Stropping - Been there Done that.

Hi,
I'm still sharpening at a steady pace but I like to keep my Blog up to date as much as I can.  Now I haven't done any Christmas shopping or anything like that but this is something I really enjoy.

One of the knives sent to me was damaged, I am really getting a lot of these, I don't think folks have a really good idea about these Japanese Knives, i.e. how to handle them. I think they hear and read that these are THE knives to have but are soon disappointed when they chip them. It's a cost that they will learn the hard way I guess. I don't think I would buy one myself, now I would pick up a
Misono UX 10.  Again, this is coming from someone who has an obsession with water stones and sharpening, not knives. I just see a lot of them, over 500 in the last 3 weeks.

I gave up using a leather strop a long time ago, I found that they were easily cut and they always felt dirty, gritty to me. Now I know they can be kept sterile by placing them in a bag or something but I don't have the time for that. I did all the Kangaroo leather, nano cloth stuff with magical sprays but I'm completely over that stuff.

Now what I do find very effective is to strop on a ultra fine stone, and I use the Sigma Power Select II 13,000 grit. I also strop in between grits so when I am finished using the coarse stone, I dip the blade in water to rinse off any debris and then I use very light, and I mean light, trailing strokes on the 13k stone that is also wet.  I just do about 5 passes and I do find it improves the edge, it just gives it a little pop. I strive for a very clean edge, not polished per say just very clean.

Now the Naniwa Atoshi 2k green brick does leave a fantastic polish, that stone is amazing.

This is my setup, I have my coarse stone and any other stones I use on the right, in the Suehiro sharpening pond which I love and that is my Sigma 13k stone on the right, my stropping stone and the Atoma 140 plate in the middle which I use solely for flattening, in fact I spend half day now flattening the "sharpening stones" which are the 400, 1k, 2k and anything else I feel like using but I often stop at the 2k stage and then finish it off on the 13k Stropper. :)

I love the stropping stone, it is easy to keep pristine, it doesn't get nicks in it and it works, I don't care what other people say, it works for me........gees Murray Carter uses newspaper to strop. (which is also cool and effective by the way)

Some more pat myself on the back before and after shots.


There is one water stone in particular that has been on my wish list for 4 years, it is expensive, about $300.00 but it is one of those things that I have always wanted. I am sure that I have looked at it online 400 times and dreamed of owning it

A few days ago, a knock came to my door and the UPS guy delivers a package.
This is what was inside:

MY DREAM STONE.

Naniwa Chosera 10,000

Needless to say I was absolutely shocked that someone would send me this as a gift, a gift that is folks, someone I did work for sent it to me, he knew how much I loved it. Came wrapped in silk.

COOL EH.


I haven't used it but I do have a new Murray Carter knife coming my way, not mine but I may get a chance to use it on that.


NOW if you have a leather strop, go for it, I love them, I have a nice one and I am not saying they are not worth the trouble. For me, a guy who sharpens 40 knives a day, I just find the finishing stone easier. You use whatever works for you, that is the most important thing, if it is a piece of newspaper, that is cool, if it balsa that works too. 



Take care and Merry Christmas.

Peter