How often do you "charge" your strop?

ncrockclimb

ncrockclimb

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So I have been trying unsuccessfully to sharpen a new knife for an hour or so. It is cpm154, so I thought that it was just extremely wear resistant steel or that I had lost my totally lost my touch for sharpening.

Well, I finally got really frustrated and decided to recharge my strop and try it one more time. After recharging the strop I could feel the difference immediately. Also, the knife got shaving sharp in 5 minutes.

So, how often do you recharge your strop? I will be doing more often from here on out.
 
I use mine allot so about once a month or whenever it gets really loaded with steel.
 
Not often, but I find honing a blade on ceramic before I strop to help it along. 5 minutes of stropping seems like alot. I usually don't do more than 30 to 60 passes but it is more for upkeep and not sharpening.
 
Honestly...I charge every time I strop! Haha. I can especially see my green compound getting darker after one session (I usually do about 20 passes per side). Also, even with charging that often I've been on the same blocks of black and green compound for 3 years!
 
ncrockclimb said:
So I have been trying unsuccessfully to sharpen a new knife for an hour or so. It is cpm154, so I thought that it was just extremely wear resistant steel or that I had lost my totally lost my touch for sharpening.

Well, I finally got really frustrated and decided to recharge my strop and try it one more time. After recharging the strop I could feel the difference immediately. Also, the knife got shaving sharp in 5 minutes.

So, how often do you recharge your strop? I will be doing more often from here on out.
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Depends on how often and how the strop is used. If only using it for a handful of passes on a well honed edge you can go a long time between recharges. If you use it a bit more aggressively then it will need to be cleaned and recharged far more often. Once it turns black you have a lot of steel sitting on top of the compound hindering it, just as with a waterstone or any other sharpening media. It doesn't seem to work as well applied over itself as it does on that clean surface.

Will still work, but like you I noticed a large improvement on a freshly cleaned and reloaded strop. Shortly after that I drifted away from leather for abrasive stropping and just use paper - much easier to come up with a fresh surface.
 
I rarely ever do more then a handful of swipes per side so I only have to clean them and reapply compound a few times a year.
 
So... I did an experiment today. I offered to sharpen a 3 of my father-in-law's (aka Grumpy) knives. All three were Bucks with 420 steel. They were all more or less equally dull, and I used my typical two strop system with black and white Stropman compound.

For the first two knives, I used the stops without adding any new compound. I had sharpened a total of four knives before I started on Grumpy's knives. The first knife was not slow, but not as fast as the first knife I sharpened immediately after loading my strops. The second knife took more time than the first. Before sharpening the last knife, I loaded the strop. I did not use a stopwatch, but I would estimate that it took me about 1/2 the time of the first knife to get the last knife sharp. It was noticeably easier, and the edge I was able to obtain was significantly sharper.

I am a relative noob to sharpening, having only gotten serious about sharpening my own knives over the last year or so. I admit that I have A LOT to learn and I am not an expert. However, my experience is leading my to believe that rubbing compound over my stop for a few seconds before every knife will make the strop more effective. YMMV, and I don't want to contradict those more experience who are getting great results without frequently adding compound.
 
Let the loading up of it be the guide. If it isn't completely darkened it likely still has good life in it. Once it gets dark the swarf is impeding the abrasive to some extent.

You might do one more experiment where you compare reapplied compound to a dirty strop, and then to a cleaned and reapplied strop.
 
It does depend on how often the strop is used. I pay attention to how effective it is. As mentioned earlier, you can see the green turning black and it will feel smooth and almost polished or glazed. When this happens its time to apply additional compound or "clean" the strop then re-apply the compound. To clean your leather strop, use 100 grit sand paper and a wood sanding block. Remove the compound till the leather surface is exposed. You can then re-apply the compound. As mentioned earlier, fresh compound will help you get the job done more quickly and ultimately achieve a sharper edge.
 
KnivesShipFree said:
It does depend on how often the strop is used. I pay attention to how effective it is. As mentioned earlier, you can see the green turning black and it will feel smooth and almost polished or glazed. When this happens its time to apply additional compound or "clean" the strop then re-apply the compound. To clean your leather strop, use 100 grit sand paper and a wood sanding block. Remove the compound till the leather surface is exposed. You can then re-apply the compound. As mentioned earlier, fresh compound will help you get the job done more quickly and ultimately achieve a sharper edge.
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Just wanted to add a few tips Ben
A small dab of oil cleans the swarf off the compound without the need to sand it down.

