Jeff Clark said:
I haven't seen a dull Spyderco factory edge, but yours seems to be one of the best. Be careful if you strop thay edge, you might make it duller. Only strop at a very low angle and using very light pressure; otherwise there is a risk of slightly rounding the edge.
Here is an excerpt from the D&R Sharpening Website (
www.drsharpening.com)on how to properly use a strop. I was doing it all wrong and since switching to Dave's techniques, got noticeably improved results.
Steps to success:
1. Laying the knife down (properly) - Begin by laying the knife down onto the hone by allowing only it's spine to come in contact with the leather's surface then slowly roll the blade down onto it's side. Doing this step correctly, each and everytime, will ensure that the edge doesn't cut into the leather and also from dulling your efforts.
2. Use an "edge trailing" motion - This should go without saying but someone always seems to do it so I'm mentioning it here. Don't push the knife into the leather! Draw the knife towards yourself using an edge trailing motion. You do not want to push the knife into the leather because you will cut into it.
3. Finding the correct angle - To find the correct angle lift the spine of the knife up until the edge just begins to bite, not cut, into the leather. This is the angle you want to "strop" at. You have found the extreme edge and this is the part of the edge that should be honed.
3. Use little to no pressure - So many people press down while "stropping" trying to improve the quailty of their results and/or speed up the process. Neither will occur if you do this yourself. In fact, you will most likely experience poor results due to edge rounding. Even the slightest bit of force can cause an edge to round over as the leather will curl up and around the edge thus changing the angle of the edge itself. This is an undesireable effect and should be avoided. You should only use the weight of the knife - that's it. Let the leather, the chromium oxide, and repetition do the work for you.
4. At the end of the stroke - STOP - Keep still and lift the knife off of the hone while keeping the same angle as used while honing. The purpose for doing this to ensure that you go slow and do not roll the edge at the end of the stroke. If you lift the blade off the leather at the end of the stroke, without stopping first, I will guarantee that you will round the edge over and destroy all your efforts.
5. Slow Down & Take Your Time - This is very important as the edge that you make with the leather hone is the edge that you will be using to cut with. Any extra time you may spend honing your edge will later be rewarded through pleasurable knife using experiences.
*Tip - A leather hone is also a great tool for removing residual wire burrs remaining from any previous sharpening. To remove a wire burr, using a leather hone, use the same techniques as described above except raise the angle just above the point where the edge bites into the leather. Using no pressure, draw the knife across the leather at this angle several times in both directions (both sides) until the wire burr begins to split away from the edge. This may take a few passes on both sides of the knife but will remove most burrs quicker than any other method. Besides, the resulting edge will be both polished and sharp when you're done.
Please see these links for further information on HandAmerican leather hones:
"The Secret of Leather Honing" by HandAmerican
"Applying Liquid Chromium Oxide/Cleaning Honing Leather" by HandAmerican
*Note - I have no business affiliations with HandAmerican, it's products, or employees. I'm offering this information to those people who would be interested in trying a quality leather hone to aid in maintaining sharp edges on their knives and tools. HandAmerican is my personal choice for leather hones, chromium oxide, and glass smooth steels and I wish to share my knowledge of their products with others. The opinions expressed here are mine and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of HandAmerican. - Dave Martell
