Stropping SET, strop + compound

Your blade is sharp but you want more?

With a leather strop and polishing compound, you can put a final edge on your blade and extend the time between sharpenings. Here's how.

After sharpening your blade on a sharpening stone, use the strop as follows:

• rub sharpening or polishing compound on the strop. Use only one compound on one strop, do not alternate compounds on one strop.
• place your blade on the strop and gently pull over the leather, away from the blade. Move the blade at a lower angle on the leather than on a sharpening stone and do not apply much pressure. Leather is softer than stone and will slightly curl up over the blade edge. If you apply too much pressure or have too steep of an angle, it may ruin the sharpening. Avoid pulling the blade over the end of the leather.
• strop one side about 5 times and then the other side 5 times. Repeat.
• to finish, strop by alternating sides after each pull.

Since stone sharpening is relatively time-consuming, we recommend using a strop during work. First, sharpen the blade according to the instructions above, and after some time using your blade, strop it. Don't let it get too dull before stropping. Strop rather more often than not. Strop each side of the blade as long as it recovers its sharpness. Depending on the tool, the steel, the material being cut, and the level of sharpness/dullness, each side may need 3-50 pulls. Using a strop during work, between cutting, you save yourself and the blade from sharpening which has more wear on the blade than stropping. When you are not able to strop the blade sharp again, it's time to use a sharpener.

Take care of your strop!

First, keep it clean! Stropping and polishing compounds have a really fine grit. Avoid getting any bigger particles on the strop as they will leave scratches on the fine finish and may ruin the result. Always place the strop on a clean surface, free from wood and metal shavings, etc.

If there is an excess build-up of compound and metal residue, clean the strop with a strong sharp edge by scraping off the excess without damaging the leather.

Compounds

White - Universal, fine. Suitable for polishing both softer and harder metals and steels.

Green - Suitable for polishing harder steels.

Yellow - Coarsest of the three. Suitable for pre-polishing harder metals and steels