3 Stropping Tips Beginners Must Know (Knife Sharpening)

[@OUTDOORS55]

Be sure to check out my recommended product page on my website, including sharpening stones, strop compounds, and knife making supplies ⬇ www.outdoors55.com/shop

[@twatmunro]

That website sucks. There are no links to any products. I wanted to see what stropping compounds you HAVE used rather than being recommended one you haven't used. (At $50 a pop, FFS.)

[@jonathanmeeko3691]

You should reach to raythesharpener one of his videos is aggressive leather straping he didn't hold his angle

[@BOOSTEDLASER]

HI OUTDOORS, WE LOVE YOUR VIDS ! BEST BANG FOR THE BUCK DIAMOND PASTE AS OF THE END OF 2023? SEMPER FI GUNNY

[@NotAghostSpeedruns]

The amazon links seemed to be broken when I went onto the website to check it out.

[@CharlesGauthier]

Alex, take a look at your site. The shop section is broken, with all the links being dead. The link to knifepointgear (at the bottom of the main page) is also broken with WIX saying the domain i snot connected... Great vids. I would like to get one of your strops and also get the diamond compound you are using. Cheers

[@Bob_Adkins]

Congratulations, you're the first knife guy I have come across that understands stropping. The closeup of the blade sinking into the soft leather answers the age-old question "Why does my knife get duller the more I strop?" You gave a good solution, but mine is different: I use a hard rawhide strop that the blade does not sink into. You can actually sharpen a knife with this, though I rather a stone for real dull blades. I use 1-5 micron diamond on the rawhide because it's faster and just as cheap. You can also impress a shallow checkered pattern into the rawhide to retain the diamond lapping compound. Well done sir!

[@magicshon]

My tip: use balsa wood it holds the compounds well and is not as soft as leather. Has been working very well for me for years and is cheaper too

[@Bob_Adkins]

@@magicshon I've used wood myself, and it does work well! Some hardwoods woods contain lots of silica, and strop pretty decently without loading with diamond. Black locust is a prime example.

[@TodorTashev]

After watching this video I am ready to head towards the garage and apply what I learned. In the past I've done all the mistakes: -overstropped -used tons of pressure -used too fine grit -used cheap diamond paste that led me to so much frustration, it's hard to express. Thanks for the valuable information!

[@Jenonymouse]

6:27 The bonus tip about reversing your sharpening method on the strop so you don't change the scratch pattern was exactly what I needed to hear. I appreciate your visuals and the way you explain everything. Thanks!

[@brenteynon5243]

I don't understand. If you reverse the direction, aren't you crossing the scratch pattern... thus "x-ing" it? If you strop the same way you sharpen, aren't you reinforcing the pattern? I don't get it.

[@Jenonymouse]

​@@brenteynon5243 If I'm understanding your question correctly, you are still going with the direction of the scratch pattern because you are doing the same motion that put the pattern on when you strop (just in opposite direction, not "against the grain"). He explains it better than I could about 6 and a half minutes in.

[@MARTIN-THE_MARTIAN]

You have helped me man for over 4 years I've been sharpening knives while watching your videos I'm 15 BTW with this I have made over $200 in a week thank you hope to see more from you.

[@Algo_de_Alguem]

How are your parents letting you use sharpened knives at 15? And even gain money with it? I mean, it's good thst you're doing it right but omg I would never see this happening here

[@MARTIN-THE_MARTIAN]

@Algo_de_Alguem well I'm 17 now, but I grew up around my father a lot and he did a veriety of things. He sharpens knives, made guns before he joined the military in Mexico and became a Sargeant, disarmed bombs. Makes homes, fixes homes. A lot. Anyways I picked up a few things being around him, knife sharpening was one thing, and my mother was fine with it.

[@Algo_de_Alguem]

@MARTIN-THE_MARTIAN oh thats very cool ngl

[@MARTIN-THE_MARTIAN]

@@Algo_de_Alguem yes very much. Appreciate the question, stay safe.

[@Algo_de_Alguem]

@MARTIN-THE_MARTIAN 🤝

[@jeffreywilliamson4863]

I love the way everything in these videos is supported with experiments, microscopic examinations, and demonstrations and yet the detractors make their assertions with literally nothing other than their length of time using knives.

