Newspaper stropping?

[threedotspoons]

Anybody else out there who prefers using newspaper for stropping over leather? I have tried leather and compound, just leather, denim, balsa wood, cardboard with and without compound. But none of those seem to work as good as plain old newspaper. I use black ink newspaper taped tightly around a piece of hard maple that I carved into a paddle. This gives me a killer edge. There is just so much talk about how good leather and compound are but I just don't get it. Let me know what you guys/girls think. Stay sharp!

[holeshot]

Sounds like a interesting method. Could you please post a pic of your NP strop? Oh yeah, welcome to the fourm. :)

[threedotspoons]

Will post a pic tomorrow...getting ready to go night night. Thanks for the welcome Holeshot.

[Calicoast]

Welcome to the forum. Yes, that would be nice to see. -C

[Doc Dan]

I have always used plain leather, but I think I will give the newsprint a go and see what happens.

[Jazz]

I use it at work when I touch up my wharnie Delica. Also thin cardboard. Works okay. Learned it from Murray Carter.

[JD Spydo]

I've been told by a couple of knife makers that if you use balsa wood correctly that it makes an excellent strop. I've yet to try balsa wood for stropping myself but I'm going to before too long after I heal up from this awful knee operation :o Actually I can't see how newspaper could have any advantages in stropping?

Now I have heard from a couple of guys over the years that there are certain types of canvas that does well stropping.

[Pelagic]

Basswood is my favorite, followed by leather. I feel like with newspaper I don't get as much out of my compounds before it's time to use a new piece (newspaper either becomes damaged or overly loaded).

[threedotspoons]

Sorry guys but I am having difficulties downloading a pic. Keeps saying the image is too large. Any ideas how to fix this?

I've read that blank ink is the equivalent to like 40,000 plus grit. So after using the 306 UF I strop on my newspaper paddle strop. Light strokes. Works great. I guess in my head the newspaper wrapped around the hard maple makes sense since it is a consistent medium that matches the hardness of my stones. If that makes sense? In the end...it works. And it doesn't hurt that master blade smith Murray Carter uses newspaper to strop with.

Take care and stay sharp!

[holeshot]

Sorry guys but I am having difficulties downloading a pic. Keeps saying the image is too large. Any ideas how to fix this?

I've read that blank ink is the equivalent to like 40,000 plus grit. So after using the 306 UF I strop on my newspaper paddle strop. Light strokes. Works great. I guess in my head the newspaper wrapped around the hard maple makes sense since it is a consistent medium that matches the hardness of my stones. If that makes sense? In the end...it works. And it doesn't hurt that master blade smith Murray Carter uses newspaper to strop with.

Take care and stay sharp!

I had the same problem for months then my son told me to get a photo compression app and it did the trick. :o

[Jazz]

You don’t put abrasives on in. It already has a bit in it.

[ZrowsN1s]

I've used cardboard (like from the back of a notepad), that works ok. Newspaper? I'll have to try that sometime. Diamond paste on leather works pretty good though.

[jpm2]

A few strokes on plain paper or bare denim is usually how I finish.

[threedotspoons]

Sorry guys, no luck in posting a pic of my newspaper strop. Still saying the image is too large. I guess I'll have to follow Holeshot's sons advice and download a photo compression app. How the **** do I do that? Say that backwards and it sounds like a revolutionary chant: "That do I do...**** the how! That do I do...**** the how!" Stay sharp everybody.

[holeshot]

Sorry guys, no luck in posting a pic of my newspaper strop. Still saying the image is too large. I guess I'll have to follow Holeshot's sons advice and download a photo compression app. How the **** do I do that? Say that backwards and it sounds like a revolutionary chant: "That do I do...**** the how! That do I do...**** the how!" Stay sharp everybody.

Go to the Apple App site and type in compression app in the search window and a bunch should come up. As I recall some are free and some are not. I believe the one a got was free but I ended up paying to not have to have all the adds pop up with it, wasn't much though.

[FK]

There is a very slight abrasive quality to newspaper ink.

This has been done for many years with plain carbon knives, I doubt it would have much effect with modern high alloy steels.

Regards,
FK
Member since Feb 17, 2001

[SpyderEdgeForever]

WOW Thank you!

Will this method work on any steel?

[threedotspoons]

Any steel? Not sure. I'm a spoon carver and the newspaper strop works great on my Mora knives.

[Hgwxx7]

There is a very slight abrasive quality to newspaper ink.

This has been done for many years with plain carbon knives, I doubt it would have much effect with modern high alloy steels.

Regards,
FK
Member since Feb 17, 2001

What about the modern high alloy steels would prevent newspaper from working as a strop? What about the recent sprint run steels like HAP40, V-Toku 2 or Rex 45? What do you recommend for stropping instead?

[Fixmeister]

Welcome Spoons. If you have an iPhone, attach the pic to an email to yourself. It will ask you what size you want to send it as. Choose a small version. Send it, then open the email and save the pic. It will be sized appropriately for attachment. Android users probably have the same or similar functionality.

I’m going to try the newsprint strop. Sound interesting.

Tom