Let's Talk About Sharpening Our Survive! Knives

Riz2530 said:
I know I posted this in the other thread but it belongs here too...

I use these spyderco stones for sharpening when needed. To finish off the edge I put the stone back in its leather slip and strop right on the slip. It works great. I dont ever let my blades get so dull that they need real reworking of the edge. I have found that really I can get away with using just the darker (medium) stone and then stropping on the slip will give me a very nice shaving edge. The white stone (fine) doesnt seem to do much to 3V, S35VN or S30V. I think they are too wear resistant.






I also have a few strops that I made like this one. Its a small piece of oak board with leather, rough side out, glued to it. Black compound on one side and green on the other. I also made a 4 sided one that has black, green and plain rough side out and plain with the smooth side out. They all work great. They were very easy to make too.



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That's a damn good idea. I wonder if a bit of black compound would work on that without making a huge mess.
 
redwood22 said:
It was a busted up old Chinese spyderco, so its very possible that's what the problem was... I was trying to practice on something cheaper. Once the new compound comes in ill try the sharpie method, see how good i can get at it...

thanks guys!
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Any little roll or chip will take the compound right off. I learned the hard way also. You might be able to work the compound around if you get it warm enough with a heat gun.
 
I am sure black compound would work. The medium stone and slip work so well that I havent tried compound yet.
 
Silver Needle said:
^^^ Brian is cool :thumbup:



I've been using a worksharp field sharpener. I like the angle guides and I don't do a ton of sharpening. Man of Steel encouraged me to step up to a DMT block/bench stone, so I'm seriously looking into this.


What is the draw of stropping? I like the idea of removing as little material as possible, is that an advantage?
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+1!! I used the work sharp field on one of my 3v 4.1 that I couldn't strop back to life. 10 minutes later it was back to shaving sharp. You might also try looking into the DMT Aligner. I used it on one of my s30v folders that was chunked up after I cut and stripped some bamboo. 6 passes each with a coarse, med and fine stones and it was sharper than it came from the factory and it removed all the nicks/chunks. They aren't cheap though but I just ordered the extra coarse back stone to work on one of my D2 knives. These and a 4 sided stop from JRE Industries is what I've been using.
 
OBX351 said:
+1!! I used the work sharp field on one of my 3v 4.1 that I couldn't strop back to life. 10 minutes later it was back to shaving sharp. You might also try looking into the DMT Aligner. I used it on one of my s30v folders that was chunked up after I cut and stripped some bamboo. 6 passes each with a coarse, med and fine stones and it was sharper than it came from the factory and it removed all the nicks/chunks. They aren't cheap though but I just ordered the extra coarse back stone to work on one of my D2 knives. These and a 4 sided stop from JRE Industries is what I've been using.
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:thumbup::thumbup:
 
Who here primarily strops compared to stropping plus other methods or doing something other than stropping completely?
 
Texas_toothpick said:
My 3v took very nicely to the strop. I won't just strop my blade but I will use it in conjunction with my sharp maker.

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Is that a Stropman Strop?

I have a couple Stropman strops, and have for a few years now. (I have the "Big Boy" and a couple of "Billy's") I love them. They are the best I found.

As to Silver Needle's question, I use a DMT Diafold (mostly the Fine/ExFine, but I have them all) to sharpen, then I strop. I've been using this method since the '90s and it has always worked for me.

Just a side note, bot DMT and Stropman are American Owned and Made; so they would go nicely in the Survive! gear thread.

Junkyard
 
I've been eyeing DMT Diafolds. Was thinking about a coarse and fine pair.

Love the stropman. Its been working great for my CV from case and all my 1095. Been cautious to use it on my S! blades because I want to prefect my technique before I mess up my good blades.

Edit: it did great on my 3.5 in 3v. I'm just not ready for my bigger blades yet.
 
You guys using the strop, do you do a mirror polish on your knife or do you stop the moment you feel that it is very sharp?
 
Texas_toothpick said:
I've been eyeing DMT Diafolds. Was thinking about a coarse and fine pair.

Love the stropman. Its been working great for my CV from case and all my 1095. Been cautious to use it on my S! blades because I want to prefect my technique before I mess up my good blades.

Edit: it did great on my 3.5 in 3v. I'm just not ready for my bigger blades yet.
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I'd recommend the DMT Fine/Ex-Fine. I bought a Coarse/Fine back in 1998. I never used the course, as it was just too coarse. Heck, I hardly ever use the fine unless I need to re-profile a knife now. I mostly just use the Ex-Fine to sharpen and then the strop to finish it. If you have axes, shovels and other tools that need the occasional sharpening, the coarse can take off a lot of metal fairly quick. Of course, your mileage may vary.
As to Stropman, I've been thinking of getting another strop from him. Although I was looking at a smaller one that I can throw in my pack. The strops I have are Great, but just too big for field/camping chores.

