edge maintenance (not resharpening)

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Sep 19, 2001
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Do you smooth steels, ceramic sticks, leather strops, cardboard, etc.? I used to have a 1200 grit creamic stick that worked really well. I was wondering if steels will do as well with the increasing hardness of blade materials, or if investing in a hand american setup would be worthwhile.
 
Just got a smooth steel and a beautiful 15" leather hone from handamerican. VERY satisfied. Great to deal with.

I seem to do more harm than good with ceramic "steels" (at least right now) but I use my edgepro and leather hones and strops very effectively.

My new smooth steel works very well at restoring an edge. (Just follow the instructions at handamerican).

I'm thinking of getting a hone set and loading it with: 320, 600, 800, and 1200 silicon carbide. One hone loaded with very hard chromium oxide to finish. Use them as an alternative to touch-ups with the edge pro. I'll use the smooth steel or natural strop to maintain the edge. That's the plan, anyway.
 
I've never tried a steel, but I can attest to the quality of Handamerican strops. It's a really nice strop for around $20. carved out of corian, it really feels solid. I'd never used a strop before, but I followed the directions on their site, and got great results. I'm totally sold on freehand sharpening and this strop really adds the final touch on those knives that I want a super polished edge on.
 
I use both steels and strops. A steel will only realign an existing edge. F. Dick makes the best in my opinion their very fine is excellent, also a butchers packing steel is excellent a smooth rod with no cuts. I first use the steels to realign the edge then strop to get rid of the micro fine serrations. Scary Sharp LOL Chefpaul:)
 
I sometimes use a Hand American strop loaded with chromium oxide (depending if I am after a polished edge)as part of the initial sharpening. For day to day maintanence I strop on my jeans, and will occasionally use a smooth steel to realign the edge.
For heavy duty realigning with just a hint of sharpening I might give a knife a couple of very light passes on the Spyderco Sharpmaker with the extra fine hones.
 
Steels are great for touching-up edges.

I have steels from Boker and Henckels and a pocket steel from Victorinox, The boker is a bit rougher than the Henckels, the Vic is fine and very portable, years ago I bought an ice-pick-like tool design for leather work (sorry don´t know the name in English) and I use it as a smooth steel, it works OK, in a pinch I´ll use the spine of another knife.

I have a ceramic steel that does a bit more than just realign the edge, I don´t use it much because I have a good set of hones from very coarse to extra fine.

For stropping I have an old Dubl Duck barber strop, I often use an old belt, my jeans (all worn out and patched on the thighs above the knees), cardboard, folded newspaper, or paper wrapped around a steel or around a hone, whatever is available when I need it.
 
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