Dressing sticks for vitrified-bond conventional grinding wheels are made of extra-coarse grit, grade 37C silicon carbide. Silicon carbide can be used to sharpen vitrified grinding wheels made of aluminum oxide, ceramic, and silicon carbide.

Dressing sticks for resin- and vitrified-bond superabrasive (diamond and cubic boron nitride) grinding wheels are made of grade 38A aluminum oxide, which is friable and has high-purity for use on super-abrasive wheels.

Dressing sticks for fine grit (320 and finer) resin- and vitrified-bond diamond and cubic boron nitride (CBN) grinding wheels are made of superfine, grade NMVC silicon carbide. Dressing sticks should be one to two grit sizes finer than the abrasive wheel.

Dressing sticks used on metal-bond superabrasive (diamond and cubic boron nitride) grinding wheels are made of medium grit, grade 37C silicon carbide. The dressing stick should be the same grit or one grit coarser than the wheel being dressed.

Dressing sticks for dish and flaring cup grinding wheels are suitable for dressing tool and cutter wheels that are 7.75" (200mm) and smaller in diameter. They're made of boron carbide, which is a hard, dense abrasive that is chemical and wear resistant.

Rubber-bond finishing sticks are made of grade 57A aluminum oxide and are used for dressing, truing, and die polishing when high-precision tolerances are required. The rubber bond helps maintain a cool surface. Grade 57A is a semifriable, fused brown aluminum oxide for cool, burn-free grinding of heat-sensitive metals and all steels. It balances cut quality and wheel life span at light to medium feed rates.