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Stropping: angle plus pressure
- Thread starter Twindog
- Start date
Hey Costanzo. Welcome to the forum.
Stropping is a technique to refine the edge of an already sharp blade, usually by dragging the edge across a substrate loaded with some fine abrasive. But it sounds like you are more interested in getting the blade sharp.
This subforum is loaded with information on how to sharpen a knife, so you may want to look around and do some reading. There are several threads on how to sharpen a knife properly. This particular thread is more about a couple aspects of stropping.
In general, with sharpening, you want to raise a burr along the entire edge on both sides, then gradually remove that burr by using ever finer stones and lighter strokes. There are other techniques as well.
If you're not having success sharpening, try painting the edge with a Sharpie and then make a dry pass with the stone. How much and where the ink is removed will tell you a lot about why your edge is not getting sharp. It may be that your stone angle doesn't match the angle of the edge bevel. Or it may be that your edge is especially dull and it will take a while to get a decent edge.
I'd suggest you read some of the threads here so you understand some of the basic issues, such as raising a burr. Then use a loupe and a Sharpie to evaluate your edge. After that, if nothing is making sense, start a thread explaining your problem, the equipment and technique that you are using and what you are seeing with the loupe and the Sharpie. Whether you want to do that with words or video is up to you. Some people prefer videos, others find them too time consuming to watch.
Good luck.
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Good evening everyone,
As you can already see, I am very new to this forum and because of that I would like to kindly as you to overlook my possible mistakes when it comes to putting a question into a ''right'' and ''appropriate'' thread. The thing is that I only need help, but don't know who would be the right to answer my question and help me.
So after, I have read many posts and spent quite a fair amount of time on this forum, I have decided that there are many members on this forum, with amazing amounts of experience and amazing amount of knowledge, so I decided to join and ask you all a question.
A while ago I bought a Helle Temagami blank blade. When I got it, I decided to widden the center hole on the tang (the middle hole) from 5mm to 6mm. I also bought drills for INOX and stainless steel, but when I started the process of drilling, I soon found out that those drills are certainly not ment to be drilled into inox or stainless. The tip of the drill got all warped, kind of almost melted, grinded off....in shock and panicking, I thought to myself(I don't know why) that additional pressure will do the job....well, it didn't.... When I started to press the drill harder, the tip of the drill got red hot and also the area around the tang hole(about 2 or 3mm diameter around the hole got dark red) got dark red. After a couple of tries and after a couple of ''heatings'' from the drilling, I stopped.
The question that is bugging me ever since is: is it possible that the heat provided by the unsuccessfull drilling process ruined the famous laminated stainless steel? Is it possible that the heat spreaded from the center hole of the tang all the way up to the blade and ruined it?
When I touched the blade, after heating the area around the hole that much, it was still ''touch-possible'' hot and not so hot that I couldn't have touched it. But anyway, have I ruined the characteristics of the laminated stainless steel? What is the aftermath of that ''thoughtless'' deed?
Thank you so much for answering. I hope that my blade's steel is not ruined.
Best, Vito
As you can already see, I am very new to this forum and because of that I would like to kindly as you to overlook my possible mistakes when it comes to putting a question into a ''right'' and ''appropriate'' thread. The thing is that I only need help, but don't know who would be the right to answer my question and help me.
So after, I have read many posts and spent quite a fair amount of time on this forum, I have decided that there are many members on this forum, with amazing amounts of experience and amazing amount of knowledge, so I decided to join and ask you all a question.
A while ago I bought a Helle Temagami blank blade. When I got it, I decided to widden the center hole on the tang (the middle hole) from 5mm to 6mm. I also bought drills for INOX and stainless steel, but when I started the process of drilling, I soon found out that those drills are certainly not ment to be drilled into inox or stainless. The tip of the drill got all warped, kind of almost melted, grinded off....in shock and panicking, I thought to myself(I don't know why) that additional pressure will do the job....well, it didn't.... When I started to press the drill harder, the tip of the drill got red hot and also the area around the tang hole(about 2 or 3mm diameter around the hole got dark red) got dark red. After a couple of tries and after a couple of ''heatings'' from the drilling, I stopped.
The question that is bugging me ever since is: is it possible that the heat provided by the unsuccessfull drilling process ruined the famous laminated stainless steel? Is it possible that the heat spreaded from the center hole of the tang all the way up to the blade and ruined it?