Also a dab of vasaline help the compound rub in more event on the strop without caking.
 
HeavyHanded said:
Let the loading up of it be the guide. If it isn't completely darkened it likely still has good life in it. Once it gets dark the swarf is impeding the abrasive to some extent.

You might do one more experiment where you compare reapplied compound to a dirty strop, and then to a cleaned and reapplied strop.
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You make a VERY good point about letting the darkness guide you on whether or not to add compound.
 
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OK, I saw the add for "Strop Oil" but I didn't get any. Long ago a very old and very smart and very experienced man told me that if I used lubricating oil when drilling I would actually dull the drill and frustrate my efforts. I am pretty sure he was not capable of explaining that and i didn't ask. To the point, I "dressed" my strop with cutting oil. The Green rouge went on much easier and spread around. I think the rouge sticks are for buffing wheels, actually, as it is very difficult to get it on the strop. Sure went on easier after I oiled it though.

QUESTION to DEADBOXHERO..... how do you use oil to clean a strop and what oil do you use? Thank you for the help.
 
johned said:
OK, I saw the add for "Strop Oil" but I didn't get any. Long ago a very old and very smart and very experienced man told me that if I used lubricating oil when drilling I would actually dull the drill and frustrate my efforts. I am pretty sure he was not capable of explaining that and i didn't ask. To the point, I "dressed" my strop with cutting oil. The Green rouge went on much easier and spread around. I think the rouge sticks are for buffing wheels, actually, as it is very difficult to get it on the strop. Sure went on easier after I oiled it though.

QUESTION to DEADBOXHERO..... how do you use oil to clean a strop and what oil do you use? Thank you for the help.
Click to expand...
I also use oil to clean a strop, I put a lil bit mineral oil on a cloth and wipe it around the strop until all the black is gone. I'll then let it dry overnight or dry it with a heat gun and load it back up with fresh compound.
 
when it gets visibly loaded with metal. Varies in time depending on the knife I am sharpening. My scandi grind knives have a lot of surface area and load a strop up really quickly.
 
johned said:
OK, I saw the add for "Strop Oil" but I didn't get any. Long ago a very old and very smart and very experienced man told me that if I used lubricating oil when drilling I would actually dull the drill and frustrate my efforts. I am pretty sure he was not capable of explaining that and i didn't ask. To the point, I "dressed" my strop with cutting oil. The Green rouge went on much easier and spread around. I think the rouge sticks are for buffing wheels, actually, as it is very difficult to get it on the strop. Sure went on easier after I oiled it though.

QUESTION to DEADBOXHERO..... how do you use oil to clean a strop and what oil do you use? Thank you for the help.
Click to expand...

Strop specific oil sounds like a con

I've used mineral oil and blue lubricant.

But for whatever reason, olive oil works best.

I rub in a "dime" size dap on my 10in strop(not to much, less is best)then I swirl it with my finger tips into the strop until dry and clean.

I then use a Terry cloth to wipe up any mess.

What's left is a fresh, loaded strop without needing to apply more compounds.

Bobby3326

Id be worried about damaging the leather with the heat gun.
But whatever works brother.
 
DeadboxHero said:
Strop specific oil sounds like a con

I've used mineral oil and blue lubricant.

But for whatever reason, olive oil works best.

I rub in a "dime" size dap on my 10in strop(not to much, less is best)then I swirl it with my finger tips into the strop until dry and clean.

I then use a Terry cloth to wipe up any mess.

What's left is a fresh, loaded strop without needing to apply more compounds.

Bobby3326

Id be worried about damaging the leather with the heat gun.
But whatever works brother.
Click to expand...
No works great for applying compounds. You obviously don't hold it on there, but a second or 2 on low heats it just enough to melt the compound and smear it easily. Been doing this forever now and hasn't had any ill effect on the leather.
 
I have stopped with oily compound plenty of times, seems to work just fine. I used to rub boot grease into the charged strop and go to town
 
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