How To Sharpen A Knife, Vol 2: Use a Leather Strop

[@Plus_P_Plus]

This guy is so down to earth and relaxing to watch. He presents the information masterfully. He’s kinda like the Bob Ross of knife videos. Love this dude!

[@SMH_WOW]

Kind of reminds me of an info video in school.

[@kvierharen8375]

:-) He is at his best sitting in a chair talking about knives....NOT going into the bush, walking, running, hunting, slicing, chopping, using a knife in the real live.... Then huffing and puffing.... I am not impressed.

[@ok17tahunyanglalu40]

@@kvierharen8375 stfu

[@benedictfelix9480]

Instablaster...

[@raul69er1]

Yeah honestly spot on

[@AlphaSections]

I was looking for a 2 minute video.....ended up watching the whole thing with no regrets! Well done!

[@jamalmodica3286]

you can tell this guy really knows about sharpening knives, im just getting into it myself and I really appreciate it, thank you.

[@Foxtechcodydunn]

I have been getting into sharpening knives lately as well. I’m new to stropping and wow can’t believe how effective it is! It’s truly an art and I thoroughly enjoy it. Almost every day I’m sharpening some of the knives I’ve been collecting. Thank you sir for the education!

[@AnthonyDansie]

@@Foxtechcodydunn 2:19 2:19 3:32

[@Leftyotism]

My dear fellow knife guy! You might want to check out Neeves Knives here on KZbin! He got great sharpening videos and explains a lot as well! I think you might like! 🥺👉👈

[@7R4dicalized]

Best, most concise knife sharpening video I’ve found. Conveying so much information without overwhelming the audience is a rare gift indeed!

[@willhernandez7687]

This video just blew my mind on how to find the right angle for stropping. I literally got a better edge on one of my nicer blades the first time. This was great!

[@knifecenter]

Glad it helped! -DCA

[@RKLS90]

@@knifecenter just got my first strop & tried watching this video as I set it up to make sure I did things exactly the same. Unfortunately the strop I ordered has two smooth sides. I was gonna do one side with green compound & the other with no compound. Thing is the green compound does not wanna evenly disperse on the smooth leather. Even when I try scraping the knife against it all it ends up doing is peeling the compound off in little pieces. I even tried holding the lighter near the strop hoping to melt the compound onto it & get a nice even coating. Didn’t work the way I hoped. The majority of that side has compound on it but when I drag the knife across u can feel it’s a little bumpy cuz the compound is thicker in some areas. Is this ok to continue using it as is? Some help would be greatly appreciated

[@raimundomartinsdeloiolafil7879]

​@@RKLS90 Espalhe o compositor adicionando óleo mineral no strop.

[@Nalladalla32]

I just got the lansky angle kit from your site and man, I never thought I would be able to shave with my old beat up Walmart pocket knife! Something about fixing something and bringing it back to life instead of just throwing it out makes me happy. Thanks

[@markbonham2648]

Finally, a thorough explanation and demonstration on this subject, thank you. I have no further questions.

[@stevebarber7562]

Great instructional video! Stropping is the "secret" to really sharp knives. Well done, sir!

[@mastodonxrp5314]

This stropping video was incredibly relaxing to watch and I learned a few things. Thank you.

[@forestweston5055]

Very nicely done! Amazing how few people actually use a strop well but it is the key to that final degree of “cut”.

[@brianj3150]

Thanks Just bought a Strop and waiting for it to be delivered, I'm glad I watched your Video, I know I would have put way too much pressure and the tip on how to find the perfect angle is extremely helpful.

[@hankitytankity]

Great content and invaluable tips. Sharpening can be really confusing with deluge of questionable stone or honing steel methods online, but I also find the strop finishing and maintenance to be that missing link to daily sharpness without excessive grinding. I tried stropping with an old belt placed flat on a countertop and that made such significant difference in daily maintenance that I invested more on compounds and proper strops.

[@PinoyBladeHunter]

Perfect video for being stuck at home with a bunch of knives.

[@gstrader73]

For people with angle problems, you can cut small wood wedges at the angles your knives are sharpened at.

[@wea69420]

A couple additions: When figuring out the angle, you can use the shadow that the edge of the knife casts on the strop. Tilt your knife until the shadow disappears (and no further) and you should be perfectly in line with the apex. Also, regarding compounds, the colour has very little to do with the grit. The colour indicates the type of abrasive used, black being aluminium oxide, green is chromium oxide, white is titanium dioxide and red is iron oxide. The particle size is what matters when talking about grit, and for most of these the standard is around 2μm (about 5000 grit, iirc). The difference in aggressiveness lies on the properties of the material itself.

