Step 5 of the process
Strop the edge
A strop removes what is left of the burr and polishes the very edge. Draw the knife spine first, at the sharpening angle or slightly lower, with almost no pressure. Compound makes the leather cut; bare leather only cleans up.
- Direction
- spine first, edge trailing
- Pressure
- the weight of the knife
Stropping is the last step, done on leather instead of stone. The knife is drawn spine first, so the edge trails and cannot cut into the leather, at the same angle as on the stone or a touch lower. Pressure is no more than the weight of the knife: pressing harder lets the leather wrap around the edge and round it. How to use a leather strop has the steps.
Bare leather has no grit rating. It wipes off the last of the burr and little more. Loaded with compound, the strop becomes a very fine abrasive: products are labelled from about 7 down to 0.5 micron, and the finest are finer than an 8000 grit stone. What grit is a leather strop has the table, and strop without compound says when bare leather is enough.
Two-sided strops raise the most common question. The rough, suede-like side holds more compound and usually carries the coarser one; the smooth side gives the finer finish, and some makers load it with emulsion. Either side can be used bare. Smooth or rough side sorts it out. A strop is also the quickest way to bring an edge back between sharpenings.
Ready to move on when: No burr can be felt from either side and the edge slices paper cleanly along its whole length.
Common mistakes at this stage
- Pushing the edge into the leather and cutting the strop.
- Lifting the spine at the end of the stroke, which rounds the edge.
- Pressing hard to make the strop work faster.