To strop or not to strop....

[Mike Cherry]

Hi guys. Couple weeks ago I was having issues sharpening and got some great feedback here and I have stumbled onto another issue.

I recently took delivery of some green honing compound and a leather strop from Tools For Working Wood. The edge that I am able to get is amazing.

My questions are:
How does the "ruler trick" fit into the stropping procedure? I have not tried the ruler trick simply because I like using the strop to remove any burr but I am concerned that I am doing myself a disservice. Should I do the ruler trick on my 8k and just call it a day?

The other question I have is this:

Do you notice longer edge retention when stropping and how soon do you touch up your edge on the strop.

[Daniel Rode]

If your results are amazing, keep doing what you're doing and forget about ruler tricks and such.

The edge that I am able to get is amazing.

[george wilson]

Use the green compound on a piece of CLEAN MDF board. Strop a few times. Don't over do it. The MDF will not round over the edge like leather will. The ruler trick has nothing to do with stropping. Strop on the bevel side only.

Keep your MDF strop put away where shop dust and other particles cannot settle on it and degrade the green polish.

[lowell holmes]

I use the green compound on MDF as George said. It works great like George said.

It is the only use I have for mdf.

[Mike Cherry]

Dan - I agree with you 100% Its the thought that maybe I am still missing something that keeps me pursuing a better understanding of sharpening. I am really happy with my blade edges right now.

George and Lowell - Thanks for the MDF tip. I suppose I may need to find a new use for the leather.

How about the edge retention when using honing compound? Do you feel it warrants the added step after the waterstones? If so, how soon do you touch up your edges usually?

[Steve Voigt]

I don't consider green paste on mdf to be stropping. Nothing against it--in fact it works great--but it's really a fine & cheap stone, not a strop.

I like a leather strop with no paste. er, for my tools. The strop is really just to knock off any remaining bits of wire edge. If I read correctly, you (Mike) are finishing with an 8000 stone, so look at the edge under magnification when you are done. If you see any little bits of burr clinging to the edge, then stropping will help.

By the way, there is nothing wrong with stropping both sides, as long as you keep the iron flat on the strop and only take a few passes.

I agree with Dan--if you are getting a good edge, no need to complicate it with the ruler trick.

[Jim Matthews]

I was taught to strop at a consistent angle, without "rolling" the steel.

I only strop on one side, the bevel.
The strop removes the wire edge formed when honing.

I don't find stropping sufficient, if the edges have dulled.
When that happens, I go back through the two finest stones,
and strop again.

I use leather glued to a backer board, and press down HARD.
When the iron comes off the strop - it's warm.

[lowell holmes]

I use diamond plates. I have water stones, but I am not enamored with them. My three diamond plates are more expensive than the Norton water stones were.

I don't go bananas sharpening. My fine plate stays out with a water squirt bottle, along with the mdf. I stop occasionally and hand sharpen my tools free hand.

If you just touch them, you will likely bleed. So whether it is a strop or not, it works. I have a leather strop glued to a board and used it until I discovered the mdf.
The green stuff is a compound, not paste.

[Stew Hagerty]

I have a "Horse Butt" strop that I got from T4WW out at Handworks last year.

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/item/MS-HORSEST

I put some green compound on the rough side and rubbed a bit of honing oil into the smooth side.

I absolutely love it! I use oil stones (and yes, they work just fine with A2 and O1 steels) and finish with a Hard Black Arkansas. Then I give a couple of swipes on the green side, and a final one or two on the smooth side. When I'm done, the edge is wicked a$$ sharp!

For my chisels, just a quick few passes on each side refreshes the edge and keeps me from running through the stones nearly as often. With my plane blades, since I have to pull them out of the plane I usually do a few swipes on Hard then Black, before stropping. I figure since I have them out anyway, I might as well make them as sharp as possible before putting them back in and running through the adjustments.

My step-father passed away last year. He was an old time Barber. I have two of the old leather strops that hung beside his Barber chairs. I'm actually anxious to give them a try. I'm just finishing up with a major workshop remodel and have several projects backed up and waiting for me to get started on.

OK, I guess I got carried away...

Yes I use and am a proponent of stropping.

[Winton Applegate]

How does the "ruler trick" fit into the stropping procedure?

They are BOTH in exactly the same category.
Completely unnecessary.
I have the green stuff (and the white stuff and the yellow stuff and the clear stuff ((diamond)) and tons of strop surfaces
nah dude, nah

(except David's hard special real strop with nothing on it (get that if you want a strop).

Maybe it isn’t too late to send back the green stuff and the soft leather. Or if you plan on carving save them for sharpening carving chisels.

Keep that stuff far away from your plane blades though.
It is like cheating on a test. You get the paper but you still are lost when it comes down to doing the job.

Do you notice longer edge retention when stropping

No the exact opposite. The edge is sharp but partially rounded so it is effectively half way to dull when it comes to a fixed plane blade. A carving chisel you vary the angle until you get it to cut. I know this is hard to believe but do as many tests as I have and you will discover the truth.

how soon do you touch up your edge on the strop.

Right after Hell freezes over is about right. Wait for that and go for it.

[Winton Applegate]

I agree that a flat block of wood or mdf is an adequate sharpening "thingy".
I see where it can't really be "called" a strop though I would have called it that. Read what David says about the real deal strops DRY and yes the wood isn't a STROP.
It is a kind of stone.
I have very flat maple sharpening "thingys" that I have used with all the various colored stuff. Diamond is great on those. An 8000 stone of high quality is less messing around. Chipping up the green or yellow stuff to get it onto the wood
or
cleaning up the greasy diamond stuff off the blade and having the little tubes of the stuff to squirt out.
I would rather use a clean and flattenable 8000 water stone any day.

and stop there.
use the last few passes on both sides of the blade on the 8000 as your strop. Very light pressure and only short strokes.

The last passes on a strop should be very light pressure as well. All this heavy pressure stuff like oh I can't remember his name right now is counter productive to a plane blade. Sharp but rounded.

This is what I am talking about, see drawings,
at least from heavy pressure this is what is being done to your nice hard won sharpening geometry. Pre wear to the facets even though you can cut arm hair like there was no tomorrow.

Strop one side that is one mistake. Strop both sides that is two mistakes.

IMO

[bridger berdel]

Polishing compound on wood is a strop in my book. It works, too. It does seem to every so slightly round the edges, so if the change of cutting angle matters hone a little lower. I do strop both faces, with the tool held flat tight to the strop.

[Winton Applegate]

Read David's book. There is magic in them there leathers.

[Winton Applegate]

flat tight to the wood with stuff on it should be exactly like using a stone so no prob.
I am talking about the flexible soft leather especially with the rough side up but to some degree even on the finish side of the soft leather.

Nah wood or mdf is good and should not round.

[Mike Cherry]

Lots of helpful info guys thanks!