Stropping help.

B Hess

B Hess

Joined
Feb 20, 2006
Messages
1,471
I just can not get the hang of stropping my knives. I can get them shaving sharp on my sharpmaker but would like to be able to strop them and get them even sharper. Does anyone have a link to a demonstration of the proper way to strop. Or maybe even pictures.

I am currently using a Lee Valley double sided strop with veritas compound. I pull the knife away from the edge at a very shallow angle with the spine just barely off the strop.
 
Sounds like you're doing everything right; just make sure the edge is contacting the leather. That's the identical set-up that I use and it works very well. Have to note though that sometimes stropping seems to take that 'biting' edge off.
 
You stroke it to the left, then stroke it to the right, put it down and drink some scotch, you are done!
 
stroke it to the east, stroke it to the west, stroke it to the gal that you like best...

just stroken...
 
INFI Kid said:
I just can not get the hang of stropping my knives. I can get them shaving sharp on my sharpmaker but would like to be able to strop them and get them even sharper. Does anyone have a link to a demonstration of the proper way to strop. Or maybe even pictures.

I am currently using a Lee Valley double sided strop with veritas compound. I pull the knife away from the edge at a very shallow angle with the spine just barely off the strop.
Click to expand...

I would venture to guess that the actual edge isn't touching the strop. look at the edge under a loupe and see if you are hitting it. As stated by the other guy, I use this exact system also and acheive excellent results. Once you get the hang of it, you will love it. Also make sure you have your strop evenly and adequately charged.
 
With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went unnoticed last month.

Larry La Prise, the man who wrote "The Hokey Pokey" died peacefully at age 93. The most traumatic part for the family was getting him into the coffin.

They put his left leg in..... and then the trouble started


























Shut up!!! You know it's funny :D
 
Now that is funny!!!



KnifeAddictAK said:
With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went unnoticed last month.

Larry La Prise, the man who wrote "The Hokey Pokey" died peacefully at age 93. The most traumatic part for the family was getting him into the coffin.

They put his left leg in..... and then the trouble started


























Shut up!!! You know it's funny :D
Click to expand...
 
KnifeAddictAK said:
With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went unnoticed last month.

Larry La Prise, the man who wrote "The Hokey Pokey" died peacefully at age 93. The most traumatic part for the family was getting him into the coffin.

They put his left leg in..... and then the trouble started
Click to expand...

ROFLMFAO!!!
 
Sounds like you're not hitting the edge. With stropping you actually want to use a slightly greater angle than with setting the edge bevel.

Alberta Ed said:
Sounds like you're doing everything right; just make sure the edge is contacting the leather. That's the identical set-up that I use and it works very well. Have to note though that sometimes stropping seems to take that 'biting' edge off.
Click to expand...

It will smooth the edge out overall. For something with more aggressive slicing capabilities, it can be better not to strop, rather just leaving a rough but well-formed edge on the blade.
 
To see if you're hitting the correct angle use a sharpie marker and color the edge. Don't worry, the ink will either be removed by the strop or wiped off with a cloth. If you are at the correct angle as you strop the marker will be removed showing you exactly where the edge is hitting the leather. I suspect that you are holding the blade at to shallow of an angle. In my experience you need to hold the angel higher than you would think.

Also the edge may need to be stropped on some fine grit sandpaper, then stropped on the veritas and leather. I use 400, 600, and 1000 grit, then the veritas, then plain leather (same strop you have). I am still getting the hang of it myself but I've gotten some fairly decent results so far. Practice makes perfect:thumbup:
 
Maybe I'm missing something, but doesn't stropping using a suspended strop allow the leather to curve just a little where the blade comes into contact, making just a small convex trim along the face of the edge of the blade where the bevel would be? When I am polishing the edge of my leather tooling knife on a rouged up blank, I usually have the blank lying flat on the bench so it won't roll so much, though I note that the edge still has a miniscule amount of convex right at the threshold, likely due to the slight give in the leather anyways.
 
KnifeAddictAK said:
With all the sadness and trauma going on in the world at the moment, it is worth reflecting on the death of a very important person, which almost went unnoticed last month.

Larry La Prise, the man who wrote "The Hokey Pokey" died peacefully at age 93. The most traumatic part for the family was getting him into the coffin.

They put his left leg in..... and then the trouble started


























Shut up!!! You know it's funny :D
Click to expand...

Thanks, I just wasted a good part of Coke and Cockspur Rum on a sinus rinse. You are too funny Bro!:D :thumbup:
 
I'm still laughing !!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I work for a Music Publisher, and the number of times I've printed "The Hokey Pokey" in the last 22 years ...............

THAT was FUNNY !!!!!!!

Rob
 
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