A Stropping question

I just attached 2 strips of leather to an old Buck 3-Sided Sharpening block.
My question is, how exactly do I finish up the blade with the leather?

Thanks in advance.
 
The way I have mine is a piece of leather, rough side up on a block of wood. This is impregnated with jewelers rouge.

Once I have finished my basic fine sharpening on my ceramics, then I go to the leather block. Here I draw the blade along the leather so that the rouge is working the edge away from the spine of the blade and at about a 45 degree angle. By this a mean that as the knife is drawn along the pad, it is also drawn across it.

Gives me a razor sharp edge that shaves with less pull than a new razor blade ( depending on the knife and the type of steel of course ).

Hope this helps.
 
Thanks, Big, but for some reason, I have a difficult time visualizing the procedure.
Do I drag the blade across the leather, placing the edge down, then pull the blade toward its spine? (The opposite of "pretending to slice a thin layer" from the leather.
Do I pull it like this?

<------(start here; "shave a thin strip" from the leather?)
[ ]

or

------->(Start here; pulling the edge across the leather,
[ ]

The "<" or ">" being the edge of the blade, and "[ ]" being the leather. Which direction do I want to go?
Man, I'm having the hardest time in trying to ask these questions without complicated the hell out of them!
Thanks again.
 
Hi, It's called burnishing. I wish I could Type with more than 2x fingers. jewellers use stitched, 3-6inch cloth or leather disc spinning @ about 2250 RPM. Mop is dressed with,..tripoli (aluminium oxide & grease ) then red rouge, then green rouge (chrome oxide) When lightly dressed & spinning...this strips off top layer of metal, to even out high points (make lower) as polish compounds get finer on different wheels, the surface of metal is melted , to floww into valleys. this results in a smooooth shiny finish.. person attemping this is considered SUICIDAL. -warning-if untrained ,do NOT try this @ home !!!!I only explain to understand theory. This is what stropping (burnishing ) metal Great jewellers of old rub metal with a smooth
gem -stone ,rubbing Furiously. To Cut to the heart of the matter,...Bevel of blade is laid on leather, to the Spine direction. this is effecting the burnish. other direction will slice into Leather. I hope somebody understands my ramble. cheers W
 
Anybody have a good source for strops and poloshing compounds?

thanks,
phantom4

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who dares, wins


 
Phantom,

Search Hand American Made on a search engine and you will find a company that sells top quality leather strops w/all the different powder grits. I have one and I love it!!
 
Fireprez,
You don't cut into the leather with the edge.
Stroke the opposite way you sharpen.
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For a more aggressive edge with microteeth serrations instead of stropping after sharpening get a kitchen steel (not sharpener) run the edge down like you are sharpening the blade to remove the wire edge, won't shave as well but boy will it cut meat, rope,etc, when dull just resteel.
Dave Ellis, ABS, Mastersmith http://www.mastersmith.com

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Thanks for the input, folks. I've used the leather, and it's improved the edge. Now I just have to find those compounds and I'll be set.
 
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