Stroping.....where do you stop?

A

apxpred

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Feb 12, 2017
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Speaking to convex edges on good steel A2/3V/M4/52100 etc. (not J420XX). Where do you stop when stropping? I've read that a toothy edge cuts better and longer, the flip side story is those teeth are the 1st to break off and then your back to dull. A polished edge is said to cut better longer, yet on lets say a tomato a polished edge will slide or track without cutting. So where's the sweet spot as far as compound and giving you the best of both worlds.....if it exists?
 
apxpred said:
Speaking to convex edges on good steel A2/3V/M4/52100 etc. (not J420XX). Where do you stop when stropping? I've read that a toothy edge cuts better and longer, the flip side story is those teeth are the 1st to break off and then your back to dull. A polished edge is said to cut better longer, yet on lets say a tomato a polished edge will slide or track without cutting. So where's the sweet spot as far as compound and giving you the best of both worlds.....if it exists?
Click to expand...

Well I'll get the ball rolling.
I stop at an 8,000 water stone . . . split some hairs . . . shave some itsi bitsy little curls off a single hair while it is still in my arm
and then . . .
I call it good enough.
Period.
 
You seem to be asking a few questions- How much to strop and is a coarse or polished edge better?

As far as stropping, You get to that toothy or polished edge before you strop. I found the best so far recipe for my S30V from our member Jason B.- Coarse DMT, then I strop with 1micron diamond on a hard surface backed strop- only about 10 passes a side. This gives a "refined" toothy edge that stays sharp a decent amount of time, and easy enough to bring back.

Coarse or polished is a matter of preference, use, and type of steel. My Bark River 3V convex edges I take up to about 2-3K on waterstones and strop. My Becker Bk16 I will stop around 800JIS. Play around some and see what you like, and what your knives like brah.

edit- This should be a discussion in Maintenance, Tinkering, and Embellishment, not general.
 
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What edge you want depends on what your cutting. Simple as that. You may want a few different knives with different blade geometry and different edges depending on what tool you need for the job.

For instance a chef prepping a tuna for sushi will use something like 5 knives. Each different for different tasks.

You can remove the bur with the strop and be done or you can take it to several strops and get that mirror edge. Or anywhere between. It's debatable depending on what you prefer for what your cutting.
 
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I'll give you something to think about as I'm at the other end of the spectrum. The last stone I'll sharpen on is 400 grit or less. I remove the burr on that and not strop. As even a few passes on a strop (3-4) will take away a toothy edge. Nor has it been proven these teeth break off.
This edge is good for my cutting needs: cutting a hose, cardboard, rope, pruning tree limbs, cutting up an apple, stripping wire, ect.. The majority of my knives I sharpen to this level. I have one knife (with the right point) I'll sharpen finer to remove splinters and other finer work.
Still, I don't use that one much and that one I'll strop. DM
 
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