When I touched the blade, after heating the area around the hole that much, it was still ''touch-possible'' hot and not so hot that I couldn't have touched it. But anyway, have I ruined the characteristics of the laminated stainless steel? What is the aftermath of that ''thoughtless'' deed?
Thank you so much for answering. I hope that my blade's steel is not ruined.
Best, Vito
Oh, another thing..I hope that everyone here knows how a helle temagami blank blade and a tang looks like, beacuse I couldn't find a way to put a picture on here.
I can, however post a link to an e-bay site where is the picture of the temagami blade blank.
Where could I post this question so that it would be ''thread appropriate''?
Thank you.
I can, however post a link to an e-bay site where is the picture of the temagami blade blank.
Where could I post this question so that it would be ''thread appropriate''?
Thank you.
Hey Spela, welcome to the forum.
You posted your question as a post in a thread about stropping, so a lot of people who can answer your question won't see it. You might try starting your own thread in the Maintenance, Tinkering & Embellishment subforum (this subforum). Another possibility would be to post your question by starting a new thread in the General Knifemakers Discussion subforum.
To post a photo, I think you need to have a paid membership at some level, but I'm not sure about the rules. Normally, you'd host your photo on an image-sharing site, such as Photobucket, and then post the location address here in a post, sandwiched between
I personally don't know the answer for sure to your question, but I'd doubt that you ruined the blade by drilling in the tang, but a knifemaker or machinist could give you a better informed answer.
You posted your question as a post in a thread about stropping, so a lot of people who can answer your question won't see it. You might try starting your own thread in the Maintenance, Tinkering & Embellishment subforum (this subforum). Another possibility would be to post your question by starting a new thread in the General Knifemakers Discussion subforum.
To post a photo, I think you need to have a paid membership at some level, but I'm not sure about the rules. Normally, you'd host your photo on an image-sharing site, such as Photobucket, and then post the location address here in a post, sandwiched between
I personally don't know the answer for sure to your question, but I'd doubt that you ruined the blade by drilling in the tang, but a knifemaker or machinist could give you a better informed answer.
Okayn Twindog thank you for explaining me the situation. Much appreciated. I have already started a new thread in general knife discussion and also will do the same in Maintenance, Tinkering and Embellishment. Please let other people know about the question that's bugging me, as I am sure that you are more familiar with members on this forum than I am.
Thank you again.
Best, Vito
Thank you again.
Best, Vito
This is picture prefect. My grandpa tried to teach me how to sharpen when I was very young but now I cannot remember or imagine what it's like to not "feel" the blade being sharpened. This is the first visual encounter of what it "feels" like to sharpen a blade to razor sharpness
- Joined
- Dec 26, 2013
- Messages
- 444
Well I swan, the internet corrects problems to problems I didn't know existed. After using a Sharpie to carefully sharpen my blades I been going out on the deck and slapping leather on an old belt just like the barber does with a straight razor. Up till now I didn't think there was a wrong way to strop.
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2014
- Messages
- 72
Im just starting out to stropping im finding it kind of easy going getting my mirrored edges quite easily i came across this method just a second ago
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/stroppingwithgreenrougeversesdiamondpaste.html
I have yet to try this compound oil mix yet but i have bought some leather and plan on cleaning some cutting it into strips and zip tying it to my lansky hones so i can use multiple compounds without ruining multiple lansky stropping hones that way i will always have a clean lansky stropping hone these are the effects im getting from #1(course blk) - #2(reg blk) - #3(brown)-#4(white)- #5(green high polish)
I think its pretty good for my 2nd attempt?
And this is the leather im going to try to clean up and use you think ill get better results with the leather and compound instead of the paper and compound?
I was reading this on how to clean the leather
http://m.instructables.com/id/How-to-load-a-strop-Knife-Sharpening/
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/stroppingwithgreenrougeversesdiamondpaste.html
I have yet to try this compound oil mix yet but i have bought some leather and plan on cleaning some cutting it into strips and zip tying it to my lansky hones so i can use multiple compounds without ruining multiple lansky stropping hones that way i will always have a clean lansky stropping hone these are the effects im getting from #1(course blk) - #2(reg blk) - #3(brown)-#4(white)- #5(green high polish)
I think its pretty good for my 2nd attempt?
And this is the leather im going to try to clean up and use you think ill get better results with the leather and compound instead of the paper and compound?
I was reading this on how to clean the leather
http://m.instructables.com/id/How-to-load-a-strop-Knife-Sharpening/
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- Joined
- Jul 8, 2014
- Messages
- 72
and just to be clear, when stropping your just pulling down on an angle and not pulling up correct? im using a lansky. system say of i knick/rub the blade would i have to go back down to say the med hone? or is the leather so soft that it wouldnt really be a problem? and what is the best angle to strop?