[@marshallcollins8634]

Thanks for the great video,You are one of the very very few that say anything about rolling the edge over. This tells me you actually know what you are doing and not jus copying other youtubers to make money. I was thought this method and it just makes sense. I think without rolling the edge you are just guessing wether you have it right. That's the problem today people listen to some professor or so called pro and just follow there trenching without question. Everything you do should make sense to YOU that way you will know WHY you are doing it and how to solve problems that arise. Because I Said So only works until 3/4 years old. Then you should start learning why/why not .

[@audiocalls2822]

my recommendation. The better way to determine angle is start at a steeper angle, and slowly push forward with light force while lowering the angle. The moment the knife slips is the correct angle to use.

[@Barsomn]

Videos like this make me happy to be a KnifeCenter customer. Nothing but good info and relaxing vibes! Thank you David.

[@larryburwell97]

Thanks for such a great presentation! Very clear explanations of the "why" and "how" to sharpen and maintain knives and other blades. I liked the way you covered questions in a straight forward way without making us feel like you were "talking down" to us. Good job!

[@DanielStewart1]

Great video and very informative! Please don't ever strop doing what you're doing, because you're doing it right.

[@dalet7300]

Just a heads up You can use a dry wall hand sander to hold the wet sand paper. It's perfect size for the sand paper..

[@alanpeterson4205]

One of the ways I use the carborundum paper method is to mount the paper with a spray adhesive (3M 77) to a wooden paint stir stick that they give you when you buy paint. It even has a handle shape at one end. You can buy them for a few cents, but be sure to check them for flatness, sometimes wood will "cup". You can put different grits on either side and when it's worn out just throw it away and make a new one.

[@tobystevens9183]

I bought a nice strop from a close-to-my-home Rockler store. It did include stropping compound. Until I watched a few videos, I had no clue how to load, clean and maintain a strop. This is KEY. Thanks for the video.

[@ponchowizard5182]

You can also make one at home from an old belt and polishing compound.

[@AYellowPepper]

Actually, Cardboard and toothpaste works too... its what i reccomend my customers for diy maintenence

[@ponchowizard5182]

@@AYellowPepper absolute madness! I never in my life would of thought of that. The added bonus is your knife smells minty fresh afterwards too.

[@bobhunter4525]

@@ponchowizard5182 q

[@davidjaminsky]

Holy cannoli. I have a sharpening system that holds the knife while you drag stones of various “grit” across it. And that system gets my Benchmade Griptilian to shaving sharp. I’ve recently invested in a paddle strop and you just showed me how to use it. Before, I would chuckle when people say “scary sharp” well… yeah… not funny any more. Good lord. I’ll be considering this knife “dull” when it’s “only” razor sharp again… lol

[@TheNutzandBoltz]

I always dulled my knives on strop. I was pushing too hard. I have seen the light and now shaving my arms. Thank you Sir.

[@johntaylor9320]

I made my own strop small enough to fit in my front pocket. That with polishing compound is mostly all I use to keep a razor edge on my knives. With most normal use on a good knife steel a strop is all you need. A strop has very minimal effect on the bevel. The best way to keep a true scandi knife razor sharp with minimal effect on the bevel.

[@TheDrivebynerf]

FINALLY..after a crapload of videos one included entire thing easy to. Understand even i understood it lol. I know you guys are trying to sell stuff but vids like that make me wanna buy here. Thanks!

[@MrKinghuman]

That Kershaw knife has been my work knife for six months, it's absolutely destroyed now, but the size and weight of it is perfect. Love it.

[@Leftyotism]

Corona was horrible and still poses danger to many people with not so good health, but isolating ourselves sure made for some nice internet gems.

[@Pollyanna-cc3et]

🤮

[@EvaderGuy]

I think this is the best video I have seen on and sharpening knives. Great tips, thank you very much.

[@krystlebowlen]

This is best video I’ve seen on stropping. Thank you!

[@knifeaddict1014]

Just a bunch of amazing detailed info right here, thanks so much DCA for everything!

[@kontradiction333ify]

I love this thank you man. I just ordered a strop and didn't know the first thing. You really helped me out with this video. My straight razor is sharp. I had a strap but every time I used it for some reason I dulled my razor and now I feel like a noob

[@bryandiel6773]

In a pinch I have used stiff cardboard rough one side smooth on the other...it worked!!

