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Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 4:05 pm
by 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!
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 4:59 pm
by holeshot
Sounds like a interesting method. Could you please post a pic of your NP strop? Oh yeah, welcome to the fourm. :)
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 10:49 pm
by threedotspoons
Will post a pic tomorrow...getting ready to go night night. Thanks for the welcome Holeshot.
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 10:58 pm
by Calicoast
Welcome to the forum. Yes, that would be nice to see. -C
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Tue Jun 05, 2018 11:24 pm
by Doc Dan
I have always used plain leather, but I think I will give the newsprint a go and see what happens.
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 4:10 am
by Jazz
I use it at work when I touch up my wharnie Delica. Also thin cardboard. Works okay. Learned it from Murray Carter.
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 6:19 am
by 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.
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 6:43 am
by 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).
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 9:23 am
by 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!
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 4:19 pm
by holeshot
threedotspoons wrote: ↑Wed Jun 06, 2018 9:23 am
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
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 4:41 pm
by Jazz
You don’t put abrasives on in. It already has a bit in it.
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 4:58 pm
by 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.
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 7:35 pm
by jpm2
A few strokes on plain paper or bare denim is usually how I finish.
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Wed Jun 06, 2018 9:10 pm
by 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.
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Thu Jun 07, 2018 6:31 am
by holeshot
threedotspoons wrote: ↑Wed Jun 06, 2018 9:10 pm
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.
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 9:24 am
by 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
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Fri Jun 08, 2018 7:42 pm
by SpyderEdgeForever
WOW Thank you!
Will this method work on any steel?
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Sat Jun 09, 2018 9:34 pm
by threedotspoons
Any steel? Not sure. I'm a spoon carver and the newspaper strop works great on my Mora knives.
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Tue Sep 11, 2018 6:11 pm
by Hgwxx7
FK wrote: ↑Fri Jun 08, 2018 9:24 am
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?
Re: Newspaper stropping?
Posted: Wed Sep 12, 2018 7:25 am
by 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