Stropping "feel"

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nuggetz

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Jul 25, 2013
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I know there are tons of threads on stropping but the search function keeps telling me I have to wait 10 seconds so I'm starting a new thread.

Anyway, I've been trying to be more precise with my stropping efforts as well as being mindful of the feedback I'm getting. When a strop is loaded with compound, I don't really get much feedback so I decided to do some stropping on the smooth side of a piece of stropping leather and I had some questions. I can definitely feel when my angle is perfect as the bevel of the blade almost glides effortlessly over the leather. The question I have is whether or not this is the best angle. If I adjust the angle ever so slightly I'll feel a little bit of resistance. I assume this is the apex of the bevel just barely making contact with the leather. Is it better to strop and get that "slippery" feel or should I be feeling a bit of the edge making contact?

I'm exerting very little pressure on the blade now as I think I've been stropping with too much pressure before and perhaps rounding off my edges. Now that I kinda feel what's going on, what should I actually be feeling? I know if there's a burr on there I would probably feel that but lets forget about the burr for a moment. Lets assume I'm just re-honing a blade.
 
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I do too feel more a nice sliding of the bevel on the leather when I am on the bevel and I use the rough side with compound. I believe that the little bit of a give from the leather and maybe the rough parts contribute to cleaning the apex even if you are exactly on the main bevel so IMHO, I don't think you should increase the angle at all if that's what you are referring to!?
 
Start off shallow. Slowly work the knife into the strop (yes edge leading) , and slowly and gently raise your angle. When you feel it bite this is your stropping angle. Strop normally (edge trailing only!!!!) at this angle.

Feedback from a strop can feel very different between substrates and compound combinations. Its wrong to assume that there is anyone "feel" that is right. Its more about practice and experience. The trick above is usefull for determining which angle to strop at.
 
This may sound strange, but I've often noticed how beneficial it can be to 'strop' on a smooth and dead-flat piece of glass. In terms of feedback felt, it's real easy to feel the difference (and hear it) when the bevel is perfectly flush to the glass. Much 'slicker' and quieter when it is; and if the angle is a bit too high, you can feel it too, and the sound will very obviously change as well. This can be a good training aid, in feeling for and maintaining the correct angle. Once the hands get 'trained' to the feel of doing this, it seems to translate more easily to sharpening and stropping on other surfaces as well, for me anyways. This also works for training the hands to edge-leading sharpening, as well. The advantage of doing this on glass is, it'll minimize how much you damage your edge, if the angle and/or pressure isn't right.


David
 
Yep, I know what I'm feeling but the question is whether or not I should maintain the angle only when it feels smooth or should I adjust the angle to include a very slight bit of the edge (which I can also feel).
 
nuggetz said:
Yep, I know what I'm feeling but the question is whether or not I should maintain the angle only when it feels smooth or should I adjust the angle to include a very slight bit of the edge (which I can also feel).
Click to expand...

I'd say 'it depends', based on the situation.

When using my leather belt as a hanging strop (no hard backing), I've noticed some benefit in angling the edge ever-so-slightly into the belt, so I can feel the edge drag a bit. I do this after sharpening on hones/sandpaper, to clean up the last remnants of burrs along the edge. When done with very light pressure, this really puts some 'pop' into 1095, CV and simpler stainless blades like 420HC, 440A/C, etc, using green compound and following on a bare section of the belt. Using a belt as a hanging strop makes it difficult to apply excessive pressure, because the belt will fold/bend/deflect too much if pressure is too heavy. I like this, because it makes application of pressure almost self-regulating. Burrs on other more wear-resistant steels oftentimes won't be fazed by this method, and I clean those up on firm/hard-backed strops with more aggressive compound (SiC/diamond, usually).

If stropping on leather over a hard/firm backing, I don't like to angle the edge/apex into the leather at all, but instead focus on keeping the bevel flush to the leather. Same applies when stropping on other hard-backed surfaces, like wood or paper+compound over wood/stone/glass. Firmer backing with leather will tend to round off the apex more often than not, if the angle is just a little too high.


David
 
Sadden said:
Start off shallow. Slowly work the knife into the strop (yes edge leading) , and slowly and gently raise your angle. When you feel it bite this is your stropping angle. Strop normally (edge trailing only!!!!) at this angle.

Feedback from a strop can feel very different between substrates and compound combinations. Its wrong to assume that there is anyone "feel" that is right. Its more about practice and experience. The trick above is usefull for determining which angle to strop at.
Click to expand...

^I like this^
I tried it on a few blades and quickly found out that at times I've been stropping too steep.
 
nuggetz said:
Yep, I know what I'm feeling but the question is whether or not I should maintain the angle only when it feels smooth or should I adjust the angle to include a very slight bit of the edge (which I can also feel).
Click to expand...

In that case no , your asking to round off the apex at that point.
 
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