Stropping pressure?

R

rc3mil

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Hey all. The guy in this video says it is ok to use as much pressure as you want when stropping your knife. I have heard some people on the forums say that very light pressure is best. What does everyone recommenced?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=une4Zp75gWU&feature=fvw

1 more question. How do i make it so that people see the video and can watch it from here instead of being redirected to youtube? Like the second post in this topic? http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=719327

Thanks
 
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I use compressed leather, and if I pressed real hard, I could end up rounding the edge, so I do not. Possibly if you are using a hard surfaced strop, it would not matter the stropping base would not yield to the pressure.
 
I get much better results with a very light touch, usually the weight of the knife.
 
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i do it both ways and my knives get sharp. i have the strop from knives ship free.
 
As mentioned earlier, as long as the angle is maintained to match the bevel, I think that's the most important thing when stropping.

I'm continually experimenting with how I strop. Lately, I've noticed that if I orient the blade diagonally to the direction of motion on the strop (instead of perpendicular), I can get away with using a little more pressure. It seems to make it more difficult to over-compress on the leather. My theory is that it puts more of the blade's shoulder on the strop, thereby distributing the pressure over a wider area of the blade. I've also noticed that it makes it easier to maintain the proper angle (to the edge bevel) when I do it this way.

And, since I just finished reprofiling an S30V blade, I've also noticed that the toughness of this steel seems to be more forgiving to using more pressure on the strop. Some lesser steels I think would be more prone to rounding the edge if the angle is a little to steep or if too much pressure is used. This S30V is the toughest one I've done so far, both in reprofiling and stropping afterwards. I just keep stropping and stropping and stropping it and, so far, it just keeps getting sharper...
 
1. You can use as much pressure as you want if you have the correct angle but usually its better to use less.
2. Only 10% of what was said in the video was helpful.
3. Watch this vid, its a little better and not so full of crap http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V6yBb8JW138
 
My stropping routine is.
Pressing down with a good amount of pressure with the blade nearly flat to polish the shoulder. I do this all the way up to my horse hide leather. After I do about 10 strokes per side with pressure I then raise the angle up to the edge and use a light amount of pressure may be a little more than what it takes to dent styrofome. (the big blocks not the food tray stryofoam as that's more compressed.)
 
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