Abstract <p>Some methodological aspects of quantitative analysis for the characteristics of the cutting edges of abrasive powders are considered. It is pointed out that the approach based on the use of a grain projection is predominant in the practice of determining the values of these characteristics. The possibility and necessity of transition to the methodological scheme based on the 3D shape of a grain in a similar problem is substantiated. A methodological scheme taking into account the real morphology of grains of such grinding powders is proposed to provide a higher plausibility of initial values for the characteristics of their cutting edges. An analytical interpretation is given to the number and sharpening angles of the cutting edges of high-strength synthetic diamond (SD) grinding powders. Using grinding powders AS400 500/400 and AS200 630/500 as an example, the reasonability and advantages of the methodological scheme with the 3D shape of a grain as a generating object of the actual cutting edges of high-strength SD grinding powders is illustrated. At the same time, the methodological scheme using a grain projection as a generating object of cutting edges is not rejected. The recommendation to apply the known method of estimating the characteristics of cutting edges by the geometric modelling of an abrasive powder grain projection with star-shaped polygons is substantiated for non-high-strength SD and other abrasive powders at a quantitative level. It has been established that both considered methods give a rather satisfactory result in terms of coincidence between the sharpening angles of cutting edges (relative error is less than 1%) and a less satisfactory result, which is acceptable yet for practical applications, in terms of coincidence between the numbers of cutting edges (relative error is 14–17%).</p>