[@CALISUPERSPORT]

I got a Kershaw folder that got thrashed and I was about to toss it, but now I definitely want to try sandpaper and stropping it, thanks!

[@tchance65]

I’ve always used leather to finish off my blades but did not realize there were compounds to cut with. I just bought my first very expensive knife(protect sbr )so that’s what brought me here to learn to sharpen it properly. All my knives shave but I want a mirror finish on this one. You’ve enlightened me on a different level! Thanks for the great video.

[@raymondwilliams2609]

Fantastic video, David! Everything you need to know and nothing you don't! Bless you Sir, and many, many thanks! 😊🤗❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️❤️😆🇬🇧🇺🇲👍✌️🤘👋

[@georgecates9538]

Thank you I love my new sharpener for about 50 dollars and I’m so sharp and polished I’m amazed!!! Great job!

[@Arman-jx7hu]

David C Anderson is just plain awesome and that is all there is to it!! Blade master mind!

[@26ruben1]

great video … I have been checking out different sharpening systems …. and this looks like a really good and affordable solution …. thanks for sharing the knowledge!

[@brianroach1993]

Thanks ! So clean and concise. I’ve built some film on glass for longer blades but this strop lesson is really a Master course.

[@alanpeterson4205]

One other tip for loading the compound or rouge into leather is to use a petroleum based oil with the stick and it will dissolve the compound enabling you to really get it done. The oil is beneficial to the leather too. I use my industrial sewing machine oil which is white (clear) but I have also used motor oil. If your doing a kitchen strop you might try a food grade mineral oil or the oil they sell for conditioning cutting boards.

[@bkdesignr]

this guy is great. always good information conveyed in a way that everyone can digest, from novice to pro.

[@shiites]

Pretty new to sharpening/honing knives myself. This video is a wonderful resource! Thanks!!!!

[@John..18]

I get balsa wood from a craft shop and just apply compound, works perfectly, and very cheap,, and I use a sharpie to show where the sharpening is taking place on the apex..

[@Leftyotism]

Whoah DCA got that old school Opinel! Most likely their classic carbon steel. I bought me a new one with their classic carbon and I really love it. No 8 of course.

[@khakicampbell6640]

Dude, you are the man! What an excellent video on stropping, thorough and concise. Nice job on that strop you made. Also, 'The Bunker' lol, good choice. 👍 Cheers

[@Leftyotism]

Dunno about you guys, but I do most of my stopping honing and sharpening on my Fällkniven CC4. I just love it. But I still got my trusty water stone. And my portable telescopic diamond rod for sudden blunt cases that need a quick sharpening. Diamonds are kinda too toothy for my own personal taste though.

[@Hungrybird474]

Mt dad said he liked to keep a leather strap oiled . I seen some of the systems but won’t some 2-3000 grit sandpaper work just as well . Not having luck stropping d2 and them civivis r sharp but this boker was dull and I just started . I ll try again tomorrow night

[@josiewales44]

You want to use an EVEN number of strokes on each side. I go in multiples of EIGHT (8) and also WHATEVER direction you honed your knife on the stone, go in the opposite when you strop so the microscopic teeth on the edge will point from TIP TO BASE. That will make the teeth grab and cut rather than just slide. I go base to tip pulling the knife on the stone(s) and then tip to base when I strop...works for me YMMV.

[@nigelross7896]

Really great video and very detailed. This has helped me enormously in getting my knife edges razor sharp.

[@Diphallia]

The way you pronounce fällkniven is really sweet, I enjoyed that.

[@toziassmitt]

That’s the correct pronunciation

[@Diphallia]

@@toziassmitt it's pronounced a bit different here in Sweden where the brand is from

[@toziassmitt]

@@Diphallia nope

[@Diphallia]

@@toziassmitt ok boomer

[@toziassmitt]

@@Diphallia not my fault you don’t know how to pronounce it 🤷🏼‍♂️

[@zanepetty3193]

Great informative video. Thank you sir. So refreshing and easy to listen and learn from.

[@mfreeman313]

This is good information on stropping with some real intermediate-level insight into your angle and pressure. I've got a new beater camping knife sitting in front of me that I reprofiled and gave a decent edge which I then promptly ruined by stropping too agressively. It looks all shiny and pretty but it's convexed and blunt. So here I am to watch and learn.

