To Strop or not to Strop that is the Question

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Deerhunter2010

Joined
Jan 6, 2010
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I am having a RAT attack waiting on my RC 3 Mil to arrive. I have been looking at some post and some RAT owners are changing the edge of their blade right out of the box.
My question is that I would like a razor sharp edge and some guidance on Stropping because I have only been using a wet stone all my life, this is all new to me and it seems like the best way to get a razor sharp edge.

What I would like to know also is when I receive my RC 3 should I go ahead and use some 2000 grit paper on a mouse pad or the strop or both?

Thanks again.
 
When you first receive you RAT it will most likely be razor sharp out of the box. A strop will keep it razor sharp for a while but sooner or later you will need to use something more aggresive. A stone, sandpaper, Sharpmaker, doesn't matter, whatever you prefer, then finish with a strop for that razor finish again.

Bill
 
The RC-3 has a nice thin blade and should have a wicked edge out of the box.

I love to use a strop. I have one loaded with heavy compound that I use to clean the blades edge of rust and dirt and another loaded with a white compound that polishes the edge.

My strops are just some heavy saddle leather glued to a board with a handle shape cut out. Work great.
 
Probably. I use an old belt and get very good results. I always finish all my sharpening on that belt. It's only an inch wide but works great.

Bill
 
This thread gave me some ideas. I'm thinking I have some old belts that need a new purpose.
 
I bought three strops but, as Hitthespot said, an old belt will also work. Even a piece of cardboard will work. I also use an old weightlifting belt for larger knives.

I get some incredible results by charging the belt with Flitz metal polish paste.
 
You would not need to strop the edge in order to get it razor sharp. Whatever your sharpening (whet stone, KME, Edge Pro, etc.) method, it should be one that gets the edge razor sharp. Stropping is fine, but if your not experienced in how it is done, you will not have a razor sharp edge when finished...you'll actually dull the edge...it can be frustrating. Just my opinion, but once you acheive a really sharp...razor sharp edge, it is not necessary to strop.
 
you can get good heavy strips of leather from tandy....good place for leather if you have one around.

I glued a 3x18 piece on a 2x4 and having a large solid surface to work with helps speed it up and easier to learn on.

You can even charge a very smooth piece of wood with compound, wood carvers do this. I hone my curved spoon blade with a dowl charged with green.

you can get a razor edge without stropping but a stropped/polished edge is more durable will not ding or fold over as easy. It stays sharp longer.
 
To sharpen my knives, i don't worry about the angle. I just lay out a 400 grit piece of sandpaper on a mouse pad or leather pad and work back and forth, drawing the edge across the surface. If I want a nice toothy edge, I stop there. If I want a less toothy edge, I next use 600 grit sand paper.

I use the strops between sharpenings to bring back an edge. It's much easier to keep an edge sharp by stropping than allow the edge to dull and then starting all over.

Also, not to get picky, because I think we all lknow what we're talking about here, stropping is what the barber does with his straight razor when he passes the razor along a hanging leather strap. I don't believe passing a knife along a piece of leather that's been glued to some wood is really stropping. I believe it might be called sharpening to a convex edge.
 
I'm not sure about it being more resistant to folding or dinging but it will stay sharper longer, be sharper to begin with and you can touch up on the strop so you don't have to remove any noticeable amount of material.

I've also never found it to be any more difficult than any other method of freehand sharpening. Before you change anything on the blade profile why don't you give it a try first and see how you like it, then you can make a better decision based on your own experience. You may also want to experiment on a cheaper knife first.

Although both my RAT knives came very sharp they became much sharper after a few strokes on the strop.
 
Willieboy said:
To sharpen my knives, i don't worry about the angle. I just lay out a 400 grit piece of sandpaper on a mouse pad or leather pad and work back and forth, drawing the edge across the surface. If I want a nice toothy edge, I stop there. If I want a less toothy edge, I next use 600 grit sand paper.

I use the strops between sharpenings to bring back an edge. It's much easier to keep an edge sharp by stropping than allow the edge to dull and then starting all over.

Also, not to get picky, because I think we all lknow what we're talking about here, stropping is what the barber does with his straight razor when he passes the razor along a hanging leather strap. I don't believe passing a knife along a piece of leather that's been glued to some wood is really stropping. I believe it might be called sharpening to a convex edge.
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I thought the idea of attaching the leather to a piece of wood was to help keep the leather from having too much give so that it doesn't wrap around the edge of the blade thus actually dulling it.

As far as leather, would somewhere like Hobby Lobby carry anything? I'd like to make a strop myself but I'd like to not have to order leather.
 
Willieboy said:
Also, not to get picky, because I think we all lknow what we're talking about here, stropping is what the barber does with his straight razor when he passes the razor along a hanging leather strap. I don't believe passing a knife along a piece of leather that's been glued to some wood is really stropping. I believe it might be called sharpening to a convex edge.
Click to expand...

Technical you're right but I've got a couple of store bought "strops" that are just hard rubber glued to a piece of wood. I also use old belts. They both seem to function the same.
 
Stormstaff said:
As far as leather, would somewhere like Hobby Lobby carry anything? I'd like to make a strop myself but I'd like to not have to order leather.
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There are lots of materials you can use. I'm pretty sure I've been told anything from cardboard to just plain wood. If it's smooth and will hold the compound then your good to go
 
Also, check out Knives Ship Free site. I believe they have some well done sharpening/stropping vids if I remember correctly.
 
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stropping is the method ... a strop is just any surface you clean an edge on ... they can be hard rubber, leather , plastic , cardboard etc etc. the idea of backing it or even the mouse pad is just as stormstaff said..... its the method of removing... just like a sharping steel doesnt sharpen ... its more of a hone... atleast thats my understanding....

i like to strop most my knives... keeps em clean and seams to help with rusting. while cleaning up the wire edge. i have a couple of them loaded with green and white and one left plain leather ... its a pretty good skill to pick up any way.

most the time if i need to touch up a knife at the end of the day its to the sharpmaker and then a few passes on the strop. the ksf strops are pretty handy , and for larger blades like machetes works nicely like a file.
 
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