever getting a grind with a zero edge.
Second, given the grit size, the scratchings will leave more metal at the edge than you might expect to find at 6K.
Third, for a wood working job which will not show, I'll take the 600.
= =
I go to 1500 then hone for my crooked knives = glassy cuts.
If the damage is so bad with a gouge that I have to resort to water stones, I quit at 4K and hone for glassy cuts.
= =
HA! You got as far as Dunster, did you? The village of McBride is just another 20(?)km west on the line. Like Jasper, without the crowds and the prices. Far better access into the side valleys, too. A bit snowy in there now and you have to drive across some BIG avalanche chutes. Trade show in Las Vegas voted McBride as the #1 snowmobile destination in North America.
Enuff. I used Google Earth = could even see my garden shed!

It could go both ways.. 600 might have more steel at the tip but 6000 would require less force behind it to cut and with use and cause less damage? Actually their is more force on a thiner edge .... Would a 6000# end up being in the ball park of 600# after use?

I can't say I have ever used a chisel sharpened to only 600# would it cut ok? Do any of you blokes work with chisels sharpened to 600#. You have me interested now... I'm going to give it a go!
On a side note I always found the sharper the chisel the more I enjoyed the work. A happy worker is a productive worker!

Hi Ben,

A fine India stone is #600 and I've had a few people tell me they use that as their finest stone.

I hope maybe some of those guys can join in this thread!

Well there you go! RV would know the w&d sandpaper grit comparison is for that..?

I would not want to use blades honed to 600 grit. They cannot pare end grain, they can only "cut" by crushing, any plane with such a blade would tear out wood fibres, and more injuries are caused by dull chisels as one attempts to force a cut.

Hone M2 steel on a India stone?!

Regards from Perth

Derek

Your right Derek. I will still give it a go though but I was suspecting it would be a rough chisel to work with. I think you would be relying too much on your hammer to make your cuts rather than your hand. Working with sharper tools is safer than forcing dull ones.

Russel, are you asking this because you would like to only sharpen with a 600 grit stone or is it strictly a question of edge holding?

I hope to never need to use 600 grit to repair the bevel on any tool.
800 grit and I don't feel quite so discouraged.

Hi Ben,

I guess I'm just interested in the process of a blade going from keen to dull, and I had noticed some people arguing that a very keen blade will very quickly need to be resharpened, whilst on the other hand some people arguing a very keen blade will retain its edge longer.

I guess steel type would also come into play, so I specified two types to possibly compare.

Interesting what you said about less force being needed to make the cut with a keener edge - is it plausible that this could help spare the edge from degradation?

Derek, point well taken about the 600# edge. How about if I changed the two options to a 4000# and 10000# edge? Which would need touching up sooner?