A few questions on stropping

[Sawyer]

My knife has sliced so many cuts of wood now that I thought I need to get into this stropping business. I've sharpened with japanese waterstones, but want to check a few things regarding stropping.

I've stuck down a piece of soft leather to a board. Is this okay to use? Does it matter what the leather type is? Should I use WD40 on it? How often should I strop compared to using the stones? How long do you strop for and how often

Sorry for the basic Qs, I'm new to all this!

Thanks.

 

[sasquatch]

Use Autosol on it if you can, or even toothpaste. You shouldn't need your stones again until you damage the blade. Strop before heavy use and it should be razor sharp pretty much all the time. I strop my knife before a weekend of bushcrafting to know it's sharp and I'll give it a quick strop when I get back. Stones take steel off the edge, a strop doesn't...

 

[ged]

Your strop will be fine. The abrasive matters more than the leather. Don't overdo it or you'll dull the edge.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-HNO8sPhz4Y

 

[Sawyer]

Thanks guys!!

 

[Toddy]

I use one of the sets that Warthog1981 makes
A bit of stropping compound will last an awful long time and it makes an excellent job of keeping my knives in good order.
50 to 100 strokes before I put the knife away; every time
I only sharpen now if I've got a nick or ping in the edge of the blade........come to think on it, the last time was months ago and that was an axe that had been used at the Moot where the sand gets everywhere, even on the chopping blocks.

I drag (trail the sharp edge) the knife along the stop, backwards and forwards.
The board means that the strop is always flat so there's less likelihood of creating a curve to the bevels.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[Sawyer]

Thanks Toddy

 

[Richie'66]

And where do we get stropping compound from then ?

 

[Hoggy]

got my sharpening bits and bobs from http://www.axminster.co.uk do as search on honing (no connection to site) and lakeland bushcraft (excellent service as always)

 

[robin wood]

What stones do you use? Big difference depending on whether you are finishing on a 1000, 6000 or 10000 stone.

I use autosol as my stropping compound which cuts fast but very fine. It is important to keep the bevel very flat on the strop and particularly don't raise the back of the knife as you get to the end of the stroke or you will round the edge.

 

[pteron]

I bought a huge wodge of http://www.screwfix.com/prods/31076...etal-Polishing/Polishing-Paste-Bar-800g-Green

(as recommended by warthog1981)

 

[luckylee]

i find the blue starskie sharp compound very good, i have the bark river green compound, and the white and the black, but the blue i find just gives a different level off polishing, i find when i use this, the difference is really noticible, i got the nod from an expert at sharpning, long strider of bb, and he definatly noes a thing or two about sharp knives.
hope this helps
lee,

 

[warthog1981]

I bought a huge wodge of Polishing/Polishing-Paste-Bar-800g-Green[/url]

(as recommended by warthog1981)

your giving away my secrets ..............

 

[robevs73]

i find the blue starskie sharp compound very good, i have the bark river green compound, and the white and the black, but the blue i find just gives a different level off polishing, i find when i use this, the difference is really noticible, i got the nod from an expert at sharpning, long strider of bb, and he definatly noes a thing or two about sharp knives.
hope this helps
lee,

I agree ! but I use another strop with autosol after the blue paste, hell of an edge!!!

 

[pteron]

your giving away my secrets ..............

You just copied it!

 

[warthog1981]

I Know

Russ

 

[Richie'66]

your giving away my secrets ..............

your secret is safe with me

 

[forestwalker]

Autosol is the good and easy to find stuff (auto parts stores, Claes Ohlsson, some petrol stations). I use it booth on leather (glued to plywood) and on a piece of obsessively planed flat pine (the leather on ply gives a tiny-tiny-tiny bit of rounding, the softwood not as much; makes a small difference for some chisels and planes, less for knives). The pine chunk also has a rounded edge that is smeared with autosol, good for the inside of crook knives.

 

[luckylee]

I agree ! but I use another strop with autosol after the blue paste, hell of an edge!!!

i have been finishing 2 with autosol, after the starkies, what a difference it has made, the combination of the 2 is devastating.

 

[Richie'66]

I tried the Autosol on a homemade strop yesterday. It took a good few hours to get the action and angle of the blade just right but it does work a treat and got the blade (which is unfinished) razor sharp. Shaves hair off the ol' arm a treat now.
Cheers all :You_Rock_