[@samuelpope7798]

Love the host and the channel! Always good stuff! I like to wear a flat genuine leather belt. Secure it at one end and pull it tight and you can strop. .When they wear out as a belt cut it up and use contact cement to glue pieces to wood and you'll have a really nice flat strop. You can buy a little black and green polishing compound to dope it with. (Plane leather works but will take longer and may be best for finishing).

[@crimzon76]

Just came across this video and I've order that JRE strop. I'm horrible with sharpening but hope this will help me get better.

[@steece7310]

this guys lit. ive been around blades a lot and wanted to move to soley sharpening with a strop amd i feel like i can do it easily now :)

[@robohippy]

Most of my sharpening goes for my woodshop tools. Same principals. One thing that drives me nuts is that most of the stropping compounds do not list grit size, which is found on every single sharpening stone out there. I do prefer the diamond lapping plates which are dead flat. I used to think that color meant some thing, but there are HUGE variances. I believe the black compound is in the 800 grit range. On a firm surface, that might touch up an edge. On a softer surface, it wouldn't do much other than round over the edge. Seems to be a lot of variety with stropping surfaces as well. I had thought of using denim, and then saw that some one was doing that, and found the canvas strops that barbers use. I had always considered stropping to be strictly for removing the burr, and not for actual sharpening. May have to rethink that. Depends on grits used. My kitchen knives generally start around 1200 for worst case scenario. Plane irons and bench chisels usually higher.

[@thethornbrues6205]

Thanks for this. Now I’m off to watch more of his videos.

[@chiefkirk]

Thanks Dave for some great info. I seem to be dulling my sharp knife with a strop. I'll follow your advice and see if that helps.

[@CrimeVid]

That’s interesting, the Opinel of which I have several, never seems to me to actually need stropping ! I only use them for food prep,and sausage cutting, and I can get them shaving sharp on a basic oilstone, I strop on the palm of my hand just to make sure all the burr is gone.

[@jorgefernandez6407]

Your hand made strop is the one I like best! You should market it. I find it's ability to change grits, is excellent!

[@Leftyotism]

Holy smokes I didn't knew this video existed until now!

[@stevenross6534]

What a legend. Great video. I want to have a beer with this guy.

[@richardmarjen9183]

As a general rule I use the strop to eliminate bur from sharpening on the stone and the honing rod to straighten the knife edge when I'm using the knife.

[@HybridphotoPro]

Thanks so much for taking the mystery out of these crazy tools! Excellent job with the video. I really appreciate your information.

[@Lunies666]

Thank you so much. Just got into wood carving. You speak clearly, you’re thorough and you’ve taught me something new!!

[@knifecenter]

Glad to be able to help, Lunies! -DCA

[@rube6729]

I typically strop my knives every couple of days, even if they've just opened a couple packages. Keeps them hair shaving sharp at all times. I have some really nice stones that I never need to use anymore. lol

[@thatrealba]

Good stuff, Mr. Bob Ross of the knife world.

[@stearnsbingham552]

A lot of times I will actually move the edge forward on the hard side of my strop. If not careful you can cut the leather, but I very rarely do. I get very sharp polished edges.

[@jamesross8274]

A lot of good advice. And a lot of common sense 👊 thank you for posting.

[@THEAngryProjects]

Very big thanks for this video man best video I have ever seen for sharpening knives keep the great work

[@Master-AGN]

Are usually finish my knives off with 1500 Emory paper on top of strip of hard rubber. The slide give in the rubber mimics the given leather. So the knives always end up shaving sharp.

[@molonlabe1033]

I know this is different from how someone would sharpen a valuable collectors knife but at a packing house I worked they had a bench grinder mounted a pole stand on one side of the grinder there was a slotted metal wheel and the other side was a rubber wheel which you could actually see the edge being put on it .

[@shaunmcdaniels2460]

Hello. Thank you for the video. I didn’t catch it if you Said what grit the black and green are... I have used a strop for years... I just put my whetstone oil on the leather and then did lightly oiled clean leather... My dad taught me... Thanks again...

[@MichiganMatt]

thank God for David C Anderson! thanks for the edu!

[@Ve-suvius]

You look like Murray Carter's brother.. You look just like him. Great guy. You seem to be as well 😉👍. Excellent voice and explaining. Sandpaper first then stropping fits the bill. I'm already doing the sandpaper sharpening as my preferred method. Now only the leather strop along with it. I had the Japanese waterstones but found it cumbersome, messy. Why, when sandpaper is so much more practical/quicker. And diamonds wear off in my experience. I'll stick to the paper, and the strop ..

