Field expedient stropping

J

Jamesh Bond

Joined
Jan 14, 2007
Messages
1,760
What strange things have you used? Brasso? Toothpaste? Chalk? Clay on a piece of bark?

How well did it work?


Been wondering what kind of alternatives to polishing compounds and leather might be fun to try.

Thx.
 
I have used ash from a hardwood camp fire smeared on a piece of flat wood and a piece of birch bark. It worked pretty well. Would probably not work as well on higher RC steel, or stainless. This was with a carbon steel machete.
 
With all but the simplest of steels (1095, CV, 420HC), I've usually been disappointed with stropping attempts using materials not created for abrading hardened steel. The abrasive in Brasso is silica-based, and it's effect on hardened steel is negligible. I've NEVER seen toothpaste do any good on any knife steel (won't remove any metal at all; a bare leather strop works just as well). Barring the availability of AlOx compounds, SiC grit or diamond paste, I usually rely on touching up only on a diamond pocket hone (for 'field' use), and then just clean up any burrs on the inside face of my leather belt, which has some green compound applied. I've gotten to a place with my honing skills, I seldom feel the need for a strop if it's not actually within arm's reach. I can get by without it, if need be. I do have a favorite denim strop at home, and use it with some white rouge; it can do nice things for an edge, when it's conveniently at hand.

I did get lucky once, in finding a nice piece of natural sand/siltstone while on a walk one day. Very fine grit; the stone worked very well as a waterstone, in rebevelling a 420HC blade (Case) and leaving a nice toothy edge on it. I also used some of the 'mud' from the stone on a cheap bare leather strop, to clean up the burrs. That was a very satisfying experience, in finding something literally picked from the ground that functioned well in the full task of sharpening a blade to full edge restoration.


David
 
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Nice. Right there with ya. Not much point in stropping if you hone right. Ill use my jeans, or cardboard or leather if its right there. It seems to help a bit, but that could be OCD talking.

I like testing out weird stuff to sharpen on. Its fun and nice to know im set no matter what.

Any idea what kind of rock you found?
 
Jamesh Bond said:
Nice. Right there with ya. Not much point in stropping if you hone right. Ill use my jeans, or cardboard or leather if its right there. It seems to help a bit, but that could be OCD talking.

I like testing out weird stuff to sharpen on. Its fun and nice to know im set no matter what.

Any idea what kind of rock you found?
Click to expand...

It appeared to be a piece of red southwestern sandstone, at first glance; but, I noticed it's grain was much finer than many other examples of sandstone I see here in NM (red sandstone is all over the place here). It produced a very fine mud when wetted, and also broke down very quickly as such, like a very soft waterstone. Feedback felt great when honing on it. The piece was only about the size of the palm of my hand (and I used it in-hand), so it became even smaller/thinner as I used it, unfortunately. I'd love to find a much bigger piece, but haven't yet. The neighborhood has some decorative slabs of sandstone set up as markers/signs/etc., and it may've been a chip off of one of those. If so, it might not even be a local material, but trucked in from who-knows-where.

I'm also always on the lookout for such items, and there's a lot to be learned in experimenting with such things. :)


David
 
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