The BladeForums.com 2024 Traditional Knife is ready to order! See this thread for details:
https://www.bladeforums.com/threads/bladeforums-2024-traditional-knife.2003187/
Price is $300 $250 ea (shipped within CONUS). If you live outside the US, I will contact you after your order for extra shipping charges.
Order here: https://www.bladeforums.com/help/2024-traditional/ - Order as many as you like, we have plenty.
Getting a mirror polish on an edge depends on a full, tight sequence of abrasive grits used in sharpening. A strop won't do it alone, UNLESS the previous appropriate polishing steps are taken first. A mirror only happens when the scratch patterns become very, very fine, and most of that work needs to be done with the stones. Stropping provides the finishing touches only. Very fine polishing compounds, often down to 1 micron size or less, are usually used for this on the strop.
Aside from polishing, stropping is mostly used for aligning an edge (straightening a bent wire edge), and stripping away some very fine burrs.
A polished or refined edge will degrade from its ultimate sharpness down to the toothy edges sharpness before finally degrading to the point that it needs to be resharpened.
While we are talking about strops... How do you know when you have enough compound loaded on the leather?
Thank you David. Another dumb strop question.... Smooth side or rough side of the leather? I use the rough side with great results WITHOUT compound. I have white and brown compound.
Also, if the compound is turning "black"- does that tell me it's working?
Thank you David. Another dumb strop question.... Smooth side or rough side of the leather? I use the rough side with great results WITHOUT compound. I have white and brown compound.
Also, if the compound is turning "black"- does that tell me it's working?
Depend on the edge geometry and brittleness of steel. A highly refined smooth edge more likely to deform/roll than degrade/fracture to toothy state. A rolled edge may performs poorly in compare to a dull toothy saw edge.
I agree with the sentiment someone else posted here a while back. Some say that toothy edges cut better than refined or polished edges. A toothy edge will degrade to the point that it needs sharpening. A polished or refined edge will degrade from its ultimate sharpness down to the toothy edges sharpness before finally degrading to the point that it needs to be resharpened.
I personally have not seen a material that a toothy edge will cut better than a refined edge.
Depend on the edge geometry and brittleness of steel. A highly refined smooth edge more likely to deform/roll than degrade/fracture to toothy state. A rolled edge may performs poorly in compare to a dull toothy saw edge.
I am sorry if I didn't make my meaning clear. I didn't mean to say a polished edge would become toothy. I meant that a polished edge is sharper from the start and would degrade to become as sharp as a toothy edge before the sharpness would finally degrade to require work.
It is the sharpness I am comparing not the physical characteristics of a refined edge versus a toothy edge.