[@dororo3118]

Damn dude, I was sharpening to the point it would shave and call it good. Figured my skills wernt quite there for hair splitting/whittling sharp. After following your tips I just achieved my first hair whittle. Thanks my dude!

[@stpetie7686]

I've only seen a few dozen of your videos but every one has been interesting and informative. Not to mention entertaining. Thanks for the info and the effort you spend getting it to us. It's appreciated.

[@keencustomtools]

I totally agree always something to learn on each video and simply get reminded of something good

[@gmorel1916]

Been using a strop on my knives for ages and had no idea about the scratch pattern direction thing. Been doing it the opposite this whole time lol. Great video 👍🏻

[@poobank]

Same 🤦‍♂️

[@Sanchito209]

Ditto

[@Op3y]

literally came here to say this

[@hisokamorow6709]

Everyone on the shame train! choo choo! The scratch pattern wasn't even on my radar.

[@thedarkhadou69]

Same😂

[@JohnPreston888]

Platitude. Tangential anecdote. My unsolicited opinion. Just like many of the comments. But 8:04 to 8:15 reveals why I have had to plough through so much utter rubbish when searching on KZbin for sharpening advice as good (and as entertaining, including the offbeat reflection on Internet access) as yours. By chance, one of your videos appeared in my suggested list, and like a lot of people, I have done the decent thing and Liked and Subscribed. (The person who uploaded his opinion that the pinnacle of sharpening methods was to use an electric bench-grinder had me shouting at the screen. Glad to have found your channel, thanks.) 👍

[@Ryan_Pelletier]

I've transitioned away from strops completely at this point and do all of my finishing on high grit stones. No risk of round over, lapping the stone gets you new, clean abrasive every time, etc.

[@realbroggo]

If you're able to remove the burr and get a keen edge just using stones - who am I to argue. An 8K or higher stone is so fine it acts like a strop anyway. However, when it comes to maintaining and tuning an edge between sharpening sessions it's still hard to go past a good strop. Best advice for stropping to avoid rolling (as per this video) is to avoid pressure. Best to think of stropping as a polishing process and not a sharpening process. Have a great day.

[@Ryan_Pelletier]

@@realbroggo Burr removal needs to be done on a stone. A strop will not remove a burr (this is a fact, anyone who says you can remove a burr with a strop is incorrect, there's plenty of proof available on this). Trying to remove a burr with a strop will only stand the burr up creating a wire edge. The wire edge will feel extremely sharp until you try to use the knife and the burr folds over. As far as edge maintenance, there's no benefits that a strop (with compound) offers over a stone, except that high grit stones are expensive. There are many benefits from using a stone instead of a strop though. No round over and you can use edge leading strokes which are significantly less likely to create any micro burrs.

[@l26wang]

@@Ryan_Pelletier Benefit of stop over stone - can be done in 30 seconds, no water needed. Strop takes up much less space and require less careful handling.- dropping a $250 stone ruins my day, dropping a block of wood not so much. I agree with your benefits of stone over strop as well. But a strop loaded with 3-10 micron diamond powder will definitely remove burr. Agree it can create burr too. User has to manage angle and pressure carefully.

[@JohnLamp-g5d]

High tech products are not always essential for high quality results. One of the best stroppings I've seen, was performed on cow's leather with some kind of eastern European traditional abrasive paste, made from fine marble and fine charcoal powder infused in natural bee's wax. I could see myself in that mirror edge!

[@LaggerSVK]

@@l26wang I am now considering buying some new stones. I like sharpening and had 240 / 800 cheap stone. I would go for sharpton stones. Now I am thinking if I need a 5000 grit finishing stone or should go just for strop or if I should get both?

[@pathan0n]

This is the video I didn't know I needed! Have put these into practice and my results are 1000x better!

[@AnomadAlaska]

Those close up shots were really nice. Well done.

[@iSJ9y217]

Thank you so much for the energy and time you put in your videos! I'm also glad KZbin recommended me your channel!

[@franzoi87]

Valeu!

[@OUTDOORS55]

Thanks so much 🙏

[@phrozt]

Another tip - use basswood as your strop. Diamond compound works great on it, and it give a much more solid surface to use, which helps prevent rollover.

[@superd222tube]

Guilty on #2. Corrected and more consistent edge after stropping now. Thanks man.