Junkyard

Edited to add:

I just took this pick because of this conversation. I EDC that DMT and that Large Sebenza.

 
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Thanks for the heads up. Is there a 'break in' period for DMT stones?

The compounds I use don't give a huge mirror polish, but there is a slight one. If I used a finer compound it would. I just use my strop to get it hair popping sharp.
 
Texas_toothpick said:
The compounds I use don't give a huge mirror polish, but there is a slight one. If I used a finer compound it would. I just use my strop to get it hair popping sharp.
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Thanks T_T, I guess we don't really need a mirror polished edge for knives we meant to do hard work with?
 
I know there are those who know more than I do who love a mirror edge, but right now it is not a priority for me.

I do really want to preserve my knives and their edge as best I can and if I can use a strop instead of a diamond plate after a day of use, I'm hoping it will do this.

Eventually I want a DMT system but for now I'm looking at a lesser priced Flexxx strop.
 
Yea I don't think I'll be getting the huge set with all their stones. I think I'll try their fine and extra fine as junkyard suggested. In the folder style ti throw in my pack. And I'll stick to my Arkansas stone for my ax heads.
 
TT- I don't think it is a break-in period, as they sharpen well from the start. Although they do get more "Smooth" with time. They still sharpen just as good as a new set, it just feels smoother as the blade arcs across it. if that makes sense. Also, can you see the picture now?

pjandyho- I've done mirror polished edges before. they certainly look great, but to answer your question I don't do it all the time. It depends on the knife and what I'm using it for. For certain things, I like a more toothy edge and for others a cleaner more polished edge. It does give me options, and options are good. For my carry knives I just use the strop to touch up the edge, or if I had to re-sharpen it, I strop to remove any wire-edge/burr that formed.

Junkyard
 
I was just using my DMT extra coarse to take dings out of a machete. It is the next best thing to a belt sander. :)
I tend not to use any of the diamonds for daily maintenance. I will strop in the kitchen, and if the damage is beyond what is readily fixed there I go to the fine ceramic stone.
If I do more damage or get impatient I'll go for the diamonds, unless it is a really huge blade and it isn't worth the time for a fine edge.
I've found that if I alternate the direction of the the strokes, one stroke drawing, followed by one stroke pushing, both leading with the edge to get a cross hatch scratch pattern, I can get a serviceable edge with coarse diamonds.
I keep the machetes to where they'll slice paper but none of them shave. :)
 
Silver Needle said:
Who here primarily strops compared to stropping plus other methods or doing something other than stropping completely?
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In an attempt to answer this, and further explain stropping.... I would watch Virteovice (Dr. Waco) on YouTube do his edge stropping and paper cutting with interest. And I would watch my Barber strop his razor... And finally I ordered a DMT paddle strop. And applied Bark River black to one side, and white to the other.

I then took some knives that I had done my best to sharpen, and cut paper before and then after the black and then after both colors stropping. Wow. WOW! Double wow. This took my edges to a whole new level.... Hunting edges, kitchen knives, and hard use knives for feather sticking, etc....

It just put a "finish" to the edge. In Dr. Waco's video he demonstrates the difference by showing the stropped edge of the apex by different colors, of compound, through a microscope.

I notice the difference in practical uses in dressing game, cutting cheese or some vegetables in the kitchen, and in cutting leather and vinyl products. The stropped edge cuts more "smoothly" and with less resistance.

It's fun for me, and once I experienced the difference, that level of performance it is now expected... For many years, my teacher in the woodworking trade who was an old German craftsman that made his living sharpening things, for many years he stropped things to "finish" the job... I am just a slow learner I guess... [emoji3]

I don't "primarily" strop. But I usually do it to restore an edge to a higher sharpness. And if the edge needs more then stropping, I back up and do that first.... Hope that is some help to those not so familiar with the practice.
 
Fancier said:
I was just using my DMT extra coarse to take dings out of a machete. It is the next best thing to a belt sander. :)
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Haha!! Thanks for the input :thumbup:

Brian, thank you also for the detailed response. I have a lot to learn and all of this is helpful.

If I'm only working at most a day at a time (and not beating on a knife for a week long backpacking trip) could a strop be all that I need or will something harder still be needed?
 
Yes junkyard I see it now.

Silver, most likely just a fine ceramic and a strop would be plenty to fix a usable edge. But if its damaged it could take more. Depending on how damaged it is would be the sign of what to use to said damage. If that makes sense.
 
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