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Not sure if it's ever been covered here or not, and many of you are probably already aware of this, but I recently discovered that there is a difference in actual grit depending on whether or not there is a "P" in front of the grit number. Apparently there are different systems of grit size and they don't necessarily overlap. After making this discovery, I went through all my sandpaper and most of it is the ISO/FEPA "P" paper, but a few of my higher grits are not. Like I said before, this may be old news to some or even most, but it's put me at a fork in the road. Which way do I go? Do I replace the non "P" grits with P paper and stick with that system of 220,320, 400, 600, 800, 1000? or do I switch to a non P system of the same grit numbers? Which grit system does everyone else use?

On stummels I use Mirka Abranet exclusively, all grits between 80 and 600. Ditto for stems up to 1000 grit. Higher than that on stems I go to Norton Black Ice wet or dry paper. I believe the Abranet falls under the "P" category being of European manufacture.

I've found sanding in general to be less of a science and more of an art than I once thought. Individual specimens of briar differ in how they "react" to being sanded, and stem materials very much so. There are several distinctive types of both acrylic and rubber, and the best way to sand them varies accordingly.

Meaning, sanding is more like improvising in jazz than following sheet music. You see certain characteristics emerge while you're working, and adjust accordingly. Which in turn means that the minute differences in paper labeling and types gets lost in the shuffle. As long as the paper you use has uniform abrasive crystal size---a.k.a. don't buy the cheap stuff---you're good.

nu duh!

I went through the same revelation many a years ago. The comparison chart is not correct either. Each brand of paper can vary slightly as well. P220 from one company can be less or more abrasive than p220 from another. Also, the pattern in which it cuts may vary as well.

TIAFO

But really, I am still not sure about what is best to use. I have been buying the cheap stuff from the same company for 8 years, and I am reluctant to change.

The main reason I like the Abranet is that being an open mesh it does not clog up.
To each his own. Whatever works the best for your process is what is important.
But, I have to go with George: get the best and cry once. What you consider the best takes you back to the line above this one.

What is way more important than P numbers is consistency, you need to work with a maker of paper that you like, work out the grits that do the best job and then stick with it.

So what I'm getting out of this is that I'm probably overthinking it, which is what I pretty much figured to begin with.