[@pinarppanrapir9489]

An addition to tip 1: Don't overstrop, but strop often! The less you need to bring the sharpening stone, the better to the blade's longevity

[@realbroggo]

Esp. with harder steels. Keeping them tuned can delay the need for a sit down sharpening session for quite some time. I have a strop sitting on top of my knife drawers. When I can I strop a couple of times when taking a blade out (eg. beginning of the day) and same before putting the knife back in the draw. Only takes 1-2 mins and helps to keep the edges tuned and ready for use. Have a great day.

[@AdzaanMaiiTso]

just saw another comment that said they never strop and not too, lol. to strop or not to strop, that is the question! 😂

[@hardrout17]

I thought i knew how to strop knives after sharpening... I only knew 1/4 tips you shared! Lot of valuable informations! Thank you 😉

[@blueeyeswhitedragon9839]

I grew up in the 50's and 60's and High Carbon Steel still has a magical ring to it for me. As a child, all of my "good" knives were HC steel, often of German origin and l still have a few from my Boy Scout days. I even spent several years making my own knives. And yes, today l tend to depend on "stainess" steels, but l fight the trend to steel snobbery...the heat treat is the most important factor in knife performance. Your info on stropping is appreciated.

[@buckbeans1]

Agree with you completely. I used to get excited about the next generation super steel then only after a few years, another super duper magic steel comes out and the price on my old knife steel drops. Good heat treatment and knowing how to sharpen are clearly much more important in the long run.

[@juliefall2892]

@@buckbeans1 what is a heat treatment?

[@buckbeans1]

@@juliefall2892 You need to harden then temper any blade properly to achieve a sharp blade with good edge retention. Therefore even the best steels will have mediocre performance if not heat treatment is incorrect.

[@blueeyeswhitedragon9839]

@@juliefall2892 :- So a system of heating the annealed (softened) steel to a specific temperature (heat treat) and then cooling the steel rapidly hardens the steel. Then, because the steel is often too hard and brittle, it is heated again to a lesser temperature and slowly cooled...sometimes repeatedly, to bring the steel down to an optimum hardness but still capable of some elasticity (tempering). Annealed steel is softer and easier to work with in manufacturing and knife making, but treating and tempering the steel brings out its best qualities.

[@gregmccarter2176]

Carbon steel is the best..I use a smith diamond hone, then run a steel on it..then I do a lite strop, no compound..my knives will push shave one stroke

[@TRKbou]

i love all these comments here, i like how this knife enthusiast community is so supportive, kind, and helpful

[@Abgnfshmsnbvadbfzdg]

Im so happy U r back I can"t say how many times i"ve tryied too look after U and Your leesons. I'm glad too have u back. I'm sorry for spelling , Trying my best. Hope you poste more .

[@bullybar4078]

Best sharpening videos on KZbin. Straight and practical, like your knife selection. Thank you sir

[@barrybaldwin5535]

Thanks, This was the most understandable content on stropping media that I've seen.

[@Simplelittlelife]

Great video Alex! I really like how you dive so deep into these topics. I learned a lot. Cheers buddy!👍

[@OUTDOORS55]

Thanks for stopping by Jeremy 👍

[@joshmajor8662]

Hell fire!!! Didn't expect to see you here with us "little people" Haha KZbin has shadow banned you from me apparently!! Gotta go make sure I'm still subbed, somehow, I got unsubbed here too!! Hope your well Jeremy.

[@StormSpider-iw1uz]

The bonus tip is amazing, I never knew about the thing with the scratch pattern. I've never been able to get even close to a hair wittling edge, but after hearing about the scratch pattern I got it first try.

[@AlirezaMoeini]

Hi , thanks for your good educational video, I had two questions. The first question was what was the green substance that you drew on the stick? Second question, what was the yellow substance that you drew? Thanks

[@Nebulax123]

After 73 years the best advice I can give on stropping is don't do it. Just use very light stropping motions on the last stone that you used to refine your edge this removes the wire edge but leaves you with a shaving sharp edge with plenty of bite the only exception to this is if you want to sharpen a razor or set up a kitchen knife for push cutting. 90 percent of what we do is done with draw cuts and I would much rather set up for that. If you still want to strop do it on clean leather with no compound at all, and if you still want to use a compound then follow the excellent advice given above by OUTDOORS55. Super sharp hair whittling edges only last until the first couple of cuts anyway, I get it they are fun to do and I do them too once in a while but they really are not super practical in my experience.

