I can't stop stropping it!

[vaguy]

I have a couple of favorite knives (PM2 in S30V and BK16 in 1095) and each time I think they are sharp enough, I go back to the strop and they get sharper and sharper. Not a bad thing, eh.

Just wondering how long most people typically spend stropping a knife that already has a fine finish from a stone? A few seconds, a couple of minutes, you can never strop it enough?

Thanks!

-vaguy

 

[EyeDog]

Until it smoothly shaves hair on my arm.

 

[vorpalblade]

I don't strop at all. Using a fine stone, I just exert lighter and lighter pressure for a few strokes on each side of the blade until there's no burr.

 

[Larsje100]

I use 3 strops all with different diamond paste. I spend like a few minutes on each strop. I'm not stropping for hours. But I like doing it though.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Stropping shouldn't need more than 10-20 strokes to do all that needs to be done. If it takes longer, and especially if it takes much, much longer, that's an indication more refining should be done on the stones, before going to the strop. If that's taken care of, it's possible all that needs done on the strop could be done in no more than 5 passes or so.

For what it's worth, I do spend more time stropping my blades, out of habit (it's a relaxing habit ). There's always that urge to see if it CAN get a little sharper. But, if I've done everything right, I'll see the best improvement in the first few strokes, after which any more stropping will just tend to plateau and not make much change. Beyond that, I strop mainly just to keep my hands tuned up to the feel of it all.


David

 

[vaguy]

Good answers all, I appreciate it.

Yes it is a relaxing habit and the more I practice the better I get, to a point of course.....I mean I'm getting better.

I guess I just need more "favorite knives" so that I can strop more. Yeah that's it!

-vaguy

 

[stitchawl]

Stropping shouldn't need more than 10-20 strokes to do all that needs to be done. If it takes longer, and especially if it takes much, much longer, that's an indication more refining should be done on the stones, before going to the strop. If that's taken care of, it's possible all that needs done on the strop could be done in no more than 5 passes or so.

For what it's worth, I do spend more time stropping my blades, out of habit (it's a relaxing habit ). There's always that urge to see if it CAN get a little sharper. But, if I've done everything right, I'll see the best improvement in the first few strokes, after which any more stropping will just tend to plateau and not make much change. Beyond that, I strop mainly just to keep my hands tuned up to the feel of it all.


David

+1 :thumbup:

Stitchawl

 

[Kai Winters]

I agree...it's a relaxing habit...I'll strop a knife for several minutes while watching TV even though the knife already shaves arm hair with a light smooth motion...maybe the edge is a bit more polished...doesn't really matter...I just enjoy it.

 

[REK Knives]

Stropping shouldn't need more than 10-20 strokes to do all that needs to be done. If it takes longer, and especially if it takes much, much longer, that's an indication more refining should be done on the stones, before going to the strop. If that's taken care of, it's possible all that needs done on the strop could be done in no more than 5 passes or so.

This. The main two problems I have w/ stropping (and yes i use one sometimes lol) are that 1. it removes the micro-serrations (aka "teeth" ) left by the stones, thereby destroying any "bite" you use to have. and 2. as you bend the metal at the apex back and forth it makes it weaker and stresses that apex so that you have lower edge retention.

but i agree it is fun to do! really old school for sure

 

[ricklee4570]

This. The main two problems I have w/ stropping (and yes i use one sometimes lol) are that 1. it removes the micro-serrations (aka "teeth" ) left by the stones, thereby destroying any "bite" you use to have. and 2. as you bend the metal at the apex back and forth it makes it weaker and stresses that apex so that you have lower edge retention.

but i agree it is fun to do! really old school for sure

Interesting analysis. I have heard others say that you cant over strop, as the micro serrations (aka "teeth") will break off the first time you use the knife anyway.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

This. The main two problems I have w/ stropping (and yes i use one sometimes lol) are that 1. it removes the micro-serrations (aka "teeth" ) left by the stones, thereby destroying any "bite" you use to have. and 2. as you bend the metal at the apex back and forth it makes it weaker and stresses that apex so that you have lower edge retention.

but i agree it is fun to do! really old school for sure

The 'qualification' I'd add to this, for my own stropping habits anyway, is that I strop with some very aggressive AlOx compounds on hard-backed denim or linen. Reason I do so, is because it's not near as bad about erasing the micro-serrations/teeth on edges that still look pretty polished after stropping. The compounds I've chosen to use (Ryobi white rouge and Sears' #2 grey AlOx) seem to add some significant bite of their own, even in knowing they remove metal very quickly; blades I've maintained with them haven't needed frequent touch-ups on stones to restore or maintain some 'bite' in the edge. One of my favorite combinations is to first sharpen on ~320 grit SiC or similar (stone or wet/dry paper), then maintain it on my AlOx & denim strop. Done as such, the edge retains some 'bite' for a long time, even as that original 320-grit edge becomes more refined and polished with more stropping. The 320-grit teeth become finer, but they're still teeth, and continue to work aggressively.

