To Strop or Not to Strop

Today we are going to be talking about whether to strop or not to strop. What a strop is and how to use a strop. Thanks to Tony at Tokushu Knife for hooking us up with some strops and compound.
To get a strop, visit:
www.tokushukni...
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[@BetweenTwoForks]

Any other content you want to see on the channel? 😃🙏

[@MrJamesFStarr]

How about a series on blade myths? I'll go first. Myth: 1095 is a tough steel! Truth: 1095 isn't actually very tough at all by metallurgical standards. Why people believe this myth: Most people don't want to baton, chop or pry with an expensive blade in tough steels like 3V even though they can handle it. So companies like Tops and Esse utilize 1095 because it is much more budget friendly and versatile enough to take well to differential heat treats and creative tempering. Although this does not actually make the steel tougher, it does fit outdoor applications well and can mimic the performance of tougher steels very well.

[@marcusjonsson5531]

@@MrJamesFStarr 1095 is tough, if you have noticed something else then im pretty sure it has to do with the hardening of the steel. Outdoors255 have some interesting videos about this, he is trying different types of hardening on 1084 steel.

[@jodychapple5351]

My grandfather was a butcher in NSW Australia. I grew up learning how to use an old canvas strop he had hanging behind the kitchen door. Things have changed, now most people use a block set strop. I still prefer the old version.

[@adamwhiteson6866]

Great! Stropping is easy and unless you are expert it will give a big jump in the sharpness of the blade. Key is *very* light pressure. Too hard and the leather will curl up over the edge and kill it.

[@bidin5253]

I really like that unique intro bro awesome video keep up the good work Will always support your channel

[@BetweenTwoForks]

Thank you very much! Wasn't sure if the intro would be a flop lol. Your support truly means a lot! 😃🙌

[@bidin5253]

@@BetweenTwoForks I really love your review video

[@marcusjonsson5531]

This might be an error on my side, but i find that kitchenknives sometimes get worse after stropping. A tomato will be extremely hard to cut with a knife that has been stropped too much. So even if the knife would comfortably shave armhair, split a strand of hair, go through paper like nothing it may still have trouble piercing the skin of the tomato. I find that sharpening it to 4000-6000 and lightly use a strop 1-2 passes per side is enough. If i strop it more than that i would lose the microscopic teeth that would be excellent for gripping the tomatoskin. Have you noticed this? Or is this some error on my side? On my folding knives i strop until i can shave armhair and it will be awesome for EDC use, but i will not be cutting through a tomatoskin with ease..

[@BetweenTwoForks]

I have definitely noticed it! I stop at 3k because it is more suited for my daily needs. I have found that after my low grit progression. I lighten my pressure by a lot on anything above 1k to just slightly refine the tooth, polish and help deburr. I try my best to deburr on the stone itself and as you suggested in a different comment, very light pass on the strop to remove any invisible burr. I've found that using denim or cork does a great job as well. Personally, I found that if your pressure is too harsh on higher grit, it stays very refinely sharp but the lose that bite. I don't personally use the arm hair test for this reason, because I feel like shaving vs cutting food has completely different edges. And it is comparing apples to oranges.

[@autumn5592]

Even though you said you're a beginner, you are more knowledgeable than some of the more experienced sharpeners I've seen. You provide important information, clearly, without over complicating. You even show examples (from good sources no less), of what you're talking about. There was no misinformation in this video that I could see, and that's nice for a sharpening video, usually they focus on the wrong things. Though, I do wish you had touched apon using a strop for maintaining knives. I don't really use them for deburring, as I can do that fine enough on a stone, but using it for maintaining the knife, pretty much every day (for my pocket knives), keeps the edge way better for longer. That said, great video. I will be subbing to see more of what you put out. (Even though I'm knowledgeable in this subject, it's still fun to see how people convey and demonstrate.) I also appreciate the plethora of tests, to many people just settle for the held paper test.

[@BetweenTwoForks]

Really appreciate the kind words and thank you for supporting the channel! Always happy to have knowledgeable viewers join the community. Other viewers can benefit a lot from you all! 😃🙏

[@markkawecki7582]

Really love your vids dude, I'm learning quite a lot, thank you so much.

[@BetweenTwoForks]

Thank you so much! So glad the videos are helping 😃🙌

[@UmarRosyad]

Great content and very well executed video! :)

[@BetweenTwoForks]

Thanks a lot my man!! 😃🙏

[@jeolmo]

Uber awesome vids as always! Have you made a video on your cutting boards? I'd love to know what you use!!

[@BetweenTwoForks]

Thank you so much! I really appreciate that. I can definitely put something together on cutting boards 😃

[@kevingambarota4229]

I made a few strops from old pieces of belts and hides and they definitely help with getting rid of those burrs! Great video as always

[@BetweenTwoForks]

Thank you very much! That is brilliant! Always fun to approach it with a DIY angle 😃

[@kiltedcripple]

Getting artsy up in here homie. I dig it. Oh, and yes, I'd be interested in a hat.