[@Vitaliuz]

Out of all the languages you could've spoken, you chose to speak facts.

[@juliefall2892]

Thank you for your advice from your experience.

[@HamBone86]

I agree with everything you just said. When I finish sharpening, I put a very light 200 grit micro bevel on my edge that is 4° higher with six or eight light push strokes. When I strop, it is on my highest grit stone with very very light trailing strokes. This is just been the easiest method for me to keep up with my edc knives. There is nothing wrong with stropping on leather if you are doing it correctly, but this just happens to work better for me.

[@StuninRub]

You need to rely on draw cuts because your knifes are dull. Push cuts should be used whenever possible. 73 years and you never learned how to do it properly.

[@Nebulax123]

@@StuninRub LMAO

[@tombrown4683]

Glad you got internet again. When you get back to selling some strops i want to get one from you. Just been using some scraps from belt making. Happy to see you posting again !

[@Vulpes175]

Your videos are really helping me take my sharpening to the next level. Thank you.

[@DABinCHRIST]

I began using gunny juice on cut hard wood blocks, i never have to worry about rounding the edge and it gives me the sharpest edges I've ever had, i tried leather, tool leather, but i have a heavy touch and was prone to edge rounding, but with hardwood it's not a problem, and like i said i get the sharpest edges I've ever had

[@InGratitudeIam]

Well presented. Thank you. It kept me on the edge of my seat.

[@kebac03]

I appreciate the authentic Phoebe call in the background

[@domparisi3913]

Just Started being serious about sharpening. Your advice and examples are definitely very helpful.

[@TorlingJarl]

a lotts videos i see that try to give advice end up being rambles with vague ideas, or just things that dont matter at all/effect anything. This video is possibly the best general advice for stropping i have ever seen.

[@MrDarrylR]

Great tips. As I sharpen on a guided angle system (Edge Pro w/ ceramic abrasives, digital angle finder & loupe at the moment), I've been alternating heel-to-tip and tip-to-heel with each grit as this provides both touch and visual feedback for when the scratches from the last grit are removed. I always forget which direction of (from heel or from tip) I hit with my last stone at 1200 grit. If stropping is refining the last scratch direction, then perhaps I should be aiming for a consistent perpendicular to the spine for my final passes on stone, so that stropping isn't removing the microteeth at the apex. Great macro video on depressing the leather here. I just discovered that some strop on balsa wood, and I wonder whether that mignt be less prone to rounding the apex.

[@GnarledSage]

I do it on mdf and it’s great, I guess balsa would be good to or maybe better, because tbh mdf is a bit to stiff and that little give that leather has is good to maintain the angle. Wood is great to keep the surface flat (of course), but, is harder to keep the angle steady. When you do it (after a lot of practice), it does give a great edge. Try it for yourself and see if it works for you. Easier than making a leather strop. The other thing that is probably better on balsa than mdf is that the compound would stick better to balsa, it’s a pain in mdf because if you don’t have the proper angle, you end scraping all of it.

[@yerkoborghero9201]

I have not seen such a clean, in terms of ideas and void from conflicting interests, person talking with such a humble but experience-backed knowledge. I now might feel dangerously and probably mistaken, empowered to sharpen my tools. I do really enjoy your videos. Please send me a way to patron you. I am not much tech savvy, so if I can just click and support, will work. Thank you for sharing your passion

[@cavandownes7060]

Great video as always, good to see you posting more regularly. Would love to see a deep dive on strops. Whata the best way to clean a strop

[@realbroggo]

I run mine under hot water then gently scrape off the crap with a steel ruler (don't use a blade as you will likely cut into the wet leather). 1-2 scrapes in each direction. Once dry I then use some leather conditioner to stop the leather drying out too much and cracking. Won't get the strop back to 'as new' but certainly clean enough to lay down some fresh compound. Depending on use you might only need to do this 1-2 a year. I'm sure there are other methods. Have a great day.

[@gimparoo1962]

I’m always fine tuning my stropping technique.. thanks for the tips!

[@helenarusso]

Hello Mark how are you doing 😊

[@gimparoo1962]

@@helenarusso awesome!! Thanks.. hope you are well!

