How To POLISH An Edge

[Ares1307]

I have a couple of S30V knives, and Ive heard the best way to maintain the edge is to Polish it. Ive never polished an edge before, and never stropped before.. but Im a fast learner. I just need someone to throw me some tips on how to polish an edge using a strop, or other inexpensive ways. I dont have any power tools other than a drill. I have a Spyderco Sharpmaker, and Im ordering Ultra Fine rods, I heard they do a great 3 micron edge. I was thinking of getting a good double sided strop with 1.5 micron on one side and .5 on the other. or 1micron on one side and .25micron on the other. If you can give me some advice and let me know which compounds to get brand/micron. Thank you all so much for helping me out!

ARES

[Sharpski]

Well what kind of paste or spray are you going to be using? Leather or balsa strop? Personally I like balsa it's more responsive and I think it gives you better feedback. I use wicked edge pastes and Hand american diamond sprays work really well. I really like both brands and mediums equally. As far as progression I think either will work but if I had to go with only two step-downs I would probably go with 1.5 to 0.5 microns. But if it was me I would go with 1.5 to 0.5 to 0.25 but then again I am a little excessive. If you have any questions please let me know I will try to help!!

[Ares1307]

thank you so much sharpski. I actually have no idea what to use. Im very new to sharpening, never tried stropping. Do you think sprays or paste is better? I dont have alot of money to throw at this so thats why I was only thinking about two steps. I figured if I bought a two sided leather strop Id use both sides with different microns, of course. So you use just balsa wood for a strop and put compound on it? Ive never heard of that. That actually sounds more affordable, or Im an idiot and have it all wrong. lol. What compound paste or spray do you think is the best? Also, which are good compound pastes/ sprays that are pretty low priced but still good quality? Do you think I'll be able to go from the Ultra Fine Spyderco Sharpmaker rods to stropping with 1.5 micron smoothly without trouble? Thanks again for your help.

ARES

[Skimo]

I would think its fine to go from UF stone to polishing compound.

This is what I use for sharpening and stropping.


I strop on my jeans, two reasons, I can feel pressure better and it's a long surface that allows me to be more stable.

[Ares1307]

nice. if I bought a couple of those little syringes from wicked edge with the diamond polish in it, would that be enough to strop with? its about 2ML.

[Sharpski]

Yea any of those progression are fine, you should not have problems there. I totally understand about the affordable thing trust me! Yep I just use balsa. I have a setup where I bought thing slabs of the balsa from a craft store and glued on a sheet of magnets that I can remove on and off a base a made. That way I can have any combination I want. It's kinda cool actually.

Yea I have heard balsa wood talked that much about on here but I never did a search for it either for the simple fact that it works for me. It's cheap and it's responsive, meaning you get a better if you are at the right angle with the right amount of pressure. It's also nice to start on bc if you mess up with your stroke and slice the leather you compromise the strop but with the balsa you can sand out any mistakes. I also recommend that you can it before you apply the compound. I really prefer it, and it probably cheaper too.

Paste vs spray I probably like paste better IF I HAD TO CHOOSE, but under a certain level you may have a hard time finding it in a paste. Although I can't remember. I think WE has paste down to 0.25. I just think the paste have a slightly better feel but it would take either! Remember a little goes A LONG WAY. A thin line of this will cover the strop after you work it in and will last for a lot of knives with the pastes 20+ or probably even more! So a 2ml tube will last awhile. WE edge ma not be the cheapest I just bought it at the time bc I have the setup. Remember a think bead of the paste a few mls long will last your strop a long time. You can strop on anything but if you cheaper if you have a permeant base. It think the user above it using the green chromium oxide compound (0.5microns) which comes as a bar at pretty cheap. I can't speak for the quality I know a lot of people use it but then again I also have heard people doubting the particle size at which their compounds are rated. I am sure it works fine.

Good luck!!

[Ares1307]

Thank you, You have no idea how much your information is helping me out. The balsa is much better priced for me, and I found some WE compound in syringes, 1ml of 1micron and 1ml of .5micron. Ive heard the same about the green pastes, i think bark river is the one i heard is more corse than other green compounds. I found some green and white or black on the bay for cheap, but Im affraid the quality would suck, same with jewelers rouge, plus I dont really know which colors are which microns. Like I said, Im VERY new at this. lol.

[Sharpski]

Sure no problem! Glad to help. I think we have all learned something new from someone here. As far as the Jewelers rouge I tried it once and did not have good luck with it bc it was a power. I don't know if that was the reason. It works good for cleaning up metal but on the balsa it did not perform well. I just felt like it didn't have he "cutting power" as the pastes. I would probably stay away from it. good luck!

