Horse butt

[KarlMaldensNose]

The "horse butt" leather that I posted about and ordered arrived yesterday. I mounted it on MDF and tried it out on my Umnumzaan's S30V blade, which was already popping and whittling hairs. It was also easily and smoothly push-cutting cigarette filters, which is a kooky but effective way I've found to test extreme sharpness.

After stropping on the bare leather, I found the edge would no longer push cut the filters or grab hair to whittle. Maybe too smooth? But a smooth edge is supposedly good for push cuts, right? Another possible explanation is that I rounded off the edge, as the leather is VERY smooth and firm, even hard, so my technique might be to blame if I wasn't holding the proper angle. Also of note is that the edge glides over this horsehide so easily that it almost feels like it's been oiled (but I'm not too sure how that's relevant).

I didn't like what was going on, so I decided to spray it with 1 micron diamond spray to try to get that crispy bite back on the edge... I planned on eventually loading it anyway, so no great loss... I also have some more horse butt hide coming in from here to play around with. Well, it didn't work--the edge felt the same as it did coming off the plain leather. I was pretty confused and skeptical because the diamonds should've fixed it... skeptical of my technique, not the materials. So I went back to my veg tanned cowhide leather strop loaded with the same diamond spray to get the edge back, which is what I used to achieve the edge in the first place. And it worked again. After a few minutes it was popping, whittling and push cutting.

Who knows?!? I figured the 1 micron spray on the horsehide would've "fixed" it for sure. I guess not. The only way I can explain this is that if the leather was firm enough to essentially make it a benchstone and thus intolerant of inexact angles, then the application of diamond spray would just serve to turn it into a diamond benchstone.

Has any of you ever experienced something like this? Any thoughts or advice on my issue?

One more leather question (if you can stand it). Hand American's bark tanned cowhide is 6-7 ounces and generally considered to be excellent for stropping on. Texas Knifemaker's Supply sells pieces of 6-7 and 8-9 ounces. Is 8-9 oz. too much for stropping? I mean, there's got to be a point at which more isn't necessarily better. Thanks.

 

[sodak]

Use a very, very, very light touch. It really does work, but you have to almost pass the blade over it, and think about stropping it, rather than pushing it into the leather... It takes practice, but it's worth it!

 

[chococrazy]

The "horse butt" leather that I posted about and ordered arrived yesterday. I mounted it on MDF and tried it out on my Umnumzaan's S30V blade, which was already popping and whittling hairs. It was also easily and smoothly push-cutting cigarette filters, which is a kooky but effective way I've found to test extreme sharpness.

After stropping on the bare leather, I found the edge would no longer push cut the filters or grab hair to whittle. Maybe too smooth? But a smooth edge is supposedly good for push cuts, right? Another possible explanation is that I rounded off the edge, as the leather is VERY smooth and firm, even hard, so my technique might be to blame if I wasn't holding the proper angle. Also of note is that the edge glides over this horsehide so easily that it almost feels like it's been oiled (but I'm not too sure how that's relevant).

I didn't like what was going on, so I decided to spray it with 1 micron diamond spray to try to get that crispy bite back on the edge... I planned on eventually loading it anyway, so no great loss... I also have some more horse butt hide coming in from here to play around with. Well, it didn't work--the edge felt the same as it did coming off the plain leather. I was pretty confused and skeptical because the diamonds should've fixed it... skeptical of my technique, not the materials. So I went back to my veg tanned cowhide leather strop loaded with the same diamond spray to get the edge back, which is what I used to achieve the edge in the first place. And it worked again. After a few minutes it was popping, whittling and push cutting.

Who knows?!? I figured the 1 micron spray on the horsehide would've "fixed" it for sure. I guess not. The only way I can explain this is that if the leather was firm enough to essentially make it a benchstone and thus intolerant of inexact angles, then the application of diamond spray would just serve to turn it into a diamond benchstone.

Has any of you ever experienced something like this? Any thoughts or advice on my issue?

One more leather question (if you can stand it). Hand American's bark tanned cowhide is 6-7 ounces and generally considered to be excellent for stropping on. Texas Knifemaker's Supply sells pieces of 6-7 and 8-9 ounces. Is 8-9 oz. too much for stropping? I mean, there's got to be a point at which more isn't necessarily better. Thanks.

Sound likes improper technique, and the fact that I've found horsehide works best with a little wear on it. I take some sandpaper (600 grit) and run it GENTLY across the soft side. It'll loosen it up a little bit making it not so mouth. It's not really oiled it's jsut the fact that horse leather is extremely dense. You should strop at a higher angle than normal leather as horsehide doesn't have as much give to it.