Stropping issues with ZDP189...

Zatx

Zatx

Joined
May 4, 2007
Messages
196
Hi guys.

I'm a recent convert to stropping. Created my own strop bat with 4 sides. 6 micron, 3 micron, 1 micron, DMT diamond pastes on three sides with one side left with just plain leather.

The very first knife I put to the strop I created a beautiful mirrored bevel and hair popping edge. Same with the next couple of knives until I got to my Spyderco Endura 4 in ZDP189. I did the same routine with this knife as the rest but my results are not coming out nearly as nice. The beveled edge looks..... cloudy.

Is this due to the metal or my technique? Should I apply more diamond paste? Should I just spend many more hours stropping?

Anyone have similar issues with ZDP189?

Thank you.
 
Even if it's a harder steel, you shouldn't be spending "hours" stropping. The paste wears off, and the metal build up might need to be cleaned off the strop. Mine gets sort of slick after lots of use, and needs to be cleaned off and reloaded.
Not all my knife steels take to stropping in the same way, and the CPM S35VN knife doesn't seems to notice that I'm stropping it. I can't seem to get the same results as other steels like 01, A2, 1095.
Maybe harder steels need more stropping, but not hours.
 
I've only stropped 4 blades with it, so I don't think I should be low on diamonds or in excess on waste steel.

Just to be sure I put a mirrored edge on my Leatherman blade just fine. It just must be that the ZDP is so much harder.
 
ZDP (from Spyderco) is QUITE hard.

It takes a crazy edge, but I would advise VERY low pressure, and I probably strop ZDP 5 times the number of strokes I'd use for most other Spyderco knives. The number of strokes is all relative obviously...

ZDP will take a fantastic polish though!

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