[357fan]

I like to use Mother's Mag Polish loaded onto a paint stir stick. It takes an edge from sharp to "Oh my God, why do you have a knife that sharp???" sharp. I just load the paste on the stick, work it in well, let it dry for a minute or two and then strop at the proper angle for that knife.

I haven't tried it on S30v, but it works very well on 154CM, 1095, A2, 52100 and 3v. I use it on all my edges, V and convex alike. One small $4 can has lasted me for about 3 years, and I have barely made a dent in it. The trick it that this is only for the final polish, the knife must be sharp first.

[Ares1307]

Thats a pretty neat trick. Sounds great for the price. I just bought a piece of 1500 grit sandpaper today, just to try my hand at stropping for the first time. First I ran it through medium and fine on my Sharpmaker, then I stropped with the 1500 grit sandpaper... it came out pretty nice. Well the first time I dulled the edge a bit so I resharpened it and tried again and it came out good the second time. I figured it would work until I get the Ultra Fine rods for my Sharpmaker. Then Ill buy some better compounds and an actual strop. Im just trying to get the best possible outcome, with the least amount of money.

BTW I looked everywhere in my tiny town for Balsa and couldnt find anyone who carried it. I was thinking about ordering a couple of pieces, but is it better than leather? I know leather and sandpaper can convex your edge, I dont know how to sharpen a convex edge on my sharpmaker so I want to keep my bevels. I would imagine balsa being harder than leather would do this better than any alternative, or am I mistaken? I was even thinking of trying a normal paint stir stick, like 357fan suggested, but using Wicked Edge compounds. Would this work just as well as balsa?

Thank you all for your advice, and for sharing your wisdom with a newbie like me. I deeply appreciate it.

ARES

One more thing. On the Balsa, how thick, wide, and how long should it be? All my knives are recurved so should it be thin (width)? I was looking at site which the sizes vary from 1/32" to 1/2" thick, 1" to 4" wide, and 12" to 36" long. The length Ill cut down myself if needed, Im leaning towards the 36" so I can make multiple strops.. but the rest I need help on.

[Sharpski]

Personaly I like either leather or balsa probably balsa better for the reasons I've stated above. It is kind of hard to find actually. I have and the most luck at craft or hobby shops. I think you will be happy with either you order. Balsa is pretty cheap so you could probably swing trying both which I would suggest. Its really the only way to figure out what works for you you know?

As far as a convex edge or a conventional v edge or micro bevel ect I think it's more about technique than material. It's about the strokes and pressure and tilt of the blade. You want light pressure, straight even strokes and tilt that correlates with the angle you sharpened. Make sure you don't lift up and increase the angle at any time during your stroke or it will cause an covex edge. Too much pressure will do the same. See the idea of a good material is don't that will give and auto adjust some what for the angles of the blade. A really soft material with too much pressure will sink the blade deeper into the material and the it will kind of thin out as you go up the blade (a picture would help here sorry thats probably hard to fallow). Anyway the end result can be a "convex" edge. I like balsa bc it's easier to feel when your too deep or lifting up on the blade. Thats what I mean when I say it's more responsive. Don't get me wrong I like and use leather strops too!!

I'd maybe head to YouTube and check out some videos or respect knive guys/reviewers. There was a recent threat on who is your favorite YouTube knife reviewers I bet that would be a good source for who is actually worth listening to. (a lot of people that make videos don't know d*ck about what they are lecturing about! Anyway see someone do it may benefit your greatly.

As for width I use pieces that are maybe 2/16 thin and then maybe 3 inches wide and 7 inches long. I will post post a threat with pictures of my strop I made sometime in he near futures. But plenty of strops are a lot thinner in width

[Rapt_up]

Try a modelling or hobby store for balsa.

D'oh already suggested...

You can also buy it online, shipping should be cheap because its very light.

[capid1]

Another suggestion for recurves is get a balsa dowel. If you dont like the balsa with compound you can also glue some leather over the dowel and strop with that.

[Ares1307]

I think I may go ahead and order the Balsa and Wicked Edge Diamond Compounds. I found some that I think is perfect for my first time, its WE Diamond 1 & .5 micron compounds in syringes, 1ML each. That should be enough for a couple of tries right?

[Sharpski]

I think I may go ahead and order the Balsa and Wicked Edge Diamond Compounds. I found some that I think is perfect for my first time, its WE Diamond 1 & .5 micron compounds in syringes, 1ML each. That should be enough for a couple of tries right?

Oh for sure it's enough you really only need a thin bead of compound about and inch long to cover most strops. I am pretty sure the the WE compounds come with instructions. And that amount will last for a decent number of knives.

Ps I have been trying to find this thread for you and finally got a hold of it! It's a must read before you strop...And it has those pictures I was trying to describe.

Best of luck!, I still am going to post the pictures of my strop but girl took my good camera on a trip so it will have to wait but they are coming!