Lansky strop and compound questions

One more question, will i use the compound before or after stroping it with leather? Im going to try to get some leather straps at hobby lobby that closely mimic the lansky strop and punch some holes near the top and zip tie them firmly to the hone nice abd flat, that way i can use the compound. But, what order is best compound then strop? And then just use the strop to keep the knife sharp and polished, or is there a better order of doing things?
 
nasty_nate_84 said:
One more question, will i use the compound before or after stroping it with leather? Im going to try to get some leather straps at hobby lobby that closely mimic the lansky strop and punch some holes near the top and zip tie them firmly to the hone nice abd flat, that way i can use the compound. But, what order is best compound then strop? And then just use the strop to keep the knife sharp and polished, or is there a better order of doing things?
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Use the compounded strop before the bare leather. If you're using a compound well-suited for the steel, most of your daily touch-ups can be done using the compounded strop by itself. Most of the time, a bare leather strop will be very limited in what it can do. It mainly serves to 'clean up' the edge of any loose remnants of weakened steel or other sharpening debris, and can re-align a slightly rolled fine edge a bit too. This is why it's normally used after everything else, if it's even used at all. You might find it's not that essential, after stropping with compound anyway. I usually follow this with a few light brushing passes on my jeans, which accomplishes about the same thing as a bare leather strop would do (most of the time).


David
 
Thats intersting if heard of people stropping on newspaper and such for my compounded strop method would it be better to use newspaper or printer paper i have a laser printer so i have laser printer paper its a bit shinier and glossy but it seems like the course number one blk compound doesnt stick to it being so shiny and all
 
nasty_nate_84 said:
Thats intersting if heard of people stropping on newspaper and such for my compounded strop method would it be better to use newspaper or printer paper i have a laser printer so i have laser printer paper its a bit shinier and glossy but it seems like the course number one blk compound doesnt stick to it being so shiny and all
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You can use regular copy paper, but the gloss stuff won't hold the compound very well. Newspaper and uncoated copy paper work well, and writing paper seems to be a touch better. They can be used with compound for a touch up and polish, and plain for a finishing touch. They have some abrasives in the paper and the ink used in newspaper printing has some pigment additives that might have abrasive qualities. For the most part it works the same as paper with no printing but you can try for yourself. If using this method, just make sure the stone has no loose grit on it, and wrap the paper around the stone. Is very convenient as you can recycle the paper when it gets loaded, no need to clean your strop off.

A paper strop can make a great edge even at relatively coarse finishes.
 
^^HH's suggestions are very good. I've used some printer paper wrapped around my Home Depot SiC stone, as he's described. With coarser edge finishes in particular, it works very well to clean up burrs while leaving the toothy 'bite' produced on the stones. This is almost perfect for the coarser edges that usually hold up better on inexpensive stainless kitchen knives (it's one of the better methods I've tried, to touch up a paring knife I use regularly).

Most of my favorite stropping methods involve using either paper or fabric over hard backing. Fabrics like denim or linen hold compound very well (linen is my favorite, used this way). I've also tinkered with using heavier 'art-grade' papers, which are often textured, and they hold compound pretty well also. They're also heavier, stiffer and firmer (which means they lay nicely flat on a hard surface), and more durable as well.


David
 
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Good info i used somr notebook paper today and got the best finish ive ever got but my dyslexic ass cant figure out what side to sharpen its angled razor sharp on one side but almost dull on the other :( but its better off than it was yesterday this is only my third time sharpening it its hit and miss for me seems like but i have got the polishing down pat as well as sharpening the point pretty precisely it almost pops hair i bought some scrap leather at hobby lobby for my stropping compound today what side should i use theres a suede looking side and a smooth leather looking side that looks like vinyl what side should i saturate/apply compound ill post pics in a min ive come pretty far, practice everyday my saphire hone made it today my strop tomorrow i may have to re profile my edge to get it even on both sides soon sucks but oh well live and learn then lol
 
What side should i use #1

Suede side

mubu5a9u.jpg


Or....
 
