Would I be wasting my time?? Rods + Strop

[mthall47]

Opinions please.
I have a generic brand V type ceramic rod sharpener I got at my local knife store. One pair of normal rods and one pair of finer rods. The advice in the "manual" is to start with the 15 degree angle holes, then go to the 22 degree angle holes using the finer rods. I have used it and it does some good.
In the interest of saving some money and not just throwing this out, I wondered if getting a good knife/razor stop for the finishing touches would help me achieve a little better effect, or would I be just wasting my time.
What do you think?

 

[fudo]

Make your own strop- cheap and effective.
Go to the store and get paint stirring sticks- they're free.
Take an old belt (real leather) and use a hot glue gun to put the leather on the stick, rough side up.rub jewlers rouge or other such product on it and draw your knife over the strop almost flat edge last. That takes the wire edge off and polished the edge. For me, it makes a very noticable difference..

 

[TorzJohnson]

I made a strop out of a chunk of 2x4 (free) and two pieces of good leather that HandAmerican threw in on an order they sent me (free). I just glued 'em on (glue: $0.02) and rubbed in some CrO powder on one piece and left the other natural. The 2 x 4 is a good base for a strop because it gives you a surface that's just the right height.

 

[TedGamble]

Ditto on what Fudo & Torz said. They're easy to make and the results are worth it. It took me a while to get the stropping technique correct, but once you do, it really pays off.

 

[GRMike]

The easiest do-it-yourself strop might be just a leather belt (with the buckle cut off) charged with buffing compound. I clamp one end in a bench vise and hold the other. I actually get better results with this rig than a storebought strop, especially with longer knives.

 

[Hateman]

I did not make mine as others have (bought it from Leigh Valley). Still, after practice, I found the strop takes sharpness to the next level. Definitely worth the money.

 

[Dave Rishar]

Stropping is always worth it. Get a strop and prepare to amaze yourself.

The one thing to watch out for is to make sure that you don't let your sharpening skills degrade because of the strop. Even a marginal edge will be pretty sharp after a good stropping. Make sure that you're still sharpening correctly. (I believe that this is mentioned in the FAQ.)

The side of my workbench has a raised lip to keep things from rolling off. I nailed one end of a leather belt to it; this way, I can lay the strop down on the wooden edge and strop with support, or I can hold the free end up under tension and strop with more give. I'm not convinced which way is better yet so I usually wind up doing both.

When you've got the technique down (and it is quite easy to learn) your sticks won't get used too often anymore. Just strop the knife every couple of days and it will remain sharp with minimal metal loss. You won't need a hone unless you chip the edge out - not for a long time, anyway.

The green stuff from Leigh Valley is worth it. If you're hand stropping, that bar will last you a very long time and it is, indeed, all that and a side of fries. Regarding a store bought strop or an old leather belt, the knife won't know the difference. Go with what's cheaper.