Stropping Questions

[Vic M]

1. Is it worthwhile?

2. I have seen Paul Sellers do it. Is that a curse? (Actually, I like Paul Sellers)

3. Most sharpening videos don't even mention stropping. Is it obsolete?

Any info greatly appreciated. Vic M

[Admiral]

1. Is it worthwhile?

2. I have seen Paul Sellers do it. Is that a curse? (Actually, I like Paul Sellers)

3. Most sharpening videos don't even mention stropping. Is it obsolete?

Any info greatly appreciated. Vic M

Yes, with compound.

No.

No.  They are misguided.

[Strokes77]

Yes, with compound.

No.

No.  They are misguided.

Stropping is good.  Paul is Good.  

Various youtube personalities sharpen different ways.  That's the part that is fascinating to me, to see different ideas.

Pick one you like and roll with it.

[Stwood_]

No.  They are misguided.

 

+1

[Rick Barton]

 

+1

[Rick Barton]

Yes, stropping is a good practice.

Mr. Sellers is great and many youtube woodworkers are hacks to be honest.

[Admiral]

Mr. Sellers is great and many youtube woodworkers are hacks to be honest.

Well, Sellers is Sellers; I have some issues with his views, but he's certainly a acquired taste, not unlike Irish Whiskey.......

[Timberwolf]

1. Is it worthwhile?

2. I have seen Paul Sellers do it. Is that a curse? (Actually, I like Paul Sellers)

3. Most sharpening videos don't even mention stropping. Is it obsolete?

Any info greatly appreciated. Vic M

.................
Why bother to strop???..To remove the wire edge and reduce or eliminate microscopic serrations which weaken the edge....I imagine stone-age men learned to strop early in their existence because they found out it works... it is pretty fast, and even faster if you power strop on leather or other material....
Check Youtube and see how power stropping is done..

[Timberwolf]

1. Is it worthwhile?

2. I have seen Paul Sellers do it. Is that a curse? (Actually, I like Paul Sellers)

3. Most sharpening videos don't even mention stropping. Is it obsolete?

Any info greatly appreciated. Vic M

.................
Why bother to strop???..To remove the wire edge and reduce or eliminate microscopic serrations which weaken the edge....I imagine stone-age men learned to strop early in their existence because they found out it works... it is pretty fast, and even faster if you power strop on leather or other material....
   Check Youtube and see how power stropping is done..

[AHill]

I don't know why more hand tool woodworkers don't strop.  A charged leather strop (get the green stuff from Lee Valley) will keep a sharp edge keen and extend the amount of time between stone honing sessions quite a bit.  Sharp is always good.  Sellers gets pretty aggressive with stropping.  There's a danger of dubbing or rounding over your edge if you don't know what you're doing.  His edges are not beveled.  They are rounded to a point, so as long as you end up at a consistent angle when stropping like he does, you'll be OK.  I've tried it and 20 very aggressive strokes does, indeed, leave you a wicked sharp edge.

As an example of how stropping keeps an edge, just remind yourself that your great grandfather used a strop nearly every day on his straight razor.  I'd say there's hardly an application where sharp is less important than putting a straight razor to your face.