Leather strops

[BruceT]

   These are my leather strops . When I sharpen broadheads and knives, I don’t get improvement, if anything the other way ? Any suggestions .

[Alexander Traditional]

I'm not sure what you are saying.

I know if you don't have the angle just right,and you use too much pressure at would be the stroping stage,you can screw it up and only option is to start over.

[Judd]

It is important that the stropping angle be the same as the sharpening angle.
You draw the blade "backwards" over the leather, I have seen people try to strop pushing the edge into the leather.
I have hand sharpened for 55 yrs. and never used compound on the leather.
The idea with the strop is to remove the final bit of burr that is attached to the edge.
Flipping the blade back and forth will eventually remove the burr and you edge is complete.
I think the green buffing compound is "compounding" your challenge............

[BruceT]

 Thanks Judd ! I was under the impression that the angle maybe wasn’t important. I think I was doing the backstroke and maybe increasing the angle a bit more than what was being done on the sharpening stones .

[Judd]

Ultimately, you may want to invest in a "sharpening system"
KME makes a very nice unit to help hold the stone at a consistent angle to the blade.
There are other good sharpening systems available, and the pricing varies considerably.
Angle consistency is the key to a sharp edge, whether using the stones or the strop.   

[Terry Green]

"These are my leather strops. When I sharpen broadheads and knives, I don’t get improvement"

I'm not sure what you mean either... leather strops are not for sharpening, but for polishing and removing the burr as to further present the edge previously sharpened.

Removing the burr allows the edge to cut more smooth...

Stropping a shaving razor benefits much more by stropping than general use of knives and broadheads.

I use to use  jewelers rouge and a dremel tool to polish my Zwickeys back in the day.

Be very careful after stropping, the blade most likely wont 'feel' as sharp because the edge is so smooth that it doesn't slightly grab any longer, so it wont appear that way.

I will say this on top of all that.  I gave up stropping broadheads over 25 years ago as I didn't see any real benefit from it. 

Here's an excerpt from a well know company in the shaving industry.

"Stropping vs. Honing

When it comes to a sharp 'shave ready' (a razor that is sharp enough to shave) straight razor, there are two processes that are utilized for maintaining and sharpening an edge.



Stropping: The process of polishing a blade to remove microscopic imperfections either before or after shaving. This process maintains the blade. This action is required every time you use the razor, so it’s very important to practice this skill and have a good quality strop. In short, stropping polishes the blade so it’s ready to cut again. Although a proper stropping technique will maintain a blade for some time, eventually the blade will lose the ability to cut properly and honing the blade will be required.

Honing: The process of removing metal with a series of abrasives until the razor is officially “shave ready”. This sharpens the blade. Although the skill set for honing is like stropping, it does take more attention to detail and more time."

I have heard lots of times that 'hair will dull the edge'.  So I ask....

1) How many days do you use your razor to shave with?

2) Is your broadheads edge more durable than a razors edge?

3) If so, how is any one pass across a patch of hair going to dull  your broadhead?

[BruceT]

   First off, thanks for the replies .
What I was meaning was ,after I’ve sharpened my broadheads with stones in the usual manner. And feel that I have gotten them fairly sharp. That by using the leather strops would improve them even more . But it did not , seemed like they were less sharp. Usual way to sharpen would be three stones ,course ,medium and fine with the use of oil . The broadheads would be sharp. I was hoping to get another level of sharpness , with the strop, and it didn’t happen .
   I remember as a kid watching Grandpy ,sharpening a straight razor on a strip of dark coloured leather that was attached to a little cupboard . Back and forth at high speed . The piece of leather was about the same size that the school principal would use as a strap , not a strop !!
   Now I have to be honest here. I have the KME system and there is no need to strop ! Terry’s comment about not using the strop solidifies that idea.
   The KME system , is a sit down with a cup of coffee, type of system and maybe not so user friendly when quicker results are required .

[David McLendon]

Get you some Herb's Yellowstone compound, it's used by a lot of custom knife makers to finish the edge. I use a Hutsuls Black Leather strop.

[Smguinnip]

I like to finish my broadhead on a piece of cardboard, either corrugated or the inside of a cereal box pulling the broadhead at the same angle as on the stones, sometimes I use polishing compound and sometimes I don’t. I do know that this removes the burr but not sure that it makes the head any sharper.

[Gun]

I just use the inside of a cereal box as well. No compound.
After 3000 grit Emory

[Wudstix]

I've sharpened on the bottom of a ceramic coffee cup before.
 

[Todd Cook]

You said they "seem less sharp". How do you determine that? I rarely strop broadheads( I'm more of a file guy, but that's a different conversation). But I strop chisels and gouges regularly. You can take printer paper or really dry soft wood like white pine or basswood and do this- Cut a few places with a stropped edge and a few with a not stropped edge. First pay very close attention to the feel of the cut. Then, use a magnifying glass and look real close at the cuts. The stropped edge should be smoother. Not a huge difference, but noticeable under magnification.

[David McLendon]

Not everybody strops their broadheads, and to each his own. I used to strop on cardboard both alone and with Mother's Aluminum and Mag wheel polish which does a good job, until I learned how much difference what I am using now makes. There are some key points to proper stropping, failure to follow will result in wiping your sharp edge off and disappointment.

[Terry Green]

Bruce, YES, you can 'less sharpen' them....

BUT, you can also remove the burr so you aren't feeling how sharp they are. Be very careful in that order as you will cut yourself to the bone trying to 'see' if they are sharp.

[Kyle85]

Bruce,
    I also use a KME system on diamond stones and felt that whatever I did stropping on leather was counter-productive.  What I settled on in the end was going coarse-medium-fine on the diamond stones, then using a Christmas present - a 6000 grit superfine stone with no oil.  Also, on every stone I grind until I have an even burr along the whole length of the blade, then flip it over in the KME and give it one strong, short stroke on the opposite side to cut off the burr (sharpening a Single-Bevel).  I do this once on each grit of stone, and finish with a few more strokes on the bevel-side with the superfine stone, and leave the strop on the shelf.

Maybe one day I'll figure out how to use it, but for now that's what works for me!  -Kyle

[Judd]

Guys-
The KME system has a leather strop insert you can use.
It will be on the exact same angle as what you used with the stones.
Just remember to draw it "backwards" across  the edge.
I use it all the time when I sharpen and I believe it adds the final touch to an edge.