Spyderco SharpMaker Leather rods?? Poor man Strop??

chogue1980 · May 11, 2011

Just an idea I want to run by the guys here......... I have two extra Med grit sharpmaker rods laying aroudn that I dont use, I also have an old thick holster belt that doesnt fit any longer. I was thinking about cutting the leather and glueing it to the sharpmaker rods. This would hold the same angle and with some diamond paste I have (1micron) should work as a great final polisher. What worries me is I wont be using a trailing edge stroke like I do on my strop, but it would be much more compact and easier to pack around. Any one try this already? Results? Ideas and opinions are why I posted, let me hear what you got. Otherwise I'll post my opinion after I try it. First victim is a dull Izula that I use constantly.............

Obsessed with Edges · May 11, 2011

There's no reason why you can't use a trailing edge stroke on the Sharpmaker. Just hold the blade as you always would (spine upwards), and draw the blade up the hone, from the bottom of the 'V'. So long as you keep the blade oriented straight up & down, as per good Sharpmaker technique, you'll maintain the same angle, but in the opposite direction of movement. Might take some practice, but I think you'll pick it up fairly easily.

I wouldn't recommend an edge-leading stroke on leather. It'll cut the leather very quickly.

I do like your idea, of using the leather on your spare rods.

chogue1980 · May 11, 2011

For a smart guy I sometimes go dumb. Honestly never though of "going backwards" up the rod. I made a really cool case to hold everything that is just slightly larger than the sharpmake. This fits perfect inside it. Way easier than packing around a 14" strop covered in diamond paste. Hence why I posted here, I knew someone would have an idea to make it work. Thanks

unit · May 12, 2011

Obsessed with Edges said:
I wouldn't recommend an edge-leading stroke on leather. It'll cut the leather very quickly. If you are doing things right

There I fixed if for you

Wrapping leather around the rods, or even laying a strop on the rods is a great idea. Many people will strop free hand after using a guided system for everything else. That never made sense to me (if you need a sharpening guide, you ought to use it on the finishing strokes for sure!)

Even if you are using trailing strokes, you gotta be careful with a good leather strop. If you get careless at all the knife should be PLENTY sharp to bite into the strop and carve out a divot before you know it. For this reason I never work "fast" on a strop. I have seen barbers whipping a razor across a strop in a furious blur...and seen chef/meat cutters do similarly with a steel...perhaps they possess skills I do not, but I recommend slow and VERY controlled strokes for the best results.

Obsessed with Edges · May 12, 2011

unit said:
There I fixed if for you

Wrapping leather around the rods, or even laying a strop on the rods is a great idea. Many people will strop free hand after using a guided system for everything else. That never made sense to me (if you need a sharpening guide, you ought to use it on the finishing strokes for sure!)

Even if you are using trailing strokes, you gotta be careful with a good leather strop. If you get careless at all the knife should be PLENTY sharp to bite into the strop and carve out a divot before you know it. For this reason I never work "fast" on a strop. I have seen barbers whipping a razor across a strop in a furious blur...and seen chef/meat cutters do similarly with a steel...perhaps they possess skills I do not, but I recommend slow and VERY controlled strokes for the best results.

My first strop block was a 4-sided, German-made razor strop block. Pretty nice one, with 3 different grades of leather/compound, and a softish stone on the 4th side, for burr removal (I assume). The finishing strop (to be used last in the sequence) is very soft, supple leather. Being that I was using it to 'learn' the art of stropping, I've left cuts & divots all over it. And that was with a 'proper' edge-trailing stroke. I was obviously using too much pressure. And regarding moving too fast, it was all too easy to lay the blade on the leather and inadvertently pivot/slide to one side or the other, resulting in the edge digging in and cutting the leather again.

unit · May 12, 2011

Obsessed with Edges said:
My first strop block was a 4-sided, German-made razor strop block. Pretty nice one, with 3 different grades of leather/compound, and a softish stone on the 4th side, for burr removal (I assume). The finishing strop (to be used last in the sequence) is very soft, supple leather. Being that I was using it to 'learn' the art of stropping, I've left cuts & divots all over it. And that was with a 'proper' edge-trailing stroke. I was obviously using too much pressure. And regarding moving too fast, it was all too easy to lay the blade on the leather and inadvertently pivot/slide to one side or the other, resulting in the edge digging in and cutting the leather again.

Right on.

My (still) favorite strop is one that has numerous nicks in it from carelessness. It still works pretty well...in fact the nicks and gouges sort of keep my pressure in check...If I wisp the edge across the strop with a very ginger touch I can not feel the idiot-induced irregularities (and my results are incredible). OTOH, if I feel the edge bumping across the irregularities, I know I am ham-fisting it and will not get "atomic" results

HeavyHanded · May 12, 2011

unit said:
There I fixed if for you

Wrapping leather around the rods, or even laying a strop on the rods is a great idea. Many people will strop free hand after using a guided system for everything else. That never made sense to me (if you need a sharpening guide, you ought to use it on the finishing strokes for sure!)

Even if you are using trailing strokes, you gotta be careful with a good leather strop. If you get careless at all the knife should be PLENTY sharp to bite into the strop and carve out a divot before you know it. For this reason I never work "fast" on a strop. I have seen barbers whipping a razor across a strop in a furious blur...and seen chef/meat cutters do similarly with a steel...perhaps they possess skills I do not, but I recommend slow and VERY controlled strokes for the best results.

I constantly remind myself to keep the pace nice and slow. There's a tendency to speed up once you feel you have the angle down, but past a certain tempo it becomes impossible (for me) to feel exactly where the edge is on the strop. When using a stone and moving in an edge leading stroke its kind of easy to feel just where the sweet spot is. Even when edge trailing on sandpaper its still pretty obvious. When stropping you have a lot less feedback, but it's still there. I lightly touch as many fingertips on my off hand as will fit on the blade. I can feel through the steel when I'm right on the money or a little to one side or the other. You can still get good results even with a little slop, but things turn out quite a bit nicer when you maintain discipline.

HH

David Martin · May 12, 2011

Yes, I use a guide on my strop as well. This gives a good edge. DM

chogue1980 · May 13, 2011

So I tried it out. Its odd at first since I am so used to moving down the Sharpmaker, not up, plus its a little harder to feel when you are right on the edge compared to a standard paddle strop, but the results were the same.