Better than Paper wheel or Buffing wheel?

[Sharpco]

Do you feel that the results of Tormek's Honing wheel (PA-70) are sharper than paper wheels and buffing wheels?

[wootz]

They shouldn't be contraposed, the result depends.

Suppose you have set edge on 2 blades, and going to deburr and hone them:
one scores 160 BESS, i.e. has about 1.5 micron edge apex, not even shaving your forearm;
the other scores 110 BESS i.e. has a near 1 micron edge, smooth shaves with, but not against the hair grain.
These can well be chisels or knives, doesn't matter.

Suppose you have the same honing compound on the wheels:
a Tormek leather wheel, a paper wheel, and a hard-felt wheel - we use all three in our workshop.

You aim to get the both blades razor sharp.
On which wheel will you hone which blade?

Tell me your best answer - this can be solved with common sense and everyday sharpening experience - and I will tell you what an edge sharpness tester readings are for each of the wheels.

[grepper]

From my humble experience a 160 gf blade should shave hair.  If it's not I would suspect there is still burr.

[wootz]

Sure you can call it shaving, just at 160 it is "scraping shaving" - a toothy edge is capable of catching hairs on the skin, but instead of cutting them it "rips" them out of your skin

[wootz]

Re-phrasing your question, you could have answered it yourself.
Rate these substrates by abrasion they may cause - rub against your skin or else.
It's a common knowledge that a linen strop is more delicate than leather, and you can liken linen to paper.
Jewelers use felt over anything else for polishing their gems for a reason.

Felt is way more aggressive than leather in honing - by itself, and because it absorbs a thicker layer of honing abrasive.
Then goes leather.
The finest is the paper wheel.

An already shaving blade should not be honed on felt, I use felt for edges that score over 160 BESS.
Leather is good to start on down to 100 BESS. If an edge already gives a hair violin sign, I do not start it on leather.
Paper wheel can refine your edge to under 100 BESS, and can be used after the leather wheel.

[Ken S]

Excellent and informative post, Wootz.

Ken

[Sharpco]

Thank you.

Your reply has been helpful.