Should I Strop?

[abbazaba]

I recommend picking up a Knives Plus strop block and giving it a go. They are cheap enough, last a very long time, and in my experience work great at quickly and easily refining the edge in a noticeable way.

FWIW I've used stops on my Wicked Edge and don't find them nearly as useful in a guided system with good stones. However, the strop block is perfect for me to get an edge back when I'm feeling lazy.

[skeeg11]

OK a bit out of personal choice and experience I do not strop knives. (Have, but don’t)

As a ex butcher with a ton of sharpening experience I think the most missed part of a sharpening system is a butchers steel in between sharpening. A light strop can be used as similar aid to an edge, but the mess and effort can be removed with a decent steel.

+1
What are some of your steel recommendations?

[standy99]

This is what I use although 30 years older. Can’t beat the quality of Fdick as a brand. You don’t need one as good but just try not to get the ones that are too course.



https://www.madcowcutlery.com/store/pc/ ... -p2228.htm

[skeeg11]

This is what I use although 30 years older. Can’t beat the quality of Fdick as a brand. You don’t need one as good but just try not to get the ones that are too course.



https://www.madcowcutlery.com/store/pc/ ... -p2228.htm

Thanks. I've been meaning to get an FDick steel. About time I did, but a smooth worn Chicago steel has been sitting in the kitchen knife block for the last 30 years. Next time I place a knife order I gotta remember to get an FDick steel. Do you prefer oblong over round for a reason?

[Bemo]

I haven't read the article on stropping on Science of Sharp yet but have it queued up: https://scienceofsharp.com/2015/02/09/t ... op-part-1/

[Bolster]

OK a bit out of personal choice and experience I do not strop knives. (Have, but don’t)

As a ex butcher with a ton of sharpening experience I think the most missed part of a sharpening system is a butchers steel in between sharpening. A light strop can be used as similar aid to an edge, but the mess and effort can be removed with a decent steel.

Interesting. Care to share you method with the uninitated, such as myself? I read that the purpose of a steel is to "realign the edge." True? That makes it sound like it's intended for tough blades that deform, rather than hard blades that resist deformation.

I haven't read the article on stropping on Science of Sharp yet but have it queued up: https://scienceofsharp.com/2015/02/09/t ... op-part-1/

Well THAT's interesting. Thanks for posting, Bemo.

Cliff's Notes:

Author advocates edge-leading strokes for honing, as edge trailing strokes invite a wire edge. Then edge trailing stropping takes over and, done right, refines and makes a uniform edge without crating a burr. Says the “wrap-around” effect provided by the strop's compressibility helps prevent burr formation. Says the effect of stropping comes (in part) from micro-convexing the edge, as well as smoothing the edge. Essentially, creating a (smooth) micro-bevel at the edge. Says a compressable surface (leather, fabric, wood) is advantageous so the grit can "move around," but that the more spongy/resilient materials (like leather) run the highest risk of re-wiring the edge, cf a more rigid surface like balsa. Advocates a linen-then-leather two-part strop system (for razors). Cautions that the strop effect appears after just a few (<10) strokes, so long stropping sessions are typically not needed. Says that stropping paste is ideally 1.0-0.25 micron. Says different strops work best for knives (he uses kangaroo paddle) vs. razors (he uses hanging two-part system). For guided systems, says that harder stropping surfaces (thin leather or balsa) are better, and recommends adding a degree (or two) to the bevel so you are intentionally micro-beveling at the edge.

Well...that was my understanding at least...let me know if you read it differently.

[standy99]

A sharpening steel is good for two things: One, it smooths out the rough edge on a blade after you sharpen a knife on a whetstone. And two, it helps revive that edge after you've been cutting, slicing or chopping for a while


Keep your knife steel handy while you're working. Just a few minutes of ordinary slicing can knock your knife's delicate edge out of alignment. Once you're accustomed to the feel of a sharp knife, you'll feel the difference right away. When you do, just a few quick strokes on the steel will straighten it right out again, without having to grind away any more blade on a whetstone.

What you have to realise is most butchers knives are high carbon…. Thin edges…(very thin)

Here is two knives one is about 6 months older than the other.

Yes I used to wear a knife out in under 12 months…not break “wear out”
I used to break up 85 hindquarters of beef every Tuesday.
And usually 13 full bodies of beef every Wednesday

[standy99]

Also when I see the tests done on rope cutting it’s always sharp to dull (not cutting paper) and the number applied.


I really wonder how the figure would be if at this point a quick steel say 3 swipes each side would have the knife back up to slicing paper and how many extra rope cuts would be recorded.


Now I am going to be controversial but 99% of people I see using a steel on YouTube or any online guide is a Chef.. yeah chefs use knives but you want a real pro with a knife a butcher wins hands down…Butchers don’t cook for 50% of the time

My advice to anyone that has any issue sharpening or wants a knife sharpened is to find a local butcher shop that isn’t a supermarket and buy a few steaks and have a chat.

