Originally Posted by
David Sloan
I have read and re-read all of your comments and would like to thank everyone. Obviously there is a lot of controversy about sharpening and I am greatly humbled by the expertise that is out there. When I am woodturning, I am sharpening all the time.
I need to have that same diligence (which has not been my practice up to now) when I am woodworking.
It doesn't seem so much a controversy as it is so many different paths to the same or equal destinations. If something is working, people have a tendency to want to stay with what works for them.
There are also some who prefer their sharpening to be very quick so they can get back to their woodworking. Then there are those who enjoy a few moments "break" to refresh an edge.
To answer your original query:
do the experienced sharpeners feel that going to 12K,15K, 30 K produces a measurable improvement in edge performance.
Surely these do refine the edge beyond an 8K stone. Then the question becomes, are they worth the expense?
Maybe an inexpensive way to see if it makes a difference in your work would be to purchase some of the finer grit abrasive films and give them a try.
jtk
"A pessimist sees the difficulty in every opportunity; an optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty."
- Sir Winston Churchill (1874-1965)