Abrasive sheets:
Thanks to 3e website
Using abrasive sheets by hand to remove material from any number of objects has been in place for a long time. We have used it on wood, and steel for many years. Important things to note about using this method of steel removal is that if you do it by hand, you aren't going to heat the steel very much, meaning you don't have to worry about changing the temper of the steel. This is important for beginners because it is easy to change the temper of steel when using machinery to restore your razors, this in turn can make your razor difficult to sharpen and produce a good shave.
Cosmetically, the higher grit your abrasive sheet, the more gentle the appearance of the steel after you finish sanding. The lower grit numbers will remove steel more quickly, abut will leave more aggressive scratch patterns. You can remove these scratch patterns using a higher grit abrasive paper, ultimately ending with a pretty good cosmetic look. In my opinion though the best cosmetic outcome comes from using a polishing wheel and polishing compound. It is also a lot faster, but there are other considerations when you use this mechanical method.
Cosmetically, the higher grit your abrasive sheet, the more gentle the appearance of the steel after you finish sanding. The lower grit numbers will remove steel more quickly, abut will leave more aggressive scratch patterns. You can remove these scratch patterns using a higher grit abrasive paper, ultimately ending with a pretty good cosmetic look. In my opinion though the best cosmetic outcome comes from using a polishing wheel and polishing compound. It is also a lot faster, but there are other considerations when you use this mechanical method.
Progressive "sanding"
Thanks to http://abrasiveresource.blogspot.com/
The image to the right demonstrates how you can use progressive sanding to attain a progressively smoother surface. As you get towards the higher grits, to the right of the illustration, you may begin to see a "mirror finish" which is some people's ultimate goal.
The reason a mirror finish (reflective properties) comes with a higher grit is the deeper scratch pattern actually absorb light quite efficiently, and/or reflect light in random directions. This leads on to using polishes such as maas, or autosol to finish hand polishing. These are fine abrasives and can be used to great effect to smooth out that scratch pattern even more.
Personally I always finish with hand polishes of varying varieties, some I have made myself.
The reason a mirror finish (reflective properties) comes with a higher grit is the deeper scratch pattern actually absorb light quite efficiently, and/or reflect light in random directions. This leads on to using polishes such as maas, or autosol to finish hand polishing. These are fine abrasives and can be used to great effect to smooth out that scratch pattern even more.
Personally I always finish with hand polishes of varying varieties, some I have made myself.