Knives: Stropping Often Better than Sharpening

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Knives: Stropping Often Better than Sharpening May 28, 2018 11:32 ET Original: Knives: Stropping Often Better than Sharpening What I've learned: Stropping is often better than sharpening. If you don't need to reprofile the blade, and it's not really dull, and you don't have big nicks, just strop it back to shaving sharp. What I do: - Make a strop. Above is a link to an instructional video but it's pretty straight-forward. I went to Michaels Cards and Gifts and bought a piece of black leather I've been using for about three years glued onto scrap wood. - Get this Chinese green paste...it's excellent: Amazon.com - 40 strokes on each side of the knife with the paste "loaded" into the strop. Then do the same with a piece of leather that has no paste. Check out YouTube videos for stropping technique and to see which side of the leather you like to use better. - Wash your hands afterwards and WASH the knife. I think I was getting a headache from not washing off the Chinese green paste. Who knows from what the heck it's made.

Knives: Stropping Often Better than Sharpening May 28, 2018 11:32 ET Original: Knives: Stropping Often Better than Sharpening What I've learned: Stropping is often better than sharpening. If you don't need to reprofile the blade, and it's not really dull, and you don't have big nicks, just strop it back to shaving sharp. What I do: - Make a strop. Above is a link to an instructional video but it's pretty straight-forward. I went to Michaels Cards and Gifts and bought a piece of black leather I've been using for about three years glued onto scrap wood. - Get this Chinese green paste...it's excellent: Amazon.com - 40 strokes on each side of the knife with the paste "loaded" into the strop. Then do the same with a piece of leather that has no paste. Check out YouTube videos for stropping technique and to see which side of the leather you like to use better. - Wash your hands afterwards and WASH the knife. I think I was getting a headache from not washing off the Chinese green paste. Who knows from what the heck it's made.