Ruler trick with leather strop

[matthewwh]

A A Milne would have been proud of that one!

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

But stropping as has been suggested here has a sharpening effect, akin to the ruler trick, which would be my definition of stropping, not removal of the wire edge, which has always been refered to as 'the removal of the wire edge' or removing the burr. Hayward is describing 2 different things here and caused confusion by using the name of stropping for both. But let us not be confused, there is a distinct difference in result, and we know it.

Mike.

 

[Trafalgar]

I do appreciate the fact that ruler trick proponents understand that jigging is an absolute requirement to prevent the tiny back bevel from metastasizing, which it