Limits of stropping?

G.MAN

G.MAN

Joined
Sep 25, 2015
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14
My EDC is sharp and is used for "light duty (opening mail and packages, cutting strings and tags, occasionally cutting a little cardboard. Can I maintain the edge indefinitely solely by regular and frequent stropping (leather with green compound mounted on board). Or will the edge gradually degrade in ways stropping can't repair?
 
Stropping rounds the edge to remove the burr, that being said while you can maintain an edge for a while it will eventually be to round to cut things well, and thats why/when you take it to the stones to harden the angle of the edge bevel. Hope this helps G.MAN!
 
The edge will gradually degrade. If you were to apply the green compound on a harder backing than leather, it will hold the geometry far longer.

Convex and Scandi grinds are also more forgiving due to larger surface area and go longer before needing the geometry corrected.

On a hard enough backing, a stropping mechanism can produce results close to that of a stone if properly managed, it all depends on how its being used.

http://www.washboardsharpening.com/wear--repair.html
 
G.MAN said:
Thanks! Not what I wanted to hear, but makes sense!
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Well, while not 'indefinite', we're still talking about a long long time.

With only light duty EDC, something like a Spyderco Delica ZDP-189 FFG could go months with only stropping. Even then, a dozen passes on a Sharpmaker would be enough.
 
It really depends on how you use a knife and how good your technique is.

If you use your knife hard and the edge becomes dull, it would be a long, difficult process to bring it back to sharp.

If your technique is poor, the more you strop the worse your edge will become.

But with proper technique and regular stropping after light use, you can go a long, long time with just stropping.
 
On the type of use you described,---- yes. You could go a long time just stropping to bring back a nice cutting edge. With harder use, say cleaning fish or chickens it requires more stropping to restore the knife's edge. And much of that stropping will need to be on hardwood with slurry applied. Then on to hard backed leather w/ slurry. Within a few months you'll notice some rounding of the edge. Then you should take it to your stone and set the bevel and the process starts over again. But hey you've been saving a lot of metal removal and may only need to go to the stone twice a year. DM
 
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I don't understand "slurry". Is it like a paste you can apply to a piece of hardwood?
 
Google it. Much will come up...
It is a sharpening grit and size like sandpaper (SiC, aluminum oxide, ect.) with a carrying agent. DM
 
The kind of light use you describe, I've done that, never stropped or anything, knife lasted easily one year, at which point it starts ripping printer paper ... can still cut cardboard and packages but its not fun anymore its tiresome

at that point polishing compounds, or high grit stones are of no help .... they're very slow cutting ; there is no avoiding coarser/low grit abrasives
 
bucketstove said:
:D I've been satisfied with a short/simple sharpening every few months, stropping often, daily or weekly seems like a hassle :)
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meh, not so bad.

Keep a 1.5"x6" strop on the desk where I put my EDC's. Pull it out of my pocket, give it a few quick passes, wipe, done. What's the hassle?
 
I found out that "slurry" is the milky grit that forms on a wet stone during stropping. Haven't been able to track down a slurry (commercial product?) that can be applied to a strop.
 
G.MAN said:
I found out that "slurry" is the milky grit that forms on a wet stone during stropping. Haven't been able to track down a slurry (commercial product?) that can be applied to a strop.
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Save yours.
Russ
 
G.MAN said:
I found out that "slurry" is the milky grit that forms on a wet stone during stropping. Haven't been able to track down a slurry (commercial product?) that can be applied to a strop.
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Good keep reading as there are many definitions. http://www.thefreedictionary.com/slurry
Those we use here: utilize the blade forums search feature and much more will come up.
A substance of fine grit carried in water or oil. ect.. Mostly used among us, it is a defined (specificied) grit purchased suspended in oil, water, wax bar, a carrier agent. Then applied to a leather strop or wood board via rubbing. This creates a specific grit for stropping at a defined level. To create a specified edge level of refinement. I really gave you a good effort. DM
 
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