We’ve covered the types of sharpening stones, and how to free-hand sharpen. But what grits should you use for your blade? Use the chart below to guide you.
NOTE: Some sharpening stones aren’t classified by grit, but by coarseness or fineness.
This is, unfortunately, not standardized: A stone listed as “Very Fine” might have a grit of just 400, which is actually a “Coarse” stone used for metal removal and grinding. We’ve classified these ratings by what we think are the most appropriate grit equivalents.
Particle size in microns (“μm“) might be listed instead of grit. The larger the particle size, the lower the grit.
| Description / Stone | Particle size (microns) | Grit (or Equivalent) |
| “Very Coarse” – For fast metal removal and repairing heavily damaged blades. | 200 to 100μm | 80 to 150 |
| “Coarse” – Also for metal removal and damaged, chipped edge repair. | 100 to 80μm | 150 to 220 |
| “Medium Coarse” – For re-grinding a bevel to change the cutting angle. | 80 to 60μm | 220 to 300 |
| “Medium” – For removing blunt, rolled edges and small chips. | 45 to 35μm | 400 to 500 |
| “Medium Fine” – Precursor to standard sharpening; for heavy dulling. | 30 to 23μm | 600 to 800 |
| “Fine” – The standard sharpening grit used for typically dull blades. | 23 to 15μm | 800 to 1,200 |
| “Very Fine” – For refining edge before honing/polishing. | 15 to 6μm | 1,200 to 3,000 |
| “Extra Fine” – Standard for finishing and honing a sharpened blade. | 5 to 3μm | 4,000 to 6,000 |
| “Super Fine” – For mirror polishing an edge to absolute sharpness. | 2.5 to 0.75μm | 8,000 to 30,000 |
Want to get the most cutting ability out of your knife? Check out our guide to the best edge angles for different knives and their uses.