how does everybody get that mirror shine? what steps do you take in sanding? what do you buff with? what compound do you use?


im goin from 120 with my belts and taking it to 220,320,500,1000,1200,1500 by hand and then using a mixture of green rouge and mink oil/honing oil mixture on a piece of leather, then same mixture but thinned down with acetone on a cotton cloth.

You are doing it the right way, although the hard way.  But you will get a very consistant shine .
Once I use a fine belt, 800 grit, I use a baldor buffer with the green Matchless brand bar.

Some steels take a polish better than others.
Dan

I don't do a mirror polish - it gets scratched far too easily.  
I do a   Satin finish  

I do the final grind on the grinder going from 120 grit to 220, 400 and then 600.  Then take it to the bench and use 400 grit paper on a block going at an angle to make sure all the deeper scratches are gone and everything is even.  Then I switch to 600 grit paper with a little oil and sand in one direction going the full length of the blade.
You can still read the paper in the reflection on the blade when I'm done, but it isn't mirror polished and holds up better.

dan, im doing it the poor way!!! lol. but i am fixin to get me some buffing wheels. this 5 hours of hand sanding just aint gonna cut it

nobody?