Stropping Help?!

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bcknives

Joined
Jun 22, 2012
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337
Hello, All!

I have stumbled upon a problem when I strop High Carbon Steel knives. I strop on a homemade leather strop, and I use Black Emery Compounds on it. Whenever I strop a Carbon Steel knife, it just completely makes the edge blunt. I can strop almost any Stainless steel without a problem, which makes no sense to me at all. I love to get a nice polished edge of my carving knives, and Bushcraft knives. So I just strop them. Am I using the wrong compounds? Or is there something different when in comes to Carbon knives?
Please help! Thank you!

~Ben
 
The black compound is more aggressive than the green, or white. The Carbon blades are probably softer than the stainless. My guess is that you are stropping with too much pressure, therefore rounding the edges off of the blades. Use a light touch and try to maintain the same angle that you sharpened with. Light meaning very little pressure, or only the weight of the knife. See sticky at top of this section for some excellent guidance.

Omar
 
bcknives said:
Hello, All!

I have stumbled upon a problem when I strop High Carbon Steel knives. I strop on a homemade leather strop, and I use Black Emery Compounds on it. Whenever I strop a Carbon Steel knife, it just completely makes the edge blunt. I can strop almost any Stainless steel without a problem, which makes no sense to me at all. I love to get a nice polished edge of my carving knives, and Bushcraft knives. So I just strop them. Am I using the wrong compounds? Or is there something different when in comes to Carbon knives?
Please help! Thank you!

~Ben
Click to expand...

Check out this post in the stropping "sticky" from the top. You may find it useful. :)
 
I'm also betting the black compound you're using is more aggressive than necessary. Might be too large particle size and/or just the compound itself (silicon carbide or, if it's true 'emery', it'll be natural aluminum oxide, a.k.a. 'corundum'). I've seen similar results using some black corundum compound on simpler steels like 1095 and 420HC. Really had to be careful, to avoid overdoing it. Problems are compounded with too much pressure or just over-stropping.

Green compound, for me, works much better with 1095 and similar steels. It's my favorite, with those.


David
 
How soft is your leather?

Spongy leather will do that. So will the practice of flipping the knife over between strokes, because you will anticipate the flip and increase your angle to the point where you will actually rub the edge off. Do not flip unless you flip the knife over on its back.

Better use a strop of thin leather, or denim (like a piece from an old pair of jeans), green compound (Harbor freight is a fine source), and firm pressure. 50 firm strokes on one side and then 50 on the other. No little flip at the end of the stroke. Slow down and make sure the angle is consistent all the way down the strop.

Light stropping is possibly necessary if your leather is too soft, but I have found good success for my self and 100s of students with firm stropping and NO FLIP!
 
Mr. Chips said:
How soft is your leather?

Spongy leather will do that. So will the practice of flipping the knife over between strokes, because you will anticipate the flip and increase your angle to the point where you will actually rub the edge off. Do not flip unless you flip the knife over on its back.

Better use a strop of thin leather, or denim (like a piece from an old pair of jeans), green compound (Harbor freight is a fine source), and firm pressure. 50 firm strokes on one side and then 50 on the other. No little flip at the end of the stroke. Slow down and make sure the angle is consistent all the way down the strop.

Light stropping is possibly necessary if your leather is too soft, but I have found good success for my self and 100s of students with firm stropping and NO FLIP!
Click to expand...

What do you mean by soft? I have a pretty smooth surfaced leather, and it's not spongy. I was probably flipping the blade like you said, and putting to much pressure too.
Thanks,
~Ben
 
I doubt that you were using too much pressure. Mostly my students do not use enough.

The flipping thing though, is almost always the problem when people are having trouble with stropping
 
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