Stropping for mystery steel

[AZ Red]

So I’ve been starting to amass a collection of carbon steel blades in my knife roll, and I am under the impression that stropping will maintain an edge better than a steel (in regards to carbon steel vs. ss).

But as I read more, I have quickly realized there are many more variables than I realized.

I have no clue as to the composition of the blades, only the item the steel came from (bed frame, lawnmower blade, saw blade, etc.).

I picked up a Flexcut paddle strop with a gold compound at woodcraft, hoping to fill my needs while I learn more. Will this suit my needs of mystery steel? Although I have yet to touch up the edges myself, I would probably take them up to the X4 belt on my Ken Onion sharpener, using the strop daily.

Thanks for your input,
AZR

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Chances are, most any 'mystery steel' isn't going to present much wear resistance in terms of very hard carbides (chromium carbide, vanadium carbide, etc.). With that in mind, anything that'd work for steels like 1095, CV, 420HC, 440A should also work well enough for 'mystery steel'. These would include compounds like green (chromium oxide) or aluminum oxide in particular. Your Flexcut Gold compound is, I believe, a blended compound which relies primarily on aluminum oxide abrasive. It has a good reputation and should work for you.

Any stropping will depend on the readiness of the edge for it; in other words, the work on the stones needs to be completed to a full apex, before stropping can improve upon it. No stropping of any kind will enhance or improve an edge that isn't fully apexed and ready for the strop. If you notice your edges dulling or blunting/rounding very quickly during or after stropping, it's likely an indication that the strop isn't quite getting all the work done, and some stone work will be needed to reset a clean, crisp edge again.

 

[AZ Red]

Right on, I’ll touch up the edges to make sure before I start using the strop.

Once I apply the compound to the leather, can it be removed (as to use a different compound), or will the initial compound “ruin” it for anything finer/less aggressive?

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Right on, I’ll touch up the edges to make sure before I start using the strop.

Once I apply the compound to the leather, can it be removed (as to use a different compound), or will the initial compound “ruin” it for anything finer/less aggressive?

Sometimes leather can be sanded down to a completely clean surface. But part of that depends on how thick the leather is and how deeply the previous compound was applied. Otherwise, you might not be able to fully remove all the previous compound from it. That doesn't necessarily ruin it, but it might affect results expected of any compound replacing it, especially if the new compound is finer/less aggressive than previously used.

If you're going to a coarser compound, you should be able to simply clean up most of the old compound using some WD-40 on a rag or paper towel, or isopropyl alcohol used the same way (wet the rag/towel, not the leather, with both). Let the leather dry completely (WD-40 might take a while longer) and then reapply new compound.

Sanding the leather is real easy. You might use WD-40/alcohol as above, to remove most of the old compound first, so you're not scrubbing it into the leather as you sand it. Some relatively coarse-grit sandpaper wrapped around a sanding block, such as ~ 100 - 150 as used for wood sanding, will do it easily and any loose grit coming off the sandpaper will be large enough to immediately detect by feel or sight and remove it. Sand lightly; no need to lean into it, as the sandpaper will eat up the leather easily. Sanding also adds some velvety 'nap' to the leather which makes it take & hold new compound more easily, especially the crayon/stick compounds that need to be scrubbed onto the leather.

 

[mycough]

Right on, I’ll touch up the edges to make sure before I start using the strop.

Once I apply the compound to the leather, can it be removed (as to use a different compound), or will the initial compound “ruin” it for anything finer/less aggressive?

You get into this hobby and I bet you will have a dozen strops. I have sanded them down but I dont think you can really get rid of the old compound totally.

Russ