Even better….Tee a time to Rock up (closing time) with a few beers.

[skeeg11]

I LUV seeing worn out knives............not abused knives. It makes me smile to know that someone got their money's worth.

[Bolster]

Gritomatic will sell me a "guided" strop made of:

Cow
Kangaroo
Nanocloth
Balsa
Cordovan
Gunny Cloth
Hetinax
Oak
Alder
Beechwood ...

Any suggestions here?

[bbturbodad]

I can't speak to stropping on a guided system but my preferred strop material is basswood. It's relatively soft for wood but stiffer than leather and does a good job of holding the stropping emulsions I use.

I also find that using a stropping technique on a high grit 5k and up (or 1200 grit Venev) stone works well.

[Ramonade]

I stopped stropping once I got my F1200 and F1500 venev. When I did go as high as this it did not feel like it helped, on the contrary.

However, now that I finally bought some Gunny Juice, stropping has become fun (and yields results) again.

[Bolster]

I stopped stropping once I got my F1200 and F1500 venev. When I did go as high as this it did not feel like it helped, on the contrary.

However, now that I finally bought some Gunny Juice, stropping has become fun (and yields results) again.

Interesting. How to explain that?

[Ramonade]

I stopped stropping once I got my F1200 and F1500 venev. When I did go as high as this it did not feel like it helped, on the contrary.

However, now that I finally bought some Gunny Juice, stropping has become fun (and yields results) again.

Interesting. How to explain that?

I am using mainly steels with a high carbide concentration so the basic Al.Ox. stropping compounds are not very relevant for these (to reduce/ remove a burr maybe, but not for refining the edge IMHO).
I tested some diamond paste from venev and the DMT Diaspray (0.5 microns).

The paste didn't apply very well and no matter the treatment on the leather the edge sticked to the compounds when stropping. The DMT Diaspray was the only one working relatively well, but it is so fine that I didn't see any differenc egoing from a low grit edge to the strop, or high grit to the strop.

The 3 microns Gunny Juice however is bringing a whole lot of perks from the experience I've gotten the last few months. It's super good at maintaining edges on simple stainless and high carbon steels. And it works wonders at refining the edge further (then going on the 1 micron gunny Juice) on the steels like Maxamet, K390, S90V or MagnaCut.

[JRinFL]

I read a comment from someone far more knowledgeable than myself on this subject, that charging a strop with an abrasive means you are sharpening and not stropping. More reading says that stropping with an unloaded strop is burnishing the edge and with added abrasives it is closer to lapping the edge.

Am I correct that most people here are referring to a loaded strop when they speak of stropping?

[Bemo]

One concept that made a lot of sense to me from the Science of Sharp articles on stropping is to think of it as micro-convexing of the edge in addition to removing of the burr. I don't recall there being a distinction between loaded and unloaded.

[JD Spydo]

Strops can be beneficial regardless of how coarse or fine a finish you're using.

I'd check out some leather strops and diamond paste and see if you like the results.

If nothing else strops are really nice for checking for burrs you can't see or feel. Load them up with some fresh compound and do one stroke per side and check to see if one side scraped off more compound then the other. Easiest way to detect burrs without using magnification.

I agree with everything you said. But not all strops are created equal and there are so many types of compound you can load your leather ( or animal hide) strop with. You just need to experiment and find out what works best for you.

I still do it frequently. But lately I've been having excellent results using my German made "F. Dick" smooth sharpening steel. A good smooth steel has a nice burnishing effect on the apex of the blade. It really works great on M390 and Cruwear blade steels.

[kennbr34]

I strop my straight razor, but I don't really find it very useful for my knives. I have never gotten a knife sharper off of a strop than I can get it off of a hone, and a lot of the time it doesn't really seem like it does anything at all. Tried it for maintenance for a while, but found just touching up on the hone was easy enough so didn't see the need to use a strop instead. Some day they're good for deburring, but I just use my finishing hone for that too...

The only area it really seems to make a real difference to me is with my straight razor. I have read that science of sharp blog and aparrently it actually leaves a layer of lubrication. Thought that was pretty interesting.

[Manifestgtr]

Gritomatic will sell me a "guided" strop made of:

Cow
Balsa
Gunny Cloth
Alder


Any suggestions here?

I left the ones I’ve used extensively/have good experiences with…

The diversity of opinion surrounding this is very interesting to me. I thought stropping was much more universal than it is.

I’m glad you’re considering it, though…my edges went completely next level as I got deeper into strops. The first hair whittling edge I ever saw was off a 2 micron strop and it blew my newbie mind. I’m sure a steel serves a very similar purpose but stropping feels like it abrades a bare minimum of steel to get my edge back (very important for certain knives of mine that can’t be easily replaced for under $400 ).

The best is that diamond compounds are cheap and abundant. I have them ranging from 400 grit all the way up to .1 micron which is completely unnecessary but fun. A good place to start is probably a 2 micron paste or spray. A couple passes refines your teeth, a couple minutes results in a Hattori Hanzo laser beam.