#2
the smooth vinyl side?

ube4urym.jpg


It seems like this side wouldn't hold compound good at all but idk i could be wrong whats yalls input on this man this can get kind hard people make ot look easier than it actually is my hat is off to the ones who can do this perfectly every time lol much respect
 
Be careful of using too much oil on your strop/compound. It will mix with the binder and allow it to be smeared more easily, but too much will impart a lot of mobility to the abrasive and you'll be wondering why the strop isn't working well. Rub a drop on the compound itself, the block will lightly soften at that spot, and then lightly rub on the leather. Use the hardest leather you can find, or case it yourself, or keep using a few sheets of paper wrapped around a stone.

When using honing compounds, it is not important to use leather, any surface that is sufficiently firm and will accept the compound will work as well as any other. Only when it comes down to finish stropping on plain leather that has been properly cased is there any advantage, and that only at the highest level of polish.

Not all compounds need oil or heat, is something you would do as needed or to get some other effects from the compound, not SOP for all compounds and surfaces. Limit the number of variables you're working with to start
 
nasty_nate_84 said:
What side should i use #1

Suede side


Or....
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nasty_nate_84 said:
#2
the smooth vinyl side?

It seems like this side wouldn't hold compound good at all but idk i could be wrong whats yalls input on this man this can get kind hard people make ot look easier than it actually is my hat is off to the ones who can do this perfectly every time lol much respect
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With that particular piece of leather, I'd likely use the suede side. It'll hold the compound well, at the least. That being said, there's no harm in trying both sides.


David
 
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nasty_nate_84 said:
I found this i could probably just clean it with sandpaper and alcohol who else heats theirs on a stove like this?

http://m.instructables.com/id/How-to-load-a-strop-Knife-Sharpening/
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nasty_nate_84 said:
I found this as well mixing the compound with baby oil or mineral oil. I wonder what method would be the best? The stove melting? Or mineral oil? I would think the mineral oil would let the compound soak in the leather better and give a finer edge?

http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/stroppingwithgreenrougeversesdiamondpaste.html
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At this stage, I wouldn't even mess with heating or the oil. More likely to over-complicate things. Just 'crayon' the compound onto the leather, by scrubbing the end of the stick on it. At most, if the compound doesn't scrub off the stick easily, just dab a small bit of oil on the end of the stick before scrubbing it onto the leather. It doesn't matter at all if the compound is in an evenly-distributed layer. It makes some people feel better about the look of it, but the blade won't know or care. The compound that 'sticks' into the leather (embeds itself) is what will be doing all the work. Any excess that's not embedded will eventually be scrubbed off by the blade anyway. Trying to use oil to apply it in thicker amounts really isn't necessary, nor is the heating of it (and that's really not good for the leather anyway).

All of my 'better' strops have always been loaded in the simpler manner as I've described above. I did use mineral oil once, to apply a heavier layer of green compound to a leather strop, but it was too 'muddy' in the end (too much compound being scraped off by the blade, leaving an oily mess on it), and I eventually stripped most of it off by wiping it down with an alcohol-soaked paper towel. Strop worked much better after doing that, with just a green tinting of compound on the leather.


David
 
Hmm yeah i figurwd id tey ot with different leathers some of them softer some medium some course if thats even possible at my school i have access to a 3d printer im going to print out my own honing blocks kind of like the lanskys. I also went to fastnal and ordered some thumb screws and the female threaded end and im going to grill holes like the lansky to hold the guide wires in. Then gorilla glue some leather on the plastic i printed and wolla, its 15/hr to use the 3d pinter i could probably make 10 of those in an hr so ill be set. I may play with spme way to hold some stones and grab some arkansas stones for cheap and throw them on there to. As long as the guide wire is flat/flush with the the bottom of the leather or stones itl will do the same thing correct? Same angles etc.
 
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