Stropping questions

[Ghost93]

I just got my strop from Lee Valley Tool and went to work on my Ontario TAK in D2. My question is that does my TAK need to be sharp before i try the strop, or if its dull (amd i was) sharpen with my lansky then the strop. So please help.

 

[Cliff Stamp]

Even plain leather will sharpen a knife (most steels anyway) it will just take a *LONG* time if the knife is dull, in general when sharpening the more grits you skip the less efficient the process. Thus you generally want a knife fairly sharp before you try to finish it on leather. Some times though the edge can just be slightly rolled and not worn and a light stropping can realign it, so give it a few passes and see if anything happens. If you see no change you may need to rework it on an actual hone and then try the leather again.

-Cliff

 

[4 s ter]

I have a Lee Valley strop that I used with their Veritas green chromum oxide honing compound. I don't really use it to sharpen a knife. I use it to remove the wire edge or burr after sharpening on the Spyderco Sharpmaker. Occasionally I use it between sharpenings, more to reallign the edge than anything else.

David

 

[Cliff Stamp]

You can load it with really aggressive compounds and use it as a full sharpener, HandAmerican does this for example and sells coarse SiC abrasives.

-Cliff

 

[Hardman]

The strop is for finishing and putting on a razor edge. Therefore the knife should be as sharp as possible before stropping (otherwise you'll be stropping all day).

I'm lazy and use red buffing compound on my bench grinder's buffing wheel. Works great and takes about 3 seconds.

Mike

 

[Ghost93]

Thanks all, this is all very helpful