[@Blakes123]

Green compound is ok. Right now I’m saving so I’m only using the compound I have right now I can get knifes hair with long sharp chest takes a lot more work. Love the channel keep up the work. Ps when I started I was using those horrible whetstones and thinking I was horrible but after watching you for a bit I picked up a few dmt stones thank you for the recommendation.

[@EDCandLace]

Always a happy day when Alex releases a new video!!!!

[@garetkonigsfeld2]

I'm glad to hear you mention the diamond compound quality. It's a real problem with the diamond past. Don't go, Cheep.

[@TheBirdSoldier]

Wow, this is exactly what I needed to know. I push too hard when I strop. Thank you!

[@realbroggo]

My advice is to think of stropping as a polishing process and not a sharpening process. All you're doing is making sure that the last fine wire burr is gone and to 'shine up' the edge to squeeze out that last drop of cutting performance. If your edge needs anything more than this - go back to the stones to fix it. Have a great day.

[@tonyb83]

The very best explanation I have seen anywhere, thanks.

[@sgtgrantham]

thanks for the tip about stropping with the scratch pattern. i had always pulled the knife edge towards me and the same with the edge away from me when stropping. this should be a big help. not sure if that made any sense but I got it.

[@maxxisrazr2012]

Taking the stropping advice with me forsure! As to the rest, do what works for you but there is always something new to learn.

[@krazmokramer]

Well done video! Nice humor too. I use 2.5 micron silicon carbide powder on the roughout side of the leather, and then naked smooth veg tanned leather for the final strop. Has worked very well FOR ME for over 20 years. The custom made mahogany and leather strop, and the stropping powder are from a now defunct company called Hand American Made. They were quite well known at one time. Thanks for this informative video!!

[@millibarman]

High praise for your work: I created a playlist for knife sharpening with this video as the inaugural save. Your stuff is it easy to follow, makes sense, and includes just the right amount of detail and explanation and visuals.

[@josephconroy3286]

Very helpful. Just got my first ligit sharpening stone And leather strop. Appreciate the bonus tip

[@ramonvelasquez8431]

A very detailed and helpful video. Great job, man!

[@DiabloOutdoors]

I wanted to say thank you for helping me getting better at sharpening my knives. I've always used green compound so far and will switch to Diamond. It may cost more but the difference ain't that bad considering you don't need to use as much. Again, thank you very much :)

[@Platoface]

You hit on all the visuals that are needed to get a good understanding of stropping. You got a sub out of me. I appreciate your knowledge.

[@JCpNK]

That explains why mine cakes up.. I’ve been using the crap green stuff. Any way to get enough off so I can use another compound or is it ruined??

[@JesusChrist_IsTruth-LoveForALL]

Mines built up too. Kinda turned into like a hardened material, not a soft, pasty green like when first applied. I keep using it thinking it will wear off, but it's pretty stuck on.

[@nefariousyawn]

I scraped one of my strops with a card scraper (gently) to clean the old compound off, and it seemed to do the trick. I'm not sure that was the right thing to do though, it wasn't a great strop to begin with.

[@bobinmontana777]

Scratch pattern and stropping makes sense. Sharpen heel to point, strop point to heel. Wished I’d paid attention to the alignment for the last 40 years.

[@helenarusso]

Hello Bob how are you doing 😊

[@williamnoble2134]

So does a lower diamond micron compound make the knife sharper or does it just give it the mirror edge. I want to buy the stuff from your website I just want to make sure I understand what I'm getting

[@raol635]

U deserve a huge like for this video. I will save it in my library also. Have to watch it again. Thank you.

[@stevenperron3619]

First stropping vid I've seen where the word "bur" was not even mentioned. Stropping is not just about bur removal. Very useful info, thank you!

[@robertmceuen3630]

Just bought a water stone. 6000 grit to use before my 30000 grit diamond stone. What do you think? It's the first water stone I've had. Seems kinda soft to me.

[@robertpaterson7311]

Thank you for this video and showing me (a complete novice) how it should be done as I am guilty of loads of the mistakes you mention including the green compound. Any tips on how to remove the green compound from a strop and should the stropping compound be applied to the rough or the smooth side of the leather ? Many thanks for any help.

