Pictures showing benefit of stropping.

[DGG]

I thought these microscopic edge pictures were worth posting. They illustrate what a couple of minutes of stropping will do to staighten and align an edge.

http://www.knifeforums.com/forums/showtopic.php?tid/766759/

 

[Cliff Stamp]

You need to check straight into an edge as well as both sides, the edge itself could be for example a mm thick but when viewed from the side would be a crisp straight line and appear really sharp. I have seen this when checking edges under magnification that from the side looked to be sharp, but when actually used to cut something were degraded seriously. Those "toy" microscopes are getting serious use by a bunch of guys evaluating planes with a bunch of different steels. Pretty amazing what you can see for under $100.

-Cliff

 

[DGG]

Good point. They sure look good from the side though.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Indeed, it would be nice to see the sharpness measured (both ways) alongside the pictures to correlate the visuals to the performance. Lee has a section in his book where he shows edges under magnificantion from the side and straight on showing different abrasives grits.

-Cliff