Best explanation of bevel and edge refinement I've seen. Perfect and exactly right on all points. The description of the peaks blending into the valleys on the bevels is spot on. This is why blades that have been "polished" with fine ceramics or Arkansas stones suddenly reveal nasty scratch patterns when further refined with waterstones and/or aggressive stropping compounds.
@pyaoliang It matters to an extent, and it also doesn't matter to an extent. Compound will expedite the process, but even bare leather contains silicates that are hard enough to abrade steel. Also, the plastic deformation can occur without compound altogether. Even other, softer materials can work in that way.
@sharkypw Leather and stropping compound. You can buy the materials from chefknivestogo. You can also use regular old green polishing compound on the back of a leather belt.
ya ,that's true ,,, and is another reason why convex edges are becoming more and more popular , once you get a correct convex , it's a cinch to sharpen and hone
haha I am aware of most things star wars lol. But maybe not as demeaning as you think. Training to become a Jedi?? Pretty damn bad ass if you ask me. Would you have preferred me say your mediclorian count is off the charts??
@27dcx To be honest, you're probably micro rounding the edge with the strop. I used to have the same problem. Now my edges whittle hair but still bite skin like crazy. Try lower angle and lighter pressure.
so for some cutting tasks, with some blade steels, going from a coarse stone straight to the strop may actually produce a seemingly sharper edge? or at least a more effective cutting edge for the task/ steel at hand?
You're very welcome sir..honestly if I can find a knife to take its place, I would've given you my price.. Did you notice the over-travel pin on the inside of the lockbar? I'd like to know who's got thumbs strong enough to bend that out..
I dunno if you have answered this before in an older video, but what is a effective poor mans strop? Can I use the back of my leather belt? I've heard that cardboard is a crude way to mimic stropping. Any household items that I can use? Thanks!
personally i rub em on a strop and then hit em with a little mothers mag and aluminum polish. you gotta do the inside of the liners where the washers contact them. and the detent ball too
Hey bud, Ok, I just bought a HD compact strop from stropman. Got the green and white compound. I don't know what I am doing wrong. It seems like the knife gets duller when I strop it. I have took several knives that were sharp enough to shave hair without a problem then after I stroped it would not. I did what the videos showed. I even resharpened and stroped. Same thing
Stropping most definitely does remove material (steel). The evidence is right there on the strop, as well as the edge. The black color on your strop is due to steel being removed and embedded into the leather/compound. Also, if you've ever looked at an edge under a microscope after stropping you know instantly that material, (sometimes a significant amount, depending on the compound) is being removed. The idea that metal isn't removed is absurd.
Great video John! Makes sense. But that also depends on what compound you're using too right? Would straight up leather be as effective? Oh, and send that Direware my way :) That thing is a ridiculous beast. Even crazier than the Satu.
I think too many of us new to sharpening stropping guys are making our angles way too narrow or shallow. We end up just polishing the bevel or secondary bevel.
Theres also a full lineup of CBN compounds available. from 300micron - 0.1 micron.... You can sharpen an entire knife start to finish with noting but a bunch of strops....
you can make a real strop for like six dollars you can get leather scraps super cheap, glue it "furry" side up to a piece of wood and apply the polishing compound (available at most hardware stores)
Look at your polishing stones under a microscope. They are going to have the reverse image of hills and valleys. When you feel the coarseness of the grit, that's what you're touching. Using leather offers a surface with some give so that these hills and valleys can be averaged out. Stones have no give. Leather does.
You're probably stropping at too high an angle and rounding your sharpened edge over. I find the best way to know you're at the right angle is by the sound the strop makes. If you start with a very low angle and gradually raise it while you LIGHTLY strop, you'll hear the sound change when the edge meets the strop, and then you hold your angle there.
Cool vid JD, thanks for posting it. All this time I thought I was removing metal too, hmm, if not I guess my strop is a Chameleon in disguise cause it sure turns to metal color, lol. Later
Watch the originals from 1977-198x first, and the new ones later, if at all. The first three are kinda amazing. The modern ones are...as a long time fan I view them as abominations for reasons it would take several hours to explain fully. As a newcomer they might just seem kinda stupid and give you a poor impression of the series if you start from "Episode One"
The idea that stropping doesn't remove metal is easily debunked. Stropping IS a form of honing. Does it remove a tiny amount of metal relative to taking an edge to stone? Yep. Is it still removing metal? Yep. And also, strops most definitely can sharpen a dull knife, depending on how dull it is. You'd be surprised what .5 micron monocrystalline diamonds can do.
Compound loaded strops do remove metal, hence the compound turns black. Good for edge refinement knocking off tiny burrs and imperfections. Bark river sell black compound that is abrasive, good for maintaining convex edges.look at virtuovice videos.