[@JeromeLipsmeyer]

Thank you! What compound would you recommend to just a regular guy?

[@martinhawrylkiewicz2025]

Great vid! I made my own pocket strop from a piece of pine moulding and my old leather belt. Now I just strop my Spyderco Sage 1 every other week.

[@stantilton2191]

Good work, I didn't think about the compound wearing that much. Thanks.

[@danielanthony9621]

Learned somthing new, Thankyou. I have always stropped with a ceramic honing rod and light strokes. It has worked well. Would love to hear your thoughts.

[@fngrusty42]

I carve around 4 to 6 hrs a day. I mostly carve 2 x 2 x 6 cartitatures, but sometimes I do 6x6x12 animals, I Stroup about every 20 to 30 minutes. Keeps the blades sharp . I mostly use the green chromium but every hour or so I do have a very fine diamond on the Stroup also which I use If the blade starts rounding or scratches the wood. The trick is keep doing it you will get it right. I only need to go to my stones if I drop the blade or every 2 to 3 months. A Stroup is a wonderful way to keep a sharp knives very sharp.😊

[@markvogeler7564]

At 58 years old, ive been sharpening since my grand dad gave me my first pocket knife at 7 years old. Ive only recently (the last 10 years) been stropping and even now only limited so im still learning but have managed very good results for my purposes. Though one thing still puzzles me. The 2 different sides of the strop and the related compounds and progression. To this point, ive really only used the smooth side with green wax compound. I recently purchased a new strop and before adding new diamond emulation compound, id love to know what each side it intended for and what compound to use on each. Thank you

[@redriver6541]

Thank you man. I've been getting into sharpening and these have helped immensely. Love from Western Kentucky. Subbed and liked.

[@patrickvilda9929]

Thanks for the video 👍. Great tips I will use because I was pretty wrong…

[@patrickvilda9929]

Always good advices since I follow you 👍.

[@richardkev3077]

Thanks for this. I learned it all by making the mistakes you list...except for diamond. I haven't switched to it yet, though I've been meaning to.

[@aaaaa1957]

Thanks, you just made sharping more complicated. I’ll have to work my way up to this. But seriously thanks

[@user-ko3vg7fc7o]

We have a razor strip in our family that's been handed down from my grandfather. It was given to him by his barber. We have all used it and it's worked great so far. Its made of what looks like a flattened firehose-like material. I've never used any compound on it. Would the compound make it work better? Do you know what material my strop was made of? Thanks for all the videos!

[@thehomemadedisease9485]

This is why I love your channel I always learn something good

[@michaeldubinski1375]

Great video! I like that you kept it under 15 mins. Nice touch of humor as well. Welcome back, glad to see your back online making videos. Thanks for the useful information about stropping. I have been looking to purchase a strop for quite some time now. I was looking at Knives Plus strop, after seeing about diamond compounds it has changed my mind. Can you recommend a quality strop and 💎 compound?

[@sethprice241]

Hahaha. "Now if you're a weirdo.." 😄😆😅😂 Had me rollin' bro.

[@berntsteinmetz8564]

my results instantly got better ! is it, that when stropping across the old pattern you dont reach into the ground of the deep scratches. thx !

[@brino7900]

This is the channel I’ve been waiting for

[@rinnsbebelindegrombe]

Would you mind recommending some compounds?

[@davestelling]

Maybe which one Gunny Juice for a beginner like me?

[@BigT962]

Thanks for this! I’m still going to stick with my cheap green compound because I already have a decent bit of it lol. But now I know what to expect from it and why it seems to become less and less effective.

[@droogbear649]

I am so envious pf your sharpening ability

[@minibuns5397]

Great tips. Thank you for the breakdown on the cheap diamond compound vs quality! Never thought of it in that way until seeing your video. Thanks again

[@Klusk91]

I’ve been doing about 100 passes per side with diamond emulsion after the 1500 diamond stone with a progression of 9, 6, 3, 1, .5 micron. Makes a beautiful mirror polish even on hard steel like maxamet. Given this is with a kme so the angle is fixed and harder to mess up vs free hand.

[@jeremybryant5778]

Thank you. God bless

[@timtim3070]

Спасибо за ваш опыт 👍🤝

[@lukearts2954]

Superb advice! Thanks!!!

[@skang3368]

Excellent detailed tips and amazing microscopic video footage!!!