- Joined
- Jul 8, 2014
- Messages
- 72
anybody
- Joined
- Jun 4, 2010
- Messages
- 6,642
Am not sure what you mean by "pulling down/up" .
The website below has links to a ton of content, check out video #4. It shows me using a Washboard as a strop with paper, the mechanics are the same on leather only very, very light pressure, think an ounce or two at most. DO NOT use softer leather. It has memory that will not go away unless the leather is cased and even then it will still have some elasticity. When you press down with any kind of force, the leather compresses - as it expands back to its original volume when the apex passes overhead, it will round the edge. The leather only needs to be soft enough to allow some penetration of the honing grit, giving a more uniform abrasive field that will make the edge more uniform. In all reality when using honing compounds, you don't even need to use leather - there are many surfaces that will work every bit as well or better. If you don't have suitable leather, use something else like MDF, balsa, paper board....
Generally on most strops you will use a slightly more acute angle to account for the compression. On harder strops you can use the original grinding angle. On really hard strops you might even get away with using a slightly more obtuse angle to create a bit of microbevel and added burr removal (but I wouldn't advise it).
I used the elevating from flat until the edge bites and then backing off a touch technique last night. What a difference! I have a paddle strop of leather on one side and fine suede on the other.
Last night I sharpened my Leek on the sharpmaker for the first time. Worked one side on medium until I had a consistent burr. Switched sides and then repeated on fine and UF stones. Careful strop and the blade is now sharp to my satisfaction. Easily shaves hair and push cuts paper.
I'm new to knife collecting and sharpening and read through some of the stickies. Great insight. Looking forward to learning more. Like micro bevels
Last night I sharpened my Leek on the sharpmaker for the first time. Worked one side on medium until I had a consistent burr. Switched sides and then repeated on fine and UF stones. Careful strop and the blade is now sharp to my satisfaction. Easily shaves hair and push cuts paper.
I'm new to knife collecting and sharpening and read through some of the stickies. Great insight. Looking forward to learning more. Like micro bevels
There is no such thing as a quick question when you get this deep into the weeds.
Short answer: Both DMT's Dia-Paste and Wicked Edge's diamond pastes will give you excellent results. Hand American's diamond spray is probably better, especially at high concentration.
Longer answer: A lot depends on what kind of steel you're using, what you're cutting and what coarseness level of strop compounds you're using. My sense is that most of the brightest minds on the forum would prefer a coarser edge on high-carbide steels. I personally like a refined edge, no matter what the steel. Poly crystalline diamonds cut faster and are more expensive. Mono crystalline diamonds don't cut as fast, but leave a more refined edge. Hand American uses poly crystalline diamonds in their sprays larger than 1 micron and mono crystalline diamonds for 1 micron and less -- which are scratch patterns so fine that they refine the edge but don't do much cutting. I believe that DMT uses mono crystalline diamonds. I don't know about Wicked Edge. I do know that combining Wicked Edge's guided system with strops and very light pressure produce amazing results.
Really, really long answer: Check out Ken Swartz's post in this earlier thread. Ken is the strop guru. He posts under the name KssKss.
He starts posting at post No. 12.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php/1159587-DMT-paste-vs-CBN-spray-which-one-is-better
- Joined
- Sep 27, 2016
- Messages
- 6
Thanks to everyone for all the help and advice. This gives me a place to start. Seems like I need to master the stone first then work on stropping.
Did zip tying the leather strips to the Lansky hone work for you?Im just starting out to stropping im finding it kind of easy going getting my mirrored edges quite easily i came across this method just a second ago
http://www.inthewoodshop.com/WoodworkTechniques/stroppingwithgreenrougeversesdiamondpaste.html
I have yet to try this compound oil mix yet but i have bought some leather and plan on cleaning some cutting it into strips and zip tying it to my lansky hones so i can use multiple compounds without ruining multiple lansky stropping hones that way i will always have a clean lansky stropping hone these are the effects im getting from #1(course blk) - #2(reg blk) - #3(brown)-#4(white)- #5(green high polish)
I think its pretty good for my 2nd attempt?
And this is the leather im going to try to clean up and use you think ill get better results with the leather and compound instead of the paper and compound?
I was reading this on how to clean the leather
http://m.instructables.com/id/How-to-load-a-strop-Knife-Sharpening/