Wicked Edge: Balsa Strops vs. Regular Strops

Glock Guy

Glock Guy

Joined
Jul 28, 2012
Messages
1,589
OK guys I'm going to admit that don't have much experience with stropping as I usually stop right after using lapping films since I get great results with that.

That being said, I think I'm missing out on something in either sharpness or polish with the strops, and I was hoping you guys could educate me on the difference (in use and results) between the regular leather strops and the Balsa strops? I did read THIS thread on the subject, but wanted to see if there is any new info or different takes on it?

I'm thinking that the biggest pro for the balsa is that it holds the angle better being a firmer surface, while the benefit of the leather (after lowering the angle a few degrees) is a higher polished, sharper edge. Am I even close here?

Thanks in advance for any advice!

**QUICK EDIT: Also, it seems like there are so many products out now like the DMT paste and sprays, so if you have a favorite recipe please share!
 
Last edited:
It's more of personal preference, I do believe leather or balsa strop will eventually make the apex too weak especially when repeated in different grids down to 0.2 micron for a true mirror finish, hence most sharpeners like to put a micro bevel at the end to beef up the apex. Otherwise you will loose that extreme sharpness rather quickly.

I hate to say this but it really is a trial and error thing that you have to find out what works for you to achieve the type of bevel finish you want and the intended use of the knife on your wicked edge clamp. They have just came out with a polishing kit using glass blanks and diamond lapping films, I'm interested to try it but I already blew my Christmas gift budget on the Spyderco Maxamet Manix 2 and chef and cruwear PM2. The mrs is not very happy....


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
Bit of a necro here, but I'm wondering the same thing. For what it's worth, as a new WEPS user I'm still struggling to get he leather strops to perform as expected. Sharpening at 17 DPS and stropping at around 15.5 DPS has produced a viable working age, but not something hair-whittling I'd say. The main appeal of the balsa (for me, anyways) is not having to modify the angle.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
 
partizaan81 said:
Bit of a necro here, but I'm wondering the same thing. For what it's worth, as a new WEPS user I'm still struggling to get he leather strops to perform as expected. Sharpening at 17 DPS and stropping at around 15.5 DPS has produced a viable working age, but not something hair-whittling I'd say. The main appeal of the balsa (for me, anyways) is not having to modify the angle.


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Click to expand...

Bit of a necro in reply to this necro. In going from 17DPS to stropping at 15.5DPS, you actually went the wrong direction. You should have gone to 20DPS with your strop. This adjusts for the give in the strop so that you aren't rounding off your apex, which is what you were doing at 15.5DPS.
 
Zatx said:
Bit of a necro in reply to this necro. In going from 17DPS to stropping at 15.5DPS, you actually went the wrong direction. You should have gone to 20DPS with your strop. This adjusts for the give in the strop so that you aren't rounding off your apex, which is what you were doing at 15.5DPS.
Click to expand...
Hi,
are you sure about that?
"rounding off the apex" basically happens because the angle is increased
to avoid rounding its necessary to
lower the angle to compensate for the squishyness of leather
esp if pushing down with "force"

There are pictures in this sticky Stropping: angle plus pressure
 
Zatx said:
Bit of a necro in reply to this necro. In going from 17DPS to stropping at 15.5DPS, you actually went the wrong direction. You should have gone to 20DPS with your strop. This adjusts for the give in the strop so that you aren't rounding off your apex, which is what you were doing at 15.5DPS.
Click to expand...

No, he was correct the first time.

You reduce the angle (from 17dps to 15.5dps in the example) to compensate for the "give" in the softer medium that will almost wrap itself around the edge. If you increase the angle you will round off the apex and destroy whatever sharpness you had.

Think of it like a microbevel in reverse. With a micro bevel, you have a shallower (say 15dps) main bevel, then you INCREASE the angle to 19dps to make the very apex less severe to add strength. Stones have no give, so you will end up at that 19dps angle on your micro. With a strop, you need to drop the angle down since they will wrap around the edge, basically creating some degree of convexness in the process.


I've been doing some experimenting with both balsa and leather strops since that first post and really like both. Here's what I've come up with after some trial and error:

* With Balsa strops, I keep the exact same angle as my sharpening. I've read some posts in another forum where some drop the angle 1/2 degree, but still think it hits the shoulders of the edge a bit too much. I keep the angle the same and use *very* light pressure. That is the entire key. Basically the strop is just barely touching the edge. If you need to reduce the angle, you are probably putting way too much pressure on the strop.

* I do NOT use the strops when going for a mirror polish, as the diamond films prove much better and faster. When going for a mirror polish, I go from 200-1500 grit on the diamond paddles, then the 6/3/1/0.5 micron Diamond Lapping film to finish. The edges are EXTREMELY sharp at this point, but require some time to get them to that point.

* I prefer to use leather strops with the 4 & 2 micron diamond paste on my kitchen knives. Basically I go through my diamond progression (200-15K), then switch to the leather to really bring back some bite and add that extra level of sharpness. This also makes it easy to strop them back to sharp in just a minute or so.

* When using leather, I only drop the angle 0.5 degrees. Again the keys here are to go slow and use extremely light pressure. You are not pushing the strop into the blade - you are trying to slide it along the edge. Listen to the sound, and especially the volume the strop makes when you do this. It should be very quiet.

Finally I just picked up some 0.25 micron diamond spray that I will try on my mirror polish edges. Anything under 1 micron must be done on leather (I have a set of kangaroo strops ready and waiting) as the pores in the balsa are too big to make them effective using that low a finish. I've heard some great things about these edges. While not long lasting, they are supposed to be unreal sharp!
 
Zatx said:
Bit of a necro in reply to this necro. In going from 17DPS to stropping at 15.5DPS, you actually went the wrong direction. You should have gone to 20DPS with your strop. This adjusts for the give in the strop so that you aren't rounding off your apex, which is what you were doing at 15.5DPS.
Click to expand...

Flatly wrong. Going higher in angle, i.e., from 15.5 to 17 dps (or 20), on a softish strop will only increase the tendency to round over the apex. The give in the strop must be compensated for by going to a LOWER angle, i.e., from 17 to 15.5 dps, just as was originally stated.


David
 
Last edited:
You guys are right. I shouldn't post late at night! Ha, I stand corrected and don't mind admitting it one bit. At least it got the thread moving more. ;)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top