Wicked Edge Grit and Micron Order Chart
Understanding grit and micron values is essential when selecting abrasives for your Wicked Edge precision knife sharpener. These measurements help you determine how coarse or fine a sharpening medium is—and how to build the right abrasive progression for your sharpening goals.
What’s the Difference Between Grit and Micron?
We use both grit and micron ratings to describe our sharpening stones, lapping films, and stropping compounds. Here's a quick breakdown:
- Grit refers to how many particles fit through a mesh screen in one square inch. Higher grit = finer abrasive.
- Micron is a metric unit of length (one-millionth of a meter). Lower micron = finer abrasive.
So, while a 1000 grit stone is finer than a 400 grit stone, a 1 micron stropping compound is finer than a 5 micron one.
Building an Abrasive Progression
When sharpening a knife, you always want to work from the hardest material to the softest. The typical order of abrasives looks like this:
- Diamond Stones
- Ceramic Stones
- Lapping Films
- Strops (Leather or Kangaroo)
That said, you don't have to use every step. A more streamlined progression might look like:
- Diamond Stones → Lapping Films → Strops
And remember, not all progressions are strictly linear. For example, finishing with a 3 Micron Lapping Film followed by a 4 Micron Diamond Emulsion can still make sense, as the softer leather strop comes after the harder film—even if it's technically coarser.
Wicked Edge Grit/Micron Order Chart
This chart lists abrasives from coarsest to finest. It is not a suggested sharpening sequence.
| Product | Grit | Micron | Image |
|---|---|---|---|
| 50 Grit Diamond Stone | 50 | 275 | |
| 80 Grit Diamond Stone | 80 | 185 | |
| 100 Grit Diamond Stone | 100 | 150 | |
| 200 Grit Diamond Stone | 200 | 125 | |
| 400 Grit Diamond Stone | 400 | 75 | |
| 600 Grit Diamond Stone | 600 | 40 | |
| 800 Grit Diamond Stone | 800 | 30 | |
| 30 Micron Diamond Lapping Film | 800 | 30 | |
| 1000 Grit Diamond Stone | 1000 | 17 | |
| 15 Micron Diamond Lapping Film | 1200 | 15 | |
| 14 Micron Diamond Paste | 1300 | 14 | |
| 1500 Grit Diamond Stone | 1500 | 12 | |
| 10 Micron Diamond Paste | 1900 | 10 | |
| 2200 Grit Diamond Stone | 2200 | 9 | |
| 9 Micron Diamond Lapping Film | 2200 | 9 | |
| 3000 Grit Diamond Stone | 3000 | 6 | |
| 6 Micron Diamond Lapping Film | 3000 | 6 | |
| 5 Micron Diamond Paste | 4000 | 5 | |
| 4 Micron Diamond Emulsion | 5000 | 4 | |
| 3.5 Micron Diamond Paste | 6500 | 3.5 | |
| 3 Micron Diamond Lapping Film | 7000 | 3 | |
| 2 Micron Diamond Paste / Emulsion | 10000 | 2 | |
| 1.5 Micron Diamond Lapping Film | 13000 | 1.5 | |
| 1 Micron Diamond Lapping Film | 14000 | 1 | |
| 1 Micron Diamond Paste / Emulsion | 14000 | 1 | |
| 0.5 Micron Diamond Paste / Emulsion | 50000 | 0.5 | |
| 0.25 Micron Gunny Juice Emulsion | 100000 | 0.25 | |
| 0.1 Micron Diamond Lapping Film | 250000 | 0.1 | |
| 0.1 Micron Gunny Juice Emulsion | 250000 | 0.1 |
Wicked Edge Grit/Micron Progression Chart
This chart shows the actual recommended sharpening order—moving from coarsest and hardest to finest and softest abrasives.
| Product | Grit | Micron |
|---|---|---|
| 50 Grit Diamond Stone | 50 | 275 |
| 80 Grit Diamond Stone | 80 | 185 |
| 100 Grit Diamond Stone | 100 | 150 |
| 200 Grit Diamond Stone | 200 | 125 |
| 400 Grit Diamond Stone | 400 | 75 |
| 600 Grit Diamond Stone | 600 | 40 |
| 800 Grit Diamond Stone | 800 | 30 |
| 1000 Grit Diamond Stone | 1000 | 17 |
| 1500 Grit Diamond Stone | 1500 | 12 |
| 2200 Grit Diamond Stone | 2200 | 9 |
| 3000 Grit Diamond Stone | 3000 | 6 |
| 30 Micron Diamond Lapping Film | 800 | 30 |
| 15 Micron Diamond Lapping Film | 1200 | 15 |
| 9 Micron Diamond Lapping Film | 2200 | 9 |
| 6 Micron Diamond Lapping Film | 3000 | 6 |
| 3 Micron Diamond Lapping Film | 7000 | 3 |
| 1.5 Micron Diamond Lapping Film | 13000 | 1.5 |
| 1 Micron Diamond Lapping Film | 14000 | 1 |
| 0.1 Micron Diamond Lapping Film | 250000 | 0.1 |
| 14 Micron Diamond Paste | 1300 | 14 |
| 10 Micron Diamond Paste | 1900 | 10 |
| 5 Micron Diamond Paste | 4000 | 5 |
| 4 Micron Diamond Emulsion | 5000 | 4 |
| 3.5 Micron Diamond Paste | 6500 | 3.5 |
| 2 Micron Diamond Paste / Emulsion | 10000 | 2 |
| 1 Micron Diamond Paste / Emulsion | 14000 | 1 |
| 0.5 Micron Diamond Paste / Emulsion | 50000 | 0.5 |
| 0.25 Micron Gunny Juice Emulsion | 100000 | 0.25 |
| 0.1 Micron Gunny Juice Emulsion | 250000 | 0.1 |
Learn more about our Wicked Edge precision sharpeners here.