[@JavierBonillaC]

Man, you have been pursuing the perfect sharpening for so many years That somebody should give you a phd already

[@johnmitchelljr]

Great channel. Well done. Thank you.

[@1averageamerican]

Is there a way to strip chromium oxide compound from a strop and use diamond on it? Or is it best just to toss it and get a new strop? Great information in this video. Thanks.

[@redangrybird7564]

Anything that cleans wax, lighter fluid will do but be careful with the fumes.

[@Hungrybird474]

The sharpening skill was a worthwhile skill to learn and master . I ve done over a hundred edges now and some take more time than others but it’s all worthwhile . Thanks man . We need someone to test hrc hardness on knives . There’s a general fee they charge for each knife but it might be fun , or not , lol . LTK is doing it but I think they want to test more knives , and more knives .

[@billmanning8806]

Helpful. Even though I strop using a motor, I find this video (and others of yours) helpful. "Good show." Thanks!

[@Marcus10mil]

A newbie and subscriber now. I ordered 1 micron diamond compound and a 2 sided strop - one side rough, one side smooth. Applying diamond to the smooth side seems right. Is it? Thanks. Great vid.

[@wades623]

1 micron is about 14000 grit, a lot of the time you'd usually use a bit courser compound on the rough side at least I probably would have

[@1BigHeart777]

Thank you for the education. I am the proud owner of two Knife Point Gear strops and the lightest backpack saw (while they were still being made.) THANK YOU 👍

[@Senorbarnez]

Leather has natural silicates that work to abrade the knife edge. I believe they are very 'fine' I.e. would be a smaller size than typical diamond compounds. So, leather is not there just to hold the compound but can be used bare in its own. To improve the natural ability of leather for stropping you can roll it with heavy pressure to increase the silicate content at the surface - this is called casing. Some recommend the final strop sequence to be bare leather for the final stage.

[@MFD00MTR33]

I stopped using leather mostly and now rarely use kangaroo once in a while or a compound free shell cordovan strop. I prefer balsa, ebony and henitax strops because there's less chance of round over and the feedback is better. Great tips though. A lot of people don't realize that the grit rating is just an average and the actual abrasive size depends on QC. Same goes for sharpening stones. A cheap stone will have less abrasive and some particles will be much bigger size than stated because of lower quality. Higher priced stones give you a better quality mist of the time. What diamond abrasive do you use if you don't mind?

[@knickly]

Ah! I've been wondering about hetinax. Can you recognize any difference between it and paper micarta?

[@erfanahmadzade2283]

Awesome bonus tip I have a question When stroping Is it possible to round the edge on a leather without compound?

[@realbroggo]

Short realistic answer is no. Raw leather is too soft to remove steel (which is what sharpening and stropping does). If you had an ultra shallow edge bevel say 12 deg per side and soft steel - then anything is possible. However, depending on the steel you're using, if you start actually cutting up leather you will at some point need to sharpen your blade as the very apex of the edge will slowly roll (just a fraction) and become dull. Have a great day.

[@sixter4157]

Interesting. Really enjoyed the information. I learned about stropping from the straight razor community. At the time the advice tended to be use a compound with a canvas strop and use the leather strop without compound, or have a dedicated leather with compound, and still finish on a clean leather strop. I know a straight razor is different from a knife, but it is still an edge. I am kind of inspired to break out my straight razors again. I enjoyed shaving with them and the super smooth shave they gave.

[@tonyriggs7951]

Amazing instruction! Thanks for this, been struggling with my sharpening skills and you have really helped out tremendously. The recommended products page on your website is not working. Do you have a current stropping compound you recommend?

[@frankbrowning328]

Excellent subject matter and video. Love the "What if youre a weirdo" comment!

[@davestelling]

Excellent presentation, thanks...

[@rickschuman2926]

I do not use the suede side of the leather and I use emery. I also have gone to using goat skin drum head material for a final stropping. Everything else you said is good.

[@scottwilson5840]

Excellent information !!! Can you give me the name of a good compound ? I’m new at this. Thank you. So glad I found your channel.

[@LastBastian]

I appreciate the perspective. Free hand on DMT diamond stones followed by stropping with the "crappy" green compound generally gives me hair popping sharpness. But I'll take this info into consideration.