UF Rods Vs Strop

[AFAustin]

I use the UF rods regularly for touch ups and love them. They are a great investment, IMO.

I also have some nice traditional leather on wood strops, but it is pretty easy to round the edge with them. I've gotten much better results with simple, cheap, homemade denim-on-paint-stick strops. They are much more forgiving and less likely to round the edge in my experience. I've tried various compounds on them, and for simple stainless and carbon steels have the best luck with Ryobi white "H", Mother's Mag, and Bark River green.

Andrew

 

[kniggt]

I also just made my 4 sided strop and my 4 compounds from stropman arrive tomorrow, I'm excited to start learning how to strop! I'll let you know how the compounds work for me

 

[wtlj]

I also just made my 4 sided strop and my 4 compounds from stropman arrive tomorrow, I'm excited to start learning how to strop! I'll let you know how the compounds work for me

Oh wow that's great! I'm pretty much making my own stropman 4 stroke. I have a nice piece of 8-9oz veg tan leather. Solid 2.5"x2.5"x12" (haven't decided on length yet) piece of wood, and rubber cement. I'm even planning on drilling an elongated hole with a forstner bit through the center for compound storage. So did you buy all 4 compounds he offers? You planning on doing all 4 fuzzy side up?

 

[kniggt]

I made mine 2" by 11" long strips, my board was 2-1/4" square by 16" long and i put two rough sides out for the black and white compounds and two smooth sides for the green and red. I might only put red on half of the smooth side of one strip and leave the other half bare. Great idea on drilling a hole through the center for compound storage! I think I'll do that as well. I build furniture for a living so i have access to any size forstner bit and all tools necessary for woodworking which is kinda nice! I'll try to put a pic of my strop on later

 

[wtlj]

I can't take the credit for the storage compartment. I got the idea from stropman on his 4 stroke strop.

 

[kniggt]

I'm having a hard time making my knife any sharper with my new strop and compounds. I've tried little pressure, lots of pressure, made sure the angle was right on and it's not getting any sharper, don't know what I'm doing wrong but it sure is tricky!

 

[Sadden]

I'm having a hard time making my knife any sharper with my new strop and compounds. I've tried little pressure, lots of pressure, made sure the angle was right on and it's not getting any sharper, don't know what I'm doing wrong but it sure is tricky!

Mystery compounds have that tendency.

 

[wtlj]

Mystery compounds have that tendency.

He's using quality stropman compounds.

 

[calc]

I use the UF rods regularly for touch ups and love them. They are a great investment, IMO.

I too use one for touch ups, as well as a finishing step if I microbevel.

 

[Sadden]

He's using quality stropman compounds.

Whats the min , max and mean particle sizes in stropman compounds?

 

[wtlj]

Whats the min , max and mean particle sizes in stropman compounds?

I'm sure I could find out for you from stropman himself. So since you seem to be challenging everything let me challenge you. What would you suggest for stropping compounds and what are the particle sizes that go along with them. Please include a location where they can be purchased as well as data showing there viscosity...

 

[Sadden]

Viscosity is a moot point provided you can evenly spread the compound across the strop , which you cannot do with most stick type compounds. For example here is flexcuts strop kit using their compound.


However since you asked , the viscosity of the compounds I use is slightly thicker than water (being a water based compound and all). The min , max and mean particle sizes of the compounds I use are all listed on the bottles , and are verified using a scanning electron microscope. They are available from jendeindustries or directly from the supplier himself. As to the science that goes into the compounds I use , here you are...

Part 1
http://www.precisesharpening.blogspot.ca/2010/12/part-1-comparison-of-three-quarter.html

Part 2
http://www.precisesharpening.blogspot.ca/2011/01/part-2a-comparison-of-three-quarter.html

Part 3
http://www.precisesharpening.blogspot.ca/2011/01/cbn-cubic-boron-nitride-scanning.html

Any other questions?

 

[wtlj]

It's been a while since I've seen a strop loading job that bad...here's a link you may want to take a look at that may yield better results for you.
http://m.instructables.com/id/How-to-load-a-strop-Knife-Sharpening/all/

 

[wtlj]

I too use one for touch ups, as well as a finishing step if I microbevel.

Thanks gents, I plan on ordering a set of UF rods soon.

 

[Sadden]

It was loaded as per flexcuts "instructional" video. Although next time I feel like lighting my apartment on fire I will take your advice.
[video=youtube;e7QhY8O6vSo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e7QhY8O6vSo&list=UUzFprXOCbV5N6Ons1FVqfVw[/video]

Meanwhile a quality compound (on a quality strop) leaves a nice even coat of evenly sized particles of a known concentration. Heres an experimental polycrystalline emulsion compound spread on some nanocloth.

 

[awestib]

Sadden, I would not even go there! People make up their minds, recommending something better after the fact is rarely helpfull.