Need to strop all bushknives?

MEJ

MEJ

Joined
Jul 24, 2011
Messages
1,283
Is it really necessary to strop your bush knives or can i just use a fine benchstone?
 
Stropping is different form sharpening, and I'd say it is best to strop any type of knife.
 
You don't HAVE to do anything. Sharpen your knives and maintain your edges in whatever way gives you a sharp enough edge for you.

Whatever works for you. That's all that matters.
 
Stropping will just hone the edge a little more. Sometimes people prefer to have a more gritty edge depending on the type of work. Let your experience, requirements, and resources dictate what you need. There is no one way to do most things and this holds true in the knife world.
 
I highly recommend stropping! Of course what ever floats your boat but at least for me stropping is a must. Makes a huge difference in my opinion.
 
If you end up with a small burr, stropping can help remove it. Stropped edges sometimes feel less sharp, cause they are less toothy. Both cut, both will still dull, it may depend on the steel, blade geometry, and the material in which is being cut, wood in this case. I would try stropping, if you already have the strop, if not use some cardboard. It's a good way to touch up a blade in the field, yet a crock stick could be more usefull, depends on the knife.
I can't impove my scandi edged Nessmuk with a crock stick, maybe I'm heavy handed, the edge just seems to get pushed to the side, so I strop that one.
 
foxx said:
I would try stropping, if you already have the strop, if not use some cardboard.
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Or a jeans leg, or your leather belt, or a newspaper, or the cardboard in a pad of paper, or even the skin on your hand! I strop all over the place, myself. It can't hurt and I do think it helps "de-toothify" as foxx said. It also removes any oxidation that may have developed on the edge since the last use.

But again...one doesn't HAVE to do it (or anything)...but I do like doing it and I believe it helps.
 
I keep a 2" by 18" compound-loaded strip of leather in my pack. There's an eyelet on either end with some paracord on it.I tie one end off on something ,hold the other end and strop away. I can also lay it flat if I want to.
Not a necessity , but helps to get a sharper edge. The other items in my kit are a Eze-Lap diamond rod ( model M) and a Fallkniven DC-4. Covers all my sharpening needs.
 
Stropping can provide a finer edge but for me its real benefit is in maintaining your edge. My two sided strop gets more use than any of my sharpening materials. Any time an edge starts to lose its keenness I work up a burr with the black compound and then I flip the strop and remove it with the green compound. This usually takes no more than a minute. It doesn't matter if it is a convex grind from my belt sander or if if it is a V grind from my Lansky or Gatco kits. A few passes on each side of the strop is all that is needed when there is no damage to the edge.
 
No. For common bush craft tasks, most users will not be able to tell the difference between a knife sharpened on a 600 grit diamond card and one stropped with sub micron diamond spray. And the 600 grit card is perfectly fine for maintaining your knife in the field.
On the other hand if you are one of the users that can tell the difference and if it bothers you, then you need to strop your bush knives.
 
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