From the recent pocket knives thread I noticed that many of us carry Swiss Army Knives. I use it for something several times a day, and my family expects me to have it available at any time (except for that awkward moment in the airport). The stainless steel blades are certainly practical for outdoor work or recreation, but I have never been able to get a good edge using oilstones. I have since read that the best way to sharpen stainless steel is to use very fine to ultrafine wet or dry sandpaper.
I have been using an Accusharp sharpener:
accusharp.jpg
It gets a pretty good edge, but I would like to get a little better. Before I start experimenting, any suggestions as to what grit to start with and what grit to finish with? At what point does an ultrafine grit reach a point of diminishing returns? I have sandpaper ranging from 600 grit to 5-micron and lots of dead-flat surfaces so experimenting is just a matter of time.
I have noticed that stainless steel has just about completely taken over the market for outdoor knives. Even the venerable Buck Folding Hunter now has a stainless steel blade.