# is stropping necessary



## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

the highest i sharpen is with a 2000 grit diamond plate, is it necessary to strop after that thanks Mike


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## david2011 (Apr 1, 2008)

Stropping is not necessary but if you want the best from your chisels and planes you will strop. The cost to get set up is negligible. You can start with a scrap of cowhide or horsehide at least 3"x8" and preferably some green stropping/polishing compound. It only takes a few seconds and leaves the edge much smoother than if you don't strop. If you want to get fancy get two pieces of leather and mount them on scraps of plywood; one with the rough surface up for the polishing compound and one with the smooth surface up for a final polish without the compound. Still, it only takes seconds and the cost is still small. A well prepared edge can be touched up several times on the strop alone if you don't put it off so long that the edge has gotten too dull.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

I have strops and compound, but I was wondering if it would matter when I hone on a 2000 grit diamond plate. I have no idea what the grit of the coumpound is, the one I use is red rouge, it about 30 yeard old


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## AESamuel (Jan 20, 2015)

Red rouge won't work for stropping blades/irons, it isn't hard enough. It's designed for polishing soft metals for jewellery. There are differences between compounds but any buffing/polishing compound designed for steel will work.

Unless you're willing to shell out for very high grit stones (8-10k+) stropping is the BEST way to finish your blades.


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## tvrgeek (Nov 19, 2013)

I recently learned how to strop. I not keep it handy for any hand powered tool. I hone to 3000 first.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

Maybe not a critical step but I sure enjoy looking at that polished edge. At the low ost to get a piece of leather and some rouge why not.


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## Clarkhus (Jul 3, 2019)

Check out Stumpy Nubs. He just released some videos on the importance of using a strop.


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## Planeman40 (Nov 3, 2010)

What many don't understand is that thin, fine, sharp edge often get bent to one side under use. Stropping straightens it back out. This is also the purpose of the sharpening "steel" used by chefs. It straightens out the already sharp edge. Sharpening "steels" also work well on woodworking edges.


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## ChefHDAN (Aug 7, 2010)

> ...sharp edge often get bent to one side under use. Stropping straightens it back out. This is also the purpose of the sharpening "steel" used by chefs. It straightens out the already sharp edge. Sharpening "steels" also work well on woodworking edges.
> - Planeman40


100% correct in the kitchen we use stones to *Sharpen*, and a steel to *Hone* the edge. I have a 6" diamond steel that I keep on my bench that gets frequent use for most everything with an edge.. lol even my Katanas


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## rwe2156 (May 7, 2014)

> the highest i sharpen is with a 2000 grit diamond plate, is it necessary to strop after that thanks Mike
> 
> - Karda


OK, let's get 'er started…...:-D

Stropping is not necessary.

Go to at least 6K.

Personally I go to 12K.

I strop but I don't really know why.


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## MadMark (Jun 3, 2014)

It's not just the grit that matters. Stone sharpening forms a 'wire' on the edge that stropping removes. This is most easily felt on the edge of a scraper but exists on most any stone sharpened edge.

The hardness of the stone just flops the wire from one side of the edge to the other and never really removes it (since the action of the stone created the wire, more stonework ain't going to remove it).

Going to a softer strop helps flex, roll, and break the wire free. Leaving the edge clean and at ultimate sharpness.


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## Planeman40 (Nov 3, 2010)

That is true about the "wire edge". A better way to remove it is to jab the edge into the end grain of a softwood block. This knocks the wire edge really nice.


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## HokieKen (Apr 14, 2015)

Try stropping for a while and see if it makes any difference in the quality or durability of the edge. If you don't notice an improvement, you don't need to strop. If you do notice an improvement, then keep stropping.


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## MadMark (Jun 3, 2014)

Stropping is done with the edge, stone is used against the edge.

Certainly barbers have been stropping blades since the invention of iron because there is no benefit to the edge …


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## WoodenDreams (Aug 23, 2018)

Stropping is not necessary, but do you want sharp, super sharp or scary sharp.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

ok thanks


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## Phil32 (Aug 31, 2018)

All sharpening is a compromise between cutting efficiency and durability. Why don't you make the bevel angle at 5 degrees? - because it will immediately break down in use. Then why not 45 degrees? - because it wouldn't cut worth a damn. Durability was once important for production on the job. You could not stop every 15 minutes to strop your tools (unless you were a barber). As carpenters, my grandfathers (both of them) were expected to sharpen their tools on their own time, so they spent their weekends or evenings sharpening their plane blades, chisels, or hand saws. Sharpening them in a way that would last through the next period of work.

