A sharpening/stropping question

[gixxer]

I am really struggling to sharpen my knives. So, I use my disc pretty much up to 1000, I have homemade angle guides to keep the angle consistent throughout. I had decided to try stropping after 1000. I cut a 9" piece of leather and mounted it to the disc, smooth side out. My question is, would I continue to use the angle guides and a light touch or use less of an angle cause the leather compresses? When I say less, I mean the guides are cut to 25deg, but would I strop at say... 20? You get the idea. I did not try a leather strap cause I was trying to strop a skinner, and it has a lot of belly. I was trying to keep it as foolproof as possible.

 

[AcridSaint]

I don't use grit anywhere near 1000 for sharpening. 240 grit belt then a stiff buff is what I use. Never used leather on a disc before, if I use it, I just take a piece loaded with green rouge and use it like a stone.

 

[TekSec]

220, 400, 3M 9 micron loaded with green buffing compound belts. I use an eyeball estimate of 25 degrees. I hold the blade edge down at 45 degrees then roll the spine to about 1/2 that distance, then put it to the belt using a ricasso to tip drag. As you round the belly, start drawing the tang upwards, still dragging across the belt until you get to the tip. I use the slack section of the belt and try to keep the line as close to the middle of the belt as possible. Move fairly quickly and smoothly. Count your stokes (I do 3 and 3) per side to keep it even. After the 3M 9 micron I run it on a sewn buff with white compound holding the blade at about 30 to 40 degrees to the wheel making one pass on one side, check for the wire edge, give another quick swipe on the other side and you're done. If you find you have a dead spot, hold the knife edge up under a bright light with an optivisor on. Anywhere you see light reflecting on the edge is where you need to touch up. I do this at each stage of belt before hitting the buffer.

 

[kenhills]

I sharpen to 6000 grit on waters stones then strop with cerium oxide on leather. Not only do you get a mirror edge but it is very sharp. To my best knowledge stropping will not change the sharpening angle but I have always tried to keep the same angle when I do strop the blade. For what it is worth I do not use a guide just by eye and feel on flat table top stones. I would think that the heat generated by stropping the edge on may spinning disk may damage the edge of the blade. Practice practice practice