Is stropping a good way to sharpen a knife?

J

johned

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May 25, 2010
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Saw a knife eval and sharpeing clip the other day. The guy said that stropping and pushing the blade into the stone were equaly effective. Is that true?

Thanks

John
 
johned said:
Saw a knife eval and sharpeing clip the other day. The guy said that stropping and pushing the blade into the stone were equaly effective. Is that true?

Thanks

John
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By stropping, do you mean using a strop, or do you just mean pulling the blade along the stone? I'm certainly no expert, but I personally sharpen in circles on a stone, and I believe that it doesn't really matter whether you are pulling or pushing, it does just as good a job. Now, if you are comparing a strop to a stone, they are for two completely different functions--the stone is used to shape and sharpen the edge, and the strop is to polish it smooth, thereby making the best possible use out of the edge shape you achieved with the stones.
 
:confused: I'm lost.

Stropping is not done on a stone.

Stropping on a charged-leather strop hone doesn't really "sharpen" a knife quite like a stone does. It maintains the edge. That is to say, if you have a dull knife...stropping on a leather hone isn't really gonna help it much.
 
Let me quote me from another one of your threads (the Carbon V one)...

Who are these "guys"?

.... Having a video camera does not turn one into an expert.
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You are putting a little too much stock on random "guys" on YouTube. The good ones (and there are some excellent ones) are few and far between, in my book.
 
Stropping it meant to bring back or finish an edge, depending on if you've sharpened or just used it. It touches up the edge better than fine stones.
 
A charged strop will have a similar effect to a stone of equal grit, but it's not the same. You can put just about any abrasive you want (or none) on a strop. However, the benefits of a strop are most apparent with very fine grits. For this reason I'll only talk about extremely fine grits that are used to maintain an already sharp edge.

Say you had an 8k diamond stone and leather (or more likely linen) charged with 8k diamond powder. The scratches would be similar, but the stone would be more precise and aggressive. The strop is slightly flexible, so it cuts more slowly and will eventually convex the edge a little.

This effect is apparent when maintaining a straight razor. In theory, you could maintain a razor edge indefinitely with a strop charged with very fine grit (<15k). The problem is that eventually you will round the edge enough that it makes it unsuitable for shaving. At that point, you will have to go back to a truly flat stone to re-set the bevel.

There is another way around this problem, though: make a strop that is not flexible. This can be easily done by charging a piece of wood with abrasive. The wood is stiff and will not round the bevel. By stropping on charged wood, it is possible to maintain a razor for years without using a stone.

Strops and stones can be used interchangeably more often than people would expect. It is even possible to strop on something coarse like sandpaper to repair edge damage. Just remember that stropping is not the same as using a stone.

Phillip
 
Edge trailing on a stone will help create a burr on a dull knife.

Then edge leading will remove the burr if done correctly.

Stropping is what a barber does on a long leather strop with a flat razor.

When you are using a piece of leather attached to a piece of wood (or similar device) you have a hone and are "honing".
 
Thank you all. I thought all "edge trailing movements were "stropping". Now I know. Great info.

Again, thank you all.

John
 
Sounds like Mr. Dobson hit the nail on the head. :thumbup: Another difference (if it's an issue) is that a strop and compound can either be bought or improvised for probably less than a quality stone of comparable grit. For knives at least, I've been having decent results with denim, with and without compound, both on my leg or affixed to a block of wood to make a po' man's paddle strop.
 
I wonder if the main reason stropping is done with a trailing edge movement is so that the leather won't get worn quickly. Taking this thought further, perhaps doing it the other way will be effective but ruin the strop quicker and give more resistance slowing down the strokes...and taking it even further, perhaps honing with a trailing edge motion (but at a fixed angle without a rolling at the end of the stroke) will do the task to some degree but take a lot longer. And I wonder if for the same quality of edge if less material would be removed this way.
 
halconen said:
I wonder if the main reason stropping is done with a trailing edge movement is so that the leather won't get worn quickly. Taking this thought further, perhaps doing it the other way will be effective but ruin the strop quicker and give more resistance slowing down the strokes...and taking it even further, perhaps honing with a trailing edge motion (but at a fixed angle without a rolling at the end of the stroke) will do the task to some degree but take a lot longer. And I wonder if for the same quality of edge if less material would be removed this way.
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Seems to me like the main reason is to avoid the risk of cutting into the strop. With stones and other hard sharpening materials, it's not an issue.
 
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