[@BetweenTwoForks]

Hahaha I had to do it lol. Right on with the hat! I will see about getting a small batch made 😃

[@mfreeman313]

Great topic. The more I learn the more I see uses for the strop. They're cheap and don't need to be lapped or soaked or any of that fun times, so you can cook 'em up how you please. You could have, say, four, with ascending grits from aggressive to plain leather. At first I struggled with them, I'd see no effect or even worsening from rounding my bevel, but if you really back off on the pressure and keep the angle good and low it'll clean up your edge and put a nice polish on. And they're cheaper than high-grit stones, that's for sure. In my experience you need to learn with them like anything else but they really can help.

[@BetweenTwoForks]

After using one with compound, I'm really digging it! I'm looking to try out some diamond paste as well. The touch up is so different compared to a steel!

[@davidmccormack4826]

Definitely need a better strop..big fan of the technique.. great clip by the way and hope all is well ..sick hat by the way

[@BetweenTwoForks]

Thanks my man! Sorry for the delayed response! Been falling behind on the comments 😅

[@davidmccormack4826]

Lmfao..been crazy buisy as well .we need to catch up soon

[@boggerme3254]

Can you show how to best sharpen the knife

[@austinjohnson1130]

You should do a review of the "Dedfish Co. Japanese Damascus" knives. They look good and are inexpensive but I have a feeling they're not great.

[@THC800]

Strop compounds are great imo. It saves your knife's steel from multiple sharpenings on a stone AND it gives a nice polish on your edge. But if you prefer to keep your kasumi finish, a rough then fine leather would work :)

[@mattvogtcustomblades4236]

Definitely strop🤘

[@mattvogtcustomblades4236]

Definitely compound

[@BetweenTwoForks]

@@mattvogtcustomblades4236 this is my first experience stripping with compound. And I feel like that it came off cleaner. Definitely left a nice polish on the edge. 😃🙌

[@mattvogtcustomblades4236]

@@BetweenTwoForks 100% & it also gives you that razor blade edge. That’s why old time barbers used a leather strop right before they gave a shave.

[@mattvogtcustomblades4236]

@@BetweenTwoForks also be careful stripping when you do it or you could cut something off😂😆

[@stevewebber707]

What I think of as stropping, is more of a process, than about the use of a strop. I'm not sure the definitions are written in stone, or even terribly specific though. As such, I consider the finishing work with a stone to be stropping, even if it's on a stone. We use stropping techniques, to achieve results stropping is intended for. Deburring, refining, and polishing the edge. Though that's basically an argument about semantics. Personally, while it is useful to get that super edge when sharpening, I find the greatest value of a strop is for regular maintenance. Particularly for hard Japanese steels that a steel hone won't help. After all, that super edge won't stay so super very long without honing. All that said, you achieve a far sharper edge than I ever do.

[@autumn5592]

Well said, my sentiments exactly.

[@BetweenTwoForks]

100% agree with you here! Definitely part of the process. And I think people should perfect removing a majority of the burr on stone rather than relying on a strop. And using the strop to maintain is really nice because it is so different than a steel.

[@kurtis4572]

What is the knife he is using!? That is the knife I need! Bunka vibes are fun.

[@BetweenTwoForks]

Hi! The knife i used in the video is a Tsunehisa AS Kiritsuke 😃

[@kurtis4572]

@@BetweenTwoForks thanks for the quick reply. love the videos btw

[@Jay-et6sg]

Hi🥰

[@BetweenTwoForks]

Hi back my friend!

[@ilzephyrli]

Regardless of your skill level I find strops a necessity because they help maintain an edge and lengthen the time between sharpenings. A couple passes improves a used edge considerably. Can go back to shaving sharp easily.

[@ilzephyrli]

Great edge by the way!

[@DAVIDMILLER-nc9vo]

Unfortunately, most of the makers of the paste compounds are not at all forthcoming about the grit size of their products. So it's kind of a toss-up as to what you will get. Why strop with an unknown size paste compound when you have sharpened your knife with a 8000 KING whetstone or a Shapton 16,000? The chances are that any paste compound will be coarser than the stone you use, and you will be dulling that edge! Strop? Yes, but not with a compound; use a clean piece of leather. Other options are wood, cardboard, and even your arm.

[@jasonedwardledburynewzeala9897]

You want firm leather. Not soft. Soft leather if used with too much pressure could roll your edge

[@autumn5592]

I find, so long as you apply minimal to no pressure, it doesn't really matter.

[@jasonedwardledburynewzeala9897]

@@autumn5592 agreed. But not everyone watching knows this. Thanks for the reply.😊👍