For most 'conventional' stropping though (such as typical strops with leather and black or green compounds), I have noticed it's very easy to take all the bite off an edge pretty fast, if not careful. I have some black emery compound that's real bad about that, when used on leather in particular; it'll over-polish an edge very fast.


David

 

[HeavyHanded]

Carefully managed, one can put some teeth back into an edge using a strop instead of eroding them away. It starts to get away from the traditional definition of compound on leather, a combination I seldom use anymore for this very reason.

 

[REK Knives]

The 'qualification' I'd add to this, for my own stropping habits anyway, is that I strop with some very aggressive AlOx compounds on hard-backed denim or linen. Reason I do so, is because it's not near as bad about erasing the micro-serrations/teeth on edges that still look pretty polished after stropping. The compounds I've chosen to use (Ryobi white rouge and Sears' #2 grey AlOx) seem to add some significant bite of their own, even in knowing they remove metal very quickly; blades I've maintained with them haven't needed frequent touch-ups on stones to restore or maintain some 'bite' in the edge. One of my favorite combinations is to first sharpen on ~320 grit SiC or similar (stone or wet/dry paper), then maintain it on my AlOx & denim strop. Done as such, the edge retains some 'bite' for a long time, even as that original 320-grit edge becomes more refined and polished with more stropping. The 320-grit teeth become finer, but they're still teeth, and continue to work aggressively.

For most 'conventional' stropping though (such as typical strops with leather and black or green compounds), I have noticed it's very easy to take all the bite off an edge pretty fast, if not careful. I have some black emery compound that's real bad about that, when used on leather in particular; it'll over-polish an edge very fast.


David

Carefully managed, one can put some teeth back into an edge using a strop instead of eroding them away. It starts to get away from the traditional definition of compound on leather, a combination I seldom use anymore for this very reason.

Great points guys. Unfortunately, as far as maintenance goes, I only have experience w/ leather + compound so that led to my answer above which appears to be reasonable. I will def. have to keep your points in mind though. HH how do you put teeth back into an edge using a strop?

I still stand by my point about making the edge weaker over time though, as that metal bends back and forth and gets fatigued.

 

[HeavyHanded]

Great points guys. Unfortunately, as far as maintenance goes, I only have experience w/ leather + compound so that led to my answer above which appears to be reasonable. I will def. have to keep your points in mind though. HH how do you put teeth back into an edge using a strop?

I still stand by my point about making the edge weaker over time though, as that metal bends back and forth and gets fatigued.

You'd have to use something with a much harder backing, making it perform closer to a hone than a traditional strop, with the trailing edge being the common aspect. One can use larger grit, but it doesn't quite react the same - if you apply enough force to really get some bite, the edge will round as the leather expands back to its original volume. Using slurries on a hardwood lapping board is another way, also applying the compound to something like balsa. Backhoning on a softer waterstone falls into this category somewhat.

One can also apply the compound to paper or other very thin material and wrap it around the coarse side of a combination stone - allows the paper to sink into the low spots on the stone and you have considerably less rebound rounding. Lets one use greater amounts of force than would be possible on leather. The high points on the stone also dig into the paper from below, compressing it into a more dense surface, and making rounding even less likely while the abrasive particles dig deeper into the steel. The Washboard I make and sell through the link in my signature below, allows one to take these principles to an extreme if desired, and there are some micrographs of the edge it makes and some more showing how much damage it can repair.

Again, we're getting away from traditional images of stropping, but the basic concept is the same just tweaking the variables a bit.

I wouldn't worry too much about fatigue unless the edge were extremely thin and a lot of force were applied to a hard strop - otherwise it will simply round off.

Martin

 

[bigmark408]

Strop till it shines like a baby's azz.