Air Bleeder?

S

SNAFU

Joined
Nov 27, 2005
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I'm looking at potentially getting one of the Air Bleeder Strops but had a few questions. Please help out if you can. Thanks.

1. How long does each side maintain its sharpening capability?
2. How does it do this?
3. Do you add something like a compound to each side and if so is one side different from the other?
4. Can the strop be used on blades w/Asymmetric grinds?
5. Will the leather have to be changed out?

As you can see from the questions, I know nothing.

I've read posts that the strop is highly recommended but just wanted more info.
 
1. I seem to remember someone said "years".

2. The strop does not remove metal but rather straightens and polishes it. Also, you pull the knife toward you when you strop so you do not bite into the leather, as opposed to a stone. The leather is not worn down like a stone but can be damaged from accidents.

3. Cromium Oxide (CrO) is added to the strop to increase efficiency. It is a green solid or paste.

4. I guess so. I would guess you leave the strop loose for the convex side and taught for the V side.

5. I doubt it. I have seen hundred plus year old strops that look like hell but still put an edge on a knife that is suitable for shaving one's face.

I don't have an Air Bleeder but I have strop I made one from a $3 piece of leather and a piece of ply wood that helps a lot when you want that "extra" sharp goodness.
 
Thanks Peter, appreciate the response. I might be getting one, but I seem to be spending more on knives than accessories for knives.
 
Hope you have better luck at it than me bro. I just couldn't the hang of the dang thing. Thank god for my Edge Pro! The only way I've been able to keep the convex edge on my Steel Heart and BA sharp is using a smooth steel rod. Got it at handamerican.com Great place to spend some dough on stuff to keep em sharp!
 
Thanks guys. I figure I should eventually get something to keep my knives sharp. But hey, there Busses, next best thing to have a light saber. Thanks for the link. :thumbup:
 
Do the mounted strops have enough give for convex edges? or do you roll the knife as you draw to maintain the convex? or.....:eek: , uh, help?
 
I don't own an air bleeder, but I just tried a strop for the first time, and was very impressed. I just picked up a strop and some green CrO dope from the lee Valley web site. In 2 min. I was able to use their strop to polish my EDC to hair-popping sharp. I had worked on the same knife with many stones and had never been able to get to this level of sharp. Needless to say I am now a strop fan, and will add a final stropping as the last step for all my use knives.
 
To polish steel you remove metal, the pastes are in general just really fine and remove only slight amounts. Strops lasts a long time, I don't know if you could actually wear one out. You can clean and reload them, so unless you cut the strop to pieces it should outlast the user.

-Cliff
 
Thanks Cliff! :thumbup:

Can you provide info on what you use to keep your knives sharp?
 
Right now I am using a $1 hone coarse/fine I bought at a hardware store and a hard black arkansas which I found sitting unused in a basement, about to be thrown out. In general, while there are differences among abrasives, method makes much more of a difference. If you poke around ebay and second hand stores you can find really nice hones which just need a lapping.

For someone starting out I would recommend some sort of a jig system so you can understand sharpness and how it effects performance as once you know what sharp actually means it gets easier to learn how to do it freehand, plus it takes one of the elements out of the equation so that isn't a concern when it starts to get difficult.

I have a wide variety of hones, 200 silicon carbide gets used a lot, 800 and 1000 and 4000 aluminum oxide waterstones, a very fine natural chinese waterstone, a coarse/fine hocky puck stone (also very cheap), and a half a dozen DMT diamond plates and rods, and some chromium/aluminum oxide buffing compound and micro level paper abrasives.

-Cliff
 
Thanks again Cliff, I defintely need to learn more about sharpening. On to the research and practice now...
 
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