Any reason not to strop from heel to tip?

CrimsonTideShooter

CrimsonTideShooter

Joined
Oct 23, 2010
Messages
3,196
Most times when I see someone stropping a knife, they attack it tip first then the rest of the blade follows.

I am the exact opposite. I find it easier to attack heel first and trail the edge at the very end. You can fast forward near the end of the video below to see my technique.

Am I losing anything by doing it this way? Or is it virtually the same thing?


ETA: Just to save you some time, the stropping begins at 4:07.
[video=youtube;9ebrJPYKxwY]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9ebrJPYKxwY[/video]
 
Last edited:
I strop heal to tip, just like I sharpen on the Spyderco Sharpmaker. I'm not certain if there is any significant difference.
 
Whatever works for you.


You can also do heel to tip and back again making a zig sag on the strop, this will better the scratch pattern and move things along faster.
 
As long as you can maintain control of the knife, it really shouldn't matter which part you start with.

I strop starting from the heel and working towards the tip too.

I get great results for final edge polishing and maintenance this way.
 
I strop tip first and choil first...and on big knives I only strop about 3 inches of blade per stroke (sometimes). I find that the end of my stroke often suffers slightly because I lift the knife instead of running off the end of the strop (which is a good idea;)). Stropping both ways eliminates this problem.

Whatever works for you. I ain't rocket surgery:D...just get all the edge and get it the way you want it;)
 
I like tip to heel since the tip can sometimes be neglected. Since the angle of your wrist changes, I can see how the tip can be left out. That's the only reason why I do so.
 
I've used heel-to-tip, tip-to-heel, and a perpendicular motion (in sections of the blade). So long as you're own skill is sufficient to maintain control of angle, it's all good. I actually prefer the tip-to-heel stroke, if I know the tip needs just a little more TLC. I'll carefully position the tip on the strop, to get the angle just right (and make sure the tip isn't digging in), then slowly 'push' the tip away, working down the length of the edge, from the tip.
 
I can only maintain my angle heel to tip during sharpening, so stropping is the same to me .. Whatever works it is. Not feeling handicapped yet this way, but I still have a loooong way to go and learn :)
For example, my edges not always able to split hair :D
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top