Stropping: angle plus pressure

**cziv** · 09-01-2010, 06:21 AM

I thought this post should be bumped back up to the top.

**cziv** · 09-04-2010, 07:42 PM

Back to the top?

**zyhano** · 09-06-2010, 01:13 PM

Originally Posted by cziv

Back to the top?

why not

**cziv** · 09-18-2010, 11:30 PM

Up to the top again!

**rayban** · 09-19-2010, 08:05 AM

Originally Posted by handamerican

The technique is simple. Lay the blade flat on the leather and push forward while raising the spine in tiny increments. At some point the edge will bite into the leather - that's the angle that you have no choice but to work with because it happens to be the actual angle of the edge.

Once the edge bites pull back with light pressure and at the end of the stroke just stop - stop and pull the blade up and off the leather.

If you pull the blade off of the leather at the end of the stroke in an arc, which is a very normal thing to do, you will have undone all of your work.

This explains it Lucy!!!! I had a pretty good edge coming off the XXF stone then I was dulling it on the strop.....I concentrated on the motion as explained above, and it makes all the difference...thanks!

**electric** · 09-19-2010, 09:44 AM

For someone who has very little success at stroppin, and still don't. I'll reread this seversal times and see if it sinks in, bbbut by all means back to the top!

Electric,

**cziv** · 10-23-2010, 03:51 AM

Up to the top again - for the stropping threads that are popping up!

**vhram** · 10-23-2010, 12:21 PM

Thats a great illustration with the string . It really helped understand what I was doing wrong,

**Incahiker** · 10-25-2010, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by Obsessed with Edges

I polish the bevels on most of my knives. The bevel feels very slick on the leather when the angle is just right (all my edges are convex). If the angle is too steep, the edge drags (obviously) and it feels rougher. Same deal if the angle is too shallow, causing the shoulder to drag.

The more I do it, the more I'm inclined to use as light amount of pressure as is possible (just enough to maintain consistent contact with the strop, without 'skipping' across the leather). I figure if I'm needing to lean into it very hard at all, it probably indicates I didn't quite finish the job with my hones.

Since no edge is absolutely perfect (yet, but I'm still working on it

), and there's always at least a very tiny rounding off at the very edge, I'll make a couple of very, very light passes with the angle elevated just a little. In effect, I look at this as polishing the 'microbevel'. Seems to give it just a little more 'bite'.

To Twindog:
Your string & wedge 'visual aid' is excellent. Very simple & a great way to illustrate the concept. Nicely done!

What he said. I mirror polish all my edges and know I have it just right when it glides across the strop. Any time it starts to feel rough I know I have the wrong angle. It should float across the strop with no resistance. Also, I don't use any pressure, unless it is an extremely light folder. Then I will add just a little tiny spec of pressure until it feels right.

But I mainly use a power strop. I usually turn the edge into the belt until I hear the edge to just start to bite the belt and then back off. I know I have the perfect angle then and it polishes up the edge to the nth degree and that is when my knives are at their ultimate sharpness.

**Obsessed with Edges** · 10-25-2010, 02:06 PM

Originally Posted by Incahiker

What he said. I mirror polish all my edges and know I have it just right when it glides across the strop. Any time it starts to feel rough I know I have the wrong angle. It should float across the strop with no resistance. Also, I don't use any pressure, unless it is an extremely light folder. Then I will add just a little tiny spec of pressure until it feels right.

But I mainly use a power strop. I usually turn the edge into the belt until I hear the edge to just start to bite the belt and then back off. I know I have the perfect angle then and it polishes up the edge to the nth degree and that is when my knives are at their ultimate sharpness.

BTW, I couldn't help but notice the '(all my edges are convex)', attributed to me in the quoted text in your post. That wasn't part of my statement in post #5 of this thread. I don't have anything against convex edges, but I'm wondering why it's 'inserted' there in the 'quoted' text of your post? I don't mind being quoted, so long as the quotes are actually mine

.

I'm not implying any deliberate harm done here, just wondering if it might've worked it's way in there accidentally? I'm assuming it was meant for describing your edges in your reply?

**cziv** · 11-01-2010, 05:35 PM

Bump to the top again....this explains so much with pictures. I've read way too many long posts on stropping and this pretty much covers it.

**cziv** · 11-06-2010, 12:17 AM

Originally Posted by cziv

Bump to the top again....this explains so much with pictures. I've read way too many long posts on stropping and this pretty much covers it.

Back to page 1

**cziv** · 11-19-2010, 11:20 AM

Bump...

**stitchawl** · 11-19-2010, 05:35 PM

Originally Posted by cziv

Bump...

I think you are on a mission from God.

Nice to see you back!

Stitchawl

**cziv** · 11-19-2010, 06:50 PM

Originally Posted by stitchawl

I think you are on a mission from God.

Nice to see you back!

Stitchawl

I am for sure.

A guy was asking questions about basic stropping pressure, angles etc. in General Discussion so I found this thread and posted a link into his thread of the OP.

It keeps from explaining the whole deal over and over again. Some questions make me think the OP's shouldn't be allowed to carry a knife.

e.g. "What's the best knife for under $200?" and other gems.