What angle on the arms did or do you start with?

Something like this what you're looking for?

www.fingerlakeswoodturners.com/downloads...rit%20Comparison.pdf
or
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sandpaper#Grit_size_table

(Type "grit micron sandpaper" in google, and you'll get a bunch of examples.)

For those curious, I used the following: 600->800->1000 diamond stone, 1000->1200->1500->2000->2500->3000 sandpaper strips, then the Pro Pack 5um and 3.5um pastes on the included leather (100 light strokes each). Not perfect by any stretch, but a good start on the cheap for now

Yeah, I have the screws loosen almost constantly unless I really torque them down as tight as I can with finger pressure. I tend to check the screws in between grits or between "sets" of strop strokes. The left side likes to get loosey goosey all the time, the right not so much.

I'm constantly fiddling with the strop angle, and definitely noticed an immediate difference in the feel of the edge. Cuts great either way, but strangely the reduced angle "feels" less sharp despite probably cutting better. Definitely a curious phenomenon, and probably why I'm always fiddling with different settings

I also sometimes use Clay's trick of slightly wetting down the leather. I might try -1 degree and dampening the leather this evening on my carry knife, to compare to the finish it has now.

Clay,

While we're on the topic of micro bevels, is there any quick rule of thumb you could share? Something like "3 to 5 degrees works well" or any general guideline. In this case I'm sticking with the factory grind, 22 degrees per side, and want to put that micro bevel on for somewhat heavy duty cutting to last.

What sort of information do I need to provide to you all so you can help me troubleshoot? Most recently, I took my Kershaw Cryo and formed a burr each step of the way, 100 all the way up to 1000 and I had trouble cutting paper.

Hi Jason,
I was in the same position as you when I first visited this site. I had a nice set of Shun kitchen knives made by Kershaw Knives and a few little gentlemen's pocket knives and just wanted to keep them sharp. After all, a knife is only as good as it's cutting edge in the end. Since then I have acquired a bunch of interesting and expensive blades, which is another topic for another thread.

My answer to your question is, if you just want to tune up your kitchen knives and few pocket knives or friends knives who want want sharp knives that cut well, get the Pro 1. If like me and many others I see, you are obsessive about getting a fine mirror finish and vision yourself as artistic, obsessive and compulsive about it, then get the Pro Pack 2.

One thing I have seen from watching these posts is that you may just want to sharpen your knives to cut an apple when you start, but the mere fact that you are here and reading this and other posts on sharpening, leads me to believe that it will not end there. If you buy the Pro Pack 1, you will almost certainly buy an angle cube to get an even bevel on both sides. Then as long as you are going to that trouble, you'll just have to get your edge even sharper, so why not add a 1000 grit stone? Pretty soon, your putting the entire collection of stones, strops and accessories in your cart. So you can buy it now or you can buy it later, but you will buy it. Because there is no such thing as sharp enough, right?

Don't tell me i'm wrong today. Wait a few weeks and tell me i'm wrong. I bet you won't though. This whole knife collecting and sharpening thing is very addictive and those pretty sharpening stones are just calling out to you like crack to a cocaine addict.

Yeah man, your definitely on to something for sure! What you will find is that each personhas a sslightly different preference on this... My all around working edge is finished on the 1k diamonds right now... I absolutely love this edge for both hair popping but TONS of bite. I think mark posted a post a little while back discussing the best edge for tomatoes. The general consensus was more toothy than mirror finished (if I recall). However, the definition of "toothy" is pretty relative!

To answer your other question: the jump from the 1k diamonds to the micro fine ceramics is too large if you're wanting to erase all the previous scratches you will need a "go between". A cheap way to do this is with wet/dry automotive sandpaper by 3M...You can take this uptthrough 2500 grit and the go to strops if you are wanting a mirror edge. More expensive way would be to get a custom chosera set of say 800/2000 grit or something. Hope this helps!