Anybody strop their knives?

[Makael]

I can sharpen a knife but I’m not exactly proficient. Until I started stropping all my blades. So easy and absolutely gives a blade a razor edge like no other. Not a Buck but was what I was working on.

 

[The Zieg]

I can sharpen a knife but I’m not exactly proficient. Until I started stropping all my blades. So easy and absolutely gives a blade a razor edge like no other. Not a Buck but was what I was working on.

I strop every knife I carry at the end of the day.

Zieg

 

[Makael]

I read in one of the blade magazines that under normal use a person would only need to truly sharpen a knife a couple times a year if stropped regularly. I’ll try it.

 

[jbmonkey]

I should more often. I used to use cardboard and do often at work. it works okay enough.

nowadays I tend to touch up on a sharpmaker ceramic instead. few passes all it needs. so I guess kinda stropping but on ceramic.

 

[Makael]

So I will send out leather envelope sizes to the first 10 people who could use one. Glue to a board and a smaller strop should work fine. Then let us know if a sharpened blade gets sharper.
1. JB Monkey
2. Bucklife301
3. Turbosquirrel
4. Ole Joe clark
5. Gedlicks
6. Bigfattyt
7. GilbertG
8.
9.
10.

 

[bucklife301]

Thanks, I would want one but I rather have a black sheath

 

[turbosquirrel]

I'm in Mike!

 

[GPyro]

Since I've started stropping my edc s30v 112, I hardly ever need to sharpen it.
I purchased one of those long leather strops with a hook on one end.
It's easier than sharpening the knife, and keeps a nice edge.
I should probably do it more often tho...

I've also have some stropping compound, but I cannot seem to figure that out.
Do you coat the strop before use? The stuff I have just sorta crumbles, Maybe if I heat it up.

I guess this compound I have is to old. I could throw it at someone and hurt them.
But stropping without it works well enough I've never done anything about it.

Good topic Mike.
Great offer for folks that don't have a strop!

 

[Ole Joe Clark]

Sure, I strop mine. I keep one by my favorite chair in the music/man cave room. I stropped the Buck I carry last night, didn't take much.

I can always use another piece of leather.

Have a blessed day,

Leon

 

[bikerector]

I strop and have really good experiences with the softer, low carbide steels. Things like D2 and S30V don't strop well for me at all and the basic compound I use. I suppose it's akin to trying to sharpen with a basic stone instead of a diamond stone, just takes more time and I'm too lazy.

Often, I can get a really nice edge with the stone or buck edgetek diamond rod but the strop more consistently gets that last little bit of sharpness for me. Also, it seems that once I have my own edge on the knife, past the factory edge, which tends to be a little thinner, they strop up nice. Thin edges strop really well for me.

One thing I can't strop is coated blades, like what Esee, Becker, and Busse knives have. The compound seems to get peeled off of the strop right at the clean steel and coating interface and it pulls on the strop hard and is just not a good experience for me.

I've also have some stropping compound, but I cannot seem to figure that out.
Do you coat the strop before use? The stuff I have just sorta crumbles, Maybe if I heat it up.

Stropman (since passed) stated that you could just rub it on and don't worry about the crumbling. A few passes with the knife will push it into the leather and push the excess to the edges. You can warm it up too though, and that was a technique mentioned as the compound is roughly an abrasive in a wax of some type I think.

Some of the guys that have good results stropping the high carbide stuff use the spray diamond compound I think, but I've never tried it myself. I like toothy edges on the high carbide stuff anyway and because they're so hard, stropping with a stone has worked well, or do a pass or two with the ceramic rods to hone the edge a little.

 

[David Martin]

GYRO, use a carrier agent to get your rouge to work into the leather.
I avoid stropping my knife except maybe a little on hardwood. As it refines the blade taking away a aggressive, biting edge. It doesn't take much to do it. I carry a SiC stone and touch it up on that with edge trailing passes.
My shaving razor I do strop. But that's for a specialized edge. Thank's for this offer. DM

 

[Lesknife]

Yes I strop sometimes regularly at home but at work I have a honesteel if needed. I bought a couple strops about two years ago and they are pretty nice. They are 18 inches over all with a 4 inch handle and a ring at the other end to hook on something. The leather stroping area is a little over 12 inches and 2 inch wide. It works great with one side smoothish and a roughout side. I should make better use of them lol

 

[Makael]

Thanks, I would want one but I rather have a black sheath

I'll send both

 

[gedlicks]

I do not strop my knife but will give it a try so I am in. Thanks Mike.

 

[Bigfattyt]

I started stopping about 2005.

Made my own ghetto strop bat. I keep meaning to make a new one. Over the years I've cut up and ruined all but one side of the strop bat by nicking it (mostly large knives heavy knives when going too fast).

The leather I used was not ideal.

I would happily take a leather piece to make a new strop.

 

[Badhammer]

I only use a strop for blades with a convex edge. Perhaps I should try it on my EDC blades. I’ve always just used my Sharpmaker with the UF rods for routine touch ups.

 

[Makael]

You can tell when your running flat on the strop. Resistance reduced 50% vs angled too high or too low.

 

[The Zieg]

So I will send out leather envelope sizes to the first 10 people who could use one. Glue to a board and a smaller strop should work fine. Then let us know if a sharpened blade gets sharper.
1. JB Monkey
2. Bucklife301
3. Turbosquirrel
4. Ole Joe clark
5. Gedlicks
6. Bigfattyt
7.

This is a generous offer, folks! I have plenty of leather and a strop I already use, so I won't take any myself. My strop is a 2x3 garden stake with leather glued with spray-adhesive to both sides and permeated with red and white jeweler's rouge on opposite sides. Folks new to stropping should know that the white rouge is more abrasive and therefore takes off more steel, turning black over time. The red stays mostly red, getting a bit deeper maroon.

I also strop my kitchen knives pretty regularly.

Zieg

 

[Lesknife]

You can tell when your running flat on the strop. Resistance reduced 50% vs angled too high or too low.

Yes I’ve seen people strop at a high angle and they’re just rounding the fine edge off. I try to stay at the same angle as the edge has been sharpened. Strops are good for getting the tiny burrs off or a wire edge hanging on. And on my work knife I’d rather have a micro toothy edge rather than a polished edge anyway.

 

[blanex1]

I use a sharp maker, but ill admit I would be lost without my stop! as it keeps my blades finely honed without going to the stones.