Are you serious? That's pretty amazing that Star Wars is such an important cultural icon that it's permeated everyday vocabulary to the extent that you use a word and don't even know where it's from.
@jdavis882 All you need to do is look at a used strop to see that it removes metal. All that gray stuff? That's metal haha. Who said it doesn't remove metal man?
heard that you screwed up, but you can fix that by just laying the cards on the table, it's not like you're Madoff. Take note, your videos are informative, entertaining, etc., etc. and you can pick yourself up. Strap on a set of BALLS, and be a man, admit your shit, come clean, apologize and do the right thing. You won't be sorry !!!
I've been a sub of yours for a long time, I would love it if you would go to my page and tell me what you think of my strop set up I have, I use balsa wood and fine powder honing compound mixed with wd40. I'm really curious to hear what you think. Nice video by the way.
If you're removing actual metal, you need to stop stropping immediately. Stropping should polish metal, but should not remove it. A matter of taste, but that is the dumpiest, ugliest, most repulsive knife I've ever seen. You couldn't scrape the ugly off that knife with an axe.But, hey, I love purple cars, so what do I know about taste?
Best explanation of bevel and edge refinement I've seen. Perfect and exactly right on all points. The description of the peaks blending into the valleys on the bevels is spot on. This is why blades that have been "polished" with fine ceramics or Arkansas stones suddenly reveal nasty scratch patterns when further refined with waterstones and/or aggressive stropping compounds.
The inside of a piece of cardboard is a good way of showing what you were talking about with the grind lines.
@pyaoliang It matters to an extent, and it also doesn't matter to an extent. Compound will expedite the process, but even bare leather contains silicates that are hard enough to abrade steel. Also, the plastic deformation can occur without compound altogether. Even other, softer materials can work in that way.
Very good explanation. Thank you.
@sharkypw Leather and stropping compound. You can buy the materials from chefknivestogo. You can also use regular old green polishing compound on the back of a leather belt.
ya ,that's true ,,, and is another reason why convex edges are becoming more and more popular , once you get a correct convex , it's a cinch to sharpen and hone
haha I am aware of most things star wars lol. But maybe not as demeaning as you think. Training to become a Jedi?? Pretty damn bad ass if you ask me. Would you have preferred me say your mediclorian count is off the charts??
@27dcx To be honest, you're probably micro rounding the edge with the strop. I used to have the same problem. Now my edges whittle hair but still bite skin like crazy. Try lower angle and lighter pressure.
@xxbryan715xx I don't dislike any lock, really. It just so happens that most of the knives I like utilize frame and liner locks.
so young, so knowledgable. Very well done young patawan haha. Nice vid bud.
so for some cutting tasks, with some blade steels, going from a coarse stone straight to the strop may actually produce a seemingly sharper edge? or at least a more effective cutting edge for the task/ steel at hand?
You're very welcome sir..honestly if I can find a knife to take its place, I would've given you my price..
Did you notice the over-travel pin on the inside of the lockbar? I'd like to know who's got thumbs strong enough to bend that out..
I dunno if you have answered this before in an older video, but what is a effective poor mans strop? Can I use the back of my leather belt? I've heard that cardboard is a crude way to mimic stropping. Any household items that I can use? Thanks!
Would you do a video on the advantages of a chisel grind.
personally i rub em on a strop and then hit em with a little mothers mag and aluminum polish. you gotta do the inside of the liners where the washers contact them. and the detent ball too
Hey great video. I just have one questions, how do you polish your washers and knives to make then super smooth?
Hey bud, Ok, I just bought a HD compact strop from stropman. Got the green and white compound. I don't know what I am doing wrong. It seems like the knife gets duller when I strop it. I have took several knives that were sharp enough to shave hair without a problem then after I stroped it would not. I did what the videos showed. I even resharpened and stroped. Same thing
What about polishing the edge but then putting a medium-stone microbevel?
Stropping most definitely does remove material (steel). The evidence is right there on the strop, as well as the edge.
The black color on your strop is due to steel being removed and embedded into the leather/compound.
Also, if you've ever looked at an edge under a microscope after stropping you know instantly that material, (sometimes a significant amount, depending on the compound) is being removed.
The idea that metal isn't removed is absurd.
Great video John! Makes sense. But that also depends on what compound you're using too right? Would straight up leather be as effective? Oh, and send that Direware my way :) That thing is a ridiculous beast. Even crazier than the Satu.
i was wondering when the nap on my leather strop becomes slick on top should i scrape it to raise the nap back up?
very good explanation!
Thanks, never understood the magic they work :)
My assumption was that stropping re-aligned the edge (slightly more rounded) which re formed a previously sharp edge.
I think too many of us new to sharpening stropping guys are making our angles way too narrow or shallow. We end up just polishing the bevel or secondary bevel.
