Just figured I would share some of my recent work.
Let me start by saying that I have always been a bit skeptical of the whole stroping with leather to maintain my hard use knife edges. I decided I would give it a try for myself and decide if it was really all my brother, grunt soldier, really claimed it was. He always told me my knive weren't really sharp if I haven't stroped them. So I set out to make myself a good honing strop to see if he was correct. I did some research and figured out as much info I could about the right leather and compounds to use. I purchased some quality heavy leather, some nice flat wood, and some premium strop compound. Once I had acquired everything I got to it.
Here is what I came up with. I made 6 or 7 total since I knew my brother, father, and my father in-law would all want one. I wanted a bigger bench strop to accommodate my larger knives and so did grunt so I went with 3x3's for ours and just some 1x3's for the others. On the bench strops I did leather on all 4 sides. The first is a black compound, second is the green compound, third is the pink compound, and finally the plain leather side. Each compound is progressively less abrasive and after the green you are really just polishing the edge removing very very fine amounts of metal and removing the burr on the edge.
Once I had them finished up I gave mine a try on my Horton folder. I had used the knife the past few days for various tasks including carving two turkeys, cutting a few bones just for fun, and whittling a bunch of sticks with my niece. It would still cut paper but not great and wouldn't shave the hair on my arm any longer. I went through the process. Ten to fifteen strokes on each compound and then the bare leather. I have to admit that I am very impressed in the difference. The edge was insane sharp. It would easily shave my arm smooth with no effort and push cutting paper was effortless. I could make shavings off the paper about the thickness of a finger nail or smaller and the edge had its beautiful mirror finish back. I can see myself in the edge like my bathroom mirror.
Regular printer paper
And now some thin receipt paper
Needless to say I am now a believer and have to admit, unfortunately, that my brother was actually right for once.
Let me start by saying that I have always been a bit skeptical of the whole stroping with leather to maintain my hard use knife edges. I decided I would give it a try for myself and decide if it was really all my brother, grunt soldier, really claimed it was. He always told me my knive weren't really sharp if I haven't stroped them. So I set out to make myself a good honing strop to see if he was correct. I did some research and figured out as much info I could about the right leather and compounds to use. I purchased some quality heavy leather, some nice flat wood, and some premium strop compound. Once I had acquired everything I got to it.
Here is what I came up with. I made 6 or 7 total since I knew my brother, father, and my father in-law would all want one. I wanted a bigger bench strop to accommodate my larger knives and so did grunt so I went with 3x3's for ours and just some 1x3's for the others. On the bench strops I did leather on all 4 sides. The first is a black compound, second is the green compound, third is the pink compound, and finally the plain leather side. Each compound is progressively less abrasive and after the green you are really just polishing the edge removing very very fine amounts of metal and removing the burr on the edge.
Once I had them finished up I gave mine a try on my Horton folder. I had used the knife the past few days for various tasks including carving two turkeys, cutting a few bones just for fun, and whittling a bunch of sticks with my niece. It would still cut paper but not great and wouldn't shave the hair on my arm any longer. I went through the process. Ten to fifteen strokes on each compound and then the bare leather. I have to admit that I am very impressed in the difference. The edge was insane sharp. It would easily shave my arm smooth with no effort and push cutting paper was effortless. I could make shavings off the paper about the thickness of a finger nail or smaller and the edge had its beautiful mirror finish back. I can see myself in the edge like my bathroom mirror.
Regular printer paper
And now some thin receipt paper
Needless to say I am now a believer and have to admit, unfortunately, that my brother was actually right for once.
sit down with a couple beers and just take your time. Make sure you get the angle right and enjoy!
