Mr. Mark, I think one of the reasons I get away with very coarse grit is because I use a very, very light touch when sharpening. I had expected that when I tried the 40 grit zirc belt that I was going to have a chain saw like trashed edge, but to my surprise that was not the case. That said, 40 grit was too coarse. I won’t and would not recommend it for sharpening. I doubt the uneven edge it produced would last very long.
The odd thing for me is that I didn’t see as much of change in the edge as I would have expected going from 80 grit to 40. Again I suspect it’s because I use such light pressure. I’m using such light pressure that it does not remove that much steel. I didn’t turn the blade into a toothpick.
Another reason I might be getting away with such coarse grits is because I’m deburring with the leather belt. No matter how much I try there is smoothing of the toothy edge. You can see that in some of the images that I have posted.
I got a new Surgi Sharp leather belt several months ago. At that time I put a very small amount of Tormek honing compound it. I have not applied any more since and it’s been used on a bunch of blades. I suspect that the compound has mostly broken down by this point. The Tormek compound is 1-3 micron, AO abrasive.
Tormek compound is abrasive in light oil. I use the rough side of the belt, and when the belt was new it was so dusty I needed to do something so I used a very little compound. I probably should have just used some light machine oil.
So, is it a bare belt? No. Do I think the compound is doing very much? No.
I wonder why after you did the 60 grit, it was not sharp enough to measure. I would be most curious to see one of your blades after deburrig on the 140 Atoma under a microscope!
I take it you are free handing the deburring?
I’m very curious as to why you are not getting edges around 150 gf sharpness. I’m really not at all trying to inflate my own balloon, really!
, but I get that sharpness almost every time without really trying. 
with that? I’m not doing anything special at all. I just sharpen and deburr and that what happens. Weird, huh! The only thing I can think of is that I use an adjustable rest when sharpening so I maintain a consistent angle. Other than that, I just raise as small a burr as I can on one side, turn the blade over and do the same again, then deburr the thing. I just use one belt, not some series of grits. Like I say, nothing special at all.
Using the 120 grit belt and deburring with the Atoma, what sharpness reading do you usually get?
The odd thing for me is that I didn’t see as much of change in the edge as I would have expected going from 80 grit to 40. Again I suspect it’s because I use such light pressure. I’m using such light pressure that it does not remove that much steel. I didn’t turn the blade into a toothpick.
Another reason I might be getting away with such coarse grits is because I’m deburring with the leather belt. No matter how much I try there is smoothing of the toothy edge. You can see that in some of the images that I have posted.
I got a new Surgi Sharp leather belt several months ago. At that time I put a very small amount of Tormek honing compound it. I have not applied any more since and it’s been used on a bunch of blades. I suspect that the compound has mostly broken down by this point. The Tormek compound is 1-3 micron, AO abrasive.
Tormek compound is abrasive in light oil. I use the rough side of the belt, and when the belt was new it was so dusty I needed to do something so I used a very little compound. I probably should have just used some light machine oil.
So, is it a bare belt? No. Do I think the compound is doing very much? No.
I wonder why after you did the 60 grit, it was not sharp enough to measure. I would be most curious to see one of your blades after deburrig on the 140 Atoma under a microscope!
I take it you are free handing the deburring?
I’m very curious as to why you are not getting edges around 150 gf sharpness. I’m really not at all trying to inflate my own balloon, really!
, but I get that sharpness almost every time without really trying. with that? I’m not doing anything special at all. I just sharpen and deburr and that what happens. Weird, huh! The only thing I can think of is that I use an adjustable rest when sharpening so I maintain a consistent angle. Other than that, I just raise as small a burr as I can on one side, turn the blade over and do the same again, then deburr the thing. I just use one belt, not some series of grits. Like I say, nothing special at all. Using the 120 grit belt and deburring with the Atoma, what sharpness reading do you usually get?