@ManVsZ0MBiE I used to use the back of a leather belt loaded with 4 dollar green compound from lowes. Worked great for what it was. :)
this was very informative. thank you very much :)
can you do a ideo on the strongest production locks?
@Johann Swart You don't pay me a dime to watch my vids.
Theres also a full lineup of CBN compounds available. from 300micron - 0.1 micron....
You can sharpen an entire knife start to finish with noting but a bunch of strops....
I got one for ya - How come most stainless never "feels" sharp to the fingertips, even when its sharp as hell?
you can make a real strop for like six dollars you can get leather scraps super cheap, glue it "furry" side up to a piece of wood and apply the polishing compound (available at most hardware stores)
Look at your polishing stones under a microscope. They are going to have the reverse image of hills and valleys. When you feel the coarseness of the grit, that's what you're touching. Using leather offers a surface with some give so that these hills and valleys can be averaged out. Stones have no give. Leather does.
cool talk man thanks
I have been wondering the same thing.
You're probably stropping at too high an angle and rounding your sharpened edge over. I find the best way to know you're at the right angle is by the sound the strop makes. If you start with a very low angle and gradually raise it while you LIGHTLY strop, you'll hear the sound change when the edge meets the strop, and then you hold your angle there.
thanks helped a lot
oh... yeah neither did i...... hahahahaha damn I feel like a science geek now lol. Thanks John
Cool vid JD, thanks for posting it.
All this time I thought I was removing metal too, hmm, if not I guess my strop is a Chameleon in disguise cause it sure turns to metal color, lol. Later
I think that would completely defeat the purpose of the the polishing, but don't take my word for it.
Watch the originals from 1977-198x first, and the new ones later, if at all. The first three are kinda amazing. The modern ones are...as a long time fan I view them as abominations for reasons it would take several hours to explain fully. As a newcomer they might just seem kinda stupid and give you a poor impression of the series if you start from "Episode One"
10oz for the knife. Looking forward to a preview. That's heavy
The idea that stropping doesn't remove metal is easily debunked.
Stropping IS a form of honing. Does it remove a tiny amount of metal relative to taking an edge to stone? Yep. Is it still removing metal? Yep.
And also, strops most definitely can sharpen a dull knife, depending on how dull it is. You'd be surprised what .5 micron monocrystalline diamonds can do.
@fulie1 I'm about as geeky as it gets, but somehow I missed star wars. May need to watch them.
Compound loaded strops do remove metal, hence the compound turns black. Good for edge refinement knocking off tiny burrs and imperfections. Bark river sell black compound that is abrasive, good for maintaining convex edges.look at virtuovice videos.
great vid thanks
Didn't know it was a star wars term, lol.
my video game is amazing.
Get to it man! Every time you uhh and aaah, remember I'm paying to watch you!
@jdavis882 Didn't even read this before I posted hahaha
Vid uploading now. :)
That was such a drawn out and phlegmatic explanation...
That big knife isn't my thing
Are you serious? That's pretty amazing that Star Wars is such an important cultural icon that it's permeated everyday vocabulary to the extent that you use a word and don't even know where it's from.
@jdavis882 All you need to do is look at a used strop to see that it removes metal. All that gray stuff? That's metal haha. Who said it doesn't remove metal man?
Is there a reason 99% of your knives are frame locks or liner locks? Do you not like things like the ball lock, axis lock etc?
Nice explanation. Thank you. @Johann Swart WTF? I
Stropping does in fact remove metal.
Good video tho
I love how you use an $80.00 pen for drawing but then you use a $1.00 dollar pencil. i do the same thing, not sure why.
heard that you screwed up, but you can fix that by just laying the cards on the table, it's not like you're Madoff. Take note, your videos are informative, entertaining, etc., etc. and you can pick yourself up. Strap on a set of BALLS, and be a man, admit your shit, come clean, apologize and do the right thing. You won't be sorry !!!
★★★★★
I've been a sub of yours for a long time, I would love it if you would go to my page and tell me what you think of my strop set up I have, I use balsa wood and fine powder honing compound mixed with wd40. I'm really curious to hear what you think. Nice video by the way.
doo doo, you can just say do once :)
He do do requests. 💩
I doodoo requests.
Padawan huh? You are aware that is a demeaning term, right? Lol
:13- hahaha. you said doodoo hahahahahahahha
If you're removing actual metal, you need to stop stropping immediately. Stropping should polish metal, but should not remove it. A matter of taste, but that is the dumpiest, ugliest, most repulsive knife I've ever seen. You couldn't scrape the ugly off that knife with an axe.But, hey, I love purple cars, so what do I know about taste?
Stropping with a compound DOES remove metal. That is how a strop works. The medium is super fine, thus the edge is "polished".