Stropping may make your blades more shiny, or make them slide through wood with less pressure, or both - but we should not carry the process beyond the basic compromise.


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## ClaudeF (Sep 22, 2013)

All depends on how sharp you want the tool. My carving knives and gouges are always stropped using the green chromium oxide compound (0.5 micron). The only time I use a stone, is if I'm careless and drop a blade on the floor, or chip an edge cutting through a knot… Also, there are better strops than leather. Leather tends to compress a bit when the blade is pressed against it, and then spring back up as the blade passes. This springing up can "round" the edge on the tool over time. A better strop that many wood carvers use is a piece of cardboard from a cereal box (I prefer Cherrios…) The cardboard is glued, grey side up to a hard flat surface such as glass, tile, or even a piece of scrap plastic-coated MDF shelving (I use this one) with rubber cement. The compound is rubbed on it like a crayon. It doesn't have to completely cover the cardboard. Once you start using it, the compound turns black. This is good; the black is microscopic particles of steel removed from the blade. If you don't have the chromium oxide (Lee Valley stocks it, among many others, such as Woodcraft), Flexcut gold is whitish/yellowish, but works equally well.

The 0.5 micron grit in the compound comes in as 45,000-60,000 grit, depending on whose chart one uses. Here's one example: https://www.bestsharpeningstones.com/article_details.php?id=1&article_name=Micron%20to%20Grit%20Conversion%20Calculator that shows the 1200 grit to be about 15 micron size.


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## Foghorn (Jan 30, 2020)

I usually strop but I do always think back to a Japanese woodworker that gave a sharpening demonstration at our woodworking club. The sharpening part of his apprenticeship was a year long. The Japanese plane blade he used for the demo had to have been 1/4" thick. All his sharpening was done by hand on real Japanese Waterstones. I can usually and very carefully and gingerly test an edge using my thumb whether it's a straight razor, plane blade or whatever. You don't want to try that with an edge that he could achieve. He then did a demo where he tied a six foot length of cotton string to his plane then pulled it about 8' along the edge of a board using only the string. You could easily read something through those shavings. Could be the harder steel, the real stones or pure skill, but no strops were seen or used by him.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

I have tried using card board to strop with i can see your point, it is better than my leather strop I have some flexcut gold but it won't stay on the strop, it doesn't seem to work int the leather line I think it should. the flexcut gold acts like the 20 yr old compound I ruined my expensive strop with. I don't know if I got some bad stuff or i don't know how to use it


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## rad457 (Jun 15, 2013)

I was taught how to sharpen by one of Krenov"s students, hollow grind, 1000 Water stone then 8000+ water stone free hand, push the blade forward always, pulling will round the edge, one pull on backside of blade when finished. Hock irons in your Krenov style wood plane and the test was to read a newspaper through the shavings.
For chisels had a piece of maple board(flat) with some green compound to restore edge while at the bench.
Quick check is look at the edge, you can see dull
Everyone has a different judgement of what sharp is?


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## bandit571 (Jan 20, 2011)

I go up to 2500 grit, then strop on an old leather work belt. IF there was any of the Green stuff on that belt…it's long gone now.

when I am chopping mortises, or dovetails….and don't want to stand back up to get a quick hone/strop….I just use the pants leg of my jeans….then back to work…

YMMV….I strop…


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## donwilwol (May 16, 2011)

It really depends on the tool or knife. Carving tools should be stropped. Hatches and axes no. Everything in between try what works for you


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

thanks Don. I think I have found my way. I tried stropping on cereal box cardboard with flex cut gold it gives me the best edge of any other strop I have.


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## controlfreak (Jun 29, 2019)

I kind of like that polished edge I see after stropping.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

do both. I did some kitchen knives and stropped with leather and compound great edge then I stropped with cardboard and flex cut gold, that made the edge finer yet.


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