Stripping troubles

softrockrenegade

softrockrenegade

Joined
May 27, 2009
Messages
1,961
So to start off I have recently made a strop at home in hope to improve on my edges. Problem is when u seem to have a really sharp edge after a session on the sharpmaker and bring it to the leather strop it seems to get duller ! It will pushcut paper freely after the white SM stones but after the strop it hangs up :( any direction would be extremely helpful as I really want to bring that " working edge" to the next level !!! Thanks :)
 
I was going to say, you gotta pole, and some singles, a little bit of Nine Inch Nails and it should be fine.

can't help with the stropping though.
 
softrockrenegade said:
So to start off I have recently made a strop at home in hope to improve on my edges. Problem is when u seem to have a really sharp edge after a session on the sharpmaker and bring it to the leather strop it seems to get duller ! It will pushcut paper freely after the white SM stones but after the strop it hangs up :( any direction would be extremely helpful as I really want to bring that " working edge" to the next level !!! Thanks :)
Click to expand...

You have a burr on your edge. I've noticed a similar phenomenon after sharpening on anything ceramic, which will often create burrs. A burr will cut like a laser, as long as it happens to be relatively straight. A little stropping will bend it one way or the other, and all of a sudden it'll 'sorta' cut a little, and then hang up. I like to test my edges by cutting paper, and the 'hanging up' is a very significant clue that I look for, when checking for a burr. Pay attention to where on the cutting edge the 'hanging' or snagging occurs; that's where the burr is. You might even notice little bits or fibers of paper that've been ripped away, and are hanging from the edge at the burr location.

After sharpening or touching up my blades on ceramic, I've been in the habit of taking the knife and cutting into the edge or corner of a piece of hardwood to break off the burr. I use the backside edges of my strop block, which is made of red oak. Make 2 or 3 slicing cuts into the wood along the full length of the cutting edge, then strop again. Most times, this goes a long way for removing what's left of the burr. Test again by cutting into the edge of a piece of paper. Should be able to cut the full length of the cutting edge, without hanging up or snagging on the paper. When you can repeatedly make full cutting-edge-length cuts without snagging, you can be relatively confident you've removed what's left of the burr.
 
I also have had that consideration but as part of my sharpening I always pass the egde thru a piece of oak between steps and this us why I'm confused !!! Iv never had trouble on the ceramics but perhaps the white stones on the sharpmaker to the leather strop is too big a transition ?
 
I also had the same problem. After I read here about a tip on how to get the proper angle for stropping, almost immediately my results improved. Here's the tip:

To find the proper angle, put the flat side of the blade on the strop and slowly move it edge leading and slowly tilt the blade up until the edge starts to bite into the strop. The slightest bite is all you need. This is now the proper angle, so you can start moving your knife the other way(edge trailing). Furthermore, if you have to roll the blade, roll it towards the spine.

I can now usually bring back an edge that has been used, back to hair whittling, with just a few minutes on a chromium oxide loaded strop.

I hope this helps.


PS: Oh, and practice a lot. It's a muscle memory thing too.
 
softrockrenegade said:
I also have had that consideration but as part of my sharpening I always pass the egde thru a piece of oak between steps and this us why I'm confused !!! Iv never had trouble on the ceramics but perhaps the white stones on the sharpmaker to the leather strop is too big a transition ?
Click to expand...

I don't think the white ceramic to strop transition is too drastic. I usually go straight from brown ceramic (on my Spyderco 'Doublestuff' stone) to the strop (green compound on leather).

Some burrs can be very stubborn. If the edge is cleanly cutting part of the way, then snagging in the paper, that's a dead-certain indicator to me that the burr's still there. If so, keep working at it.

Don't be afraid to cut HARD into the wood, if need be. If this still doesn't quite get it done, you might 'strop' the edge lightly (edge trailing) on your SM rod. I've done this occasionally on my Spyderco 'Doublestuff' ceramic stone. I usually use the brown side of the ceramic stone to do this, and it can be helpful in removing a very stubborn burr if other means won't do it. Just be careful with it, so your efforts aren't counter-productive. After this, cut into the wood again 2 or 3 times, then strop again.

Another suggestion, when you're still finishing up on the brown, then the white ceramics, gradually lighten your pressure as you get closer to finishing the stage. Sometimes a burr can be reduced this way, before going to the strop. This is good sharpening practice in general, to gradually use lighter strokes as you refine your edge. If you do it just right, there should be minimal burr issues even before stropping.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top