[@matthieusaade3616]

I see an Opinel on that table 👀 Respect from France sir 😁

[@larryjistel3018]

Best video I've ever watched... Super informative...

[@daisywalker119]

Really like the strop bat. Ordered one today. ON BACK ORDER...WAH!!! Just kidding. Keep the videos coming David.

[@michaeljenkins6476]

Best video yet, well done, thanks.

[@mburke1211]

Nice tutorial! This same process works great on chisels if you’re a woodworker.

[@cliffhouser9138]

Excellent video. Please do one on stropping a straight razor. Thanks David!

[@AdamasOldblade]

Ha, my EDC today was the champagne gold Bareknuckle. I love this thing.

[@knifecenter]

It is a great knife and love the color!

[@IzonVez]

Can anyone please answer my questions? 1. I am planning to buy a set of tools for leather craft, and was wondering if I could wrap up my sharpening tools with only a leather strop and a pack of sand paper, but not a stone. Or would a stone work better for sharpening? 2. Can I apply a different compound to the same side of my strop every time?

[@knifecenter]

If you are confident with just a strop and sandpaper, you could certainly do without the stone. When you put the compound on to the leather, that is essentially done one time for long term use. You wouldn't want to put another grade of compound on that same piece of leather. -DCA

[@Ve-suvius]

Just my thought. I like the sandpaper way of sharpening more than the Japanese waterstones and/or diamond stones. Sandpaper + strop should fit the bill. Sandpaper , wet/dry, are available in all kinds of grit size. from 40 to 6000 etc. It works. And when hiking, sandpaper and a little stropping paddle don't weight on you.

[@bassboi15]

Question: after 40 passes on each side of my blade, my knife barely passed the paper cutting test. They don’t feel scary sharp at all. I feel like I’m missing something.. my angles are pretty good too. Any advice welcome.

[@paulperlmutter5371]

Great video! You explained things very clearly, I learned a lot. Thank you!!

[@kalinagoedge2777]

Excellent instructions for stropping. Thank you!

[@TheBadFred]

Does it work the same way for switch blades? Because my strop is floppy and hangs from the wall. You have to pull on it to get it straight. But my switch blade is blunt and I can't use it for shaving.

[@jeremybryant5778]

Thanks DCA, great info

[@TheOnlyOwnedbyCow]

I bought a strop that isn’t attached to a block, but isn’t one of the hanging ones, do I need to glue it down before using it? Or can I hold it, then flip it to the smooth side when I am ready?

[@j.w.9407]

DCA, thank you for churning out good content! Appreciate it.

[@daveselepack7011]

While sharping a sword can you move the strop up and down because of length?

[@Aviation_Professional]

WHen you have an old beat up blade and it has many dings, how do you take it flat to start making a new edge? Grinder only option perhaps?

[@knifecenter]

You can use the system shown in this video, you just will need to start with pretty coarse sandpaper then work your way to higher grits once the dings have been sharpened out. -DCA

[@mo-reesespieces9066]

great video, with some kitchen knives they have both straight blade near the handle with the other half serrated ending at the tip. The serrations are very small but not sure the best way to try to sharpen them. IE: steak knives, etc. these are full tang, not cheap (in cost) steak knives.

[@RomyArms]

Hello. I have been trying to sharpen my cpm 3v knives and for the life of me cant get them sharp. They are from the " factory" and have not been re sharpened. I've been stropping and the get even more dull. I live in a small town and dont have anyone to ask for help. Any advice you could give....

[@durango8882]

Thanks man! ✌🏻I use Victorinox sharpening ceramic pen, works great.

[@troybranaman316]

Loved the video! Thank you for posting!! Take care and stay safe my friend!!

[@matthewadler1329]

I keep about a 6" run of my daily work belt loaded with green compound. It's on the inside so you can't see it at all. Comes in handy

[@jameswhoever3730]

That sounds like one hell of a invention. u could probably get knife center to sell em before benchmade or spyderco comes out with there brand of belt w/ hidden strob.

[@djdanzy]

How did you attach it mathew?

[@matthewadler1329]

@@djdanzy just take a plain leather belt. I use a raw, un-treated leather belt (un dyed, no conditioner, I sometimes use a bit of 1000 sandpaper to take off the outer layer so its just the soft leather, and apply some green or black compound to the part that faces inward, and hangs off past the buckle. When you need to tune up your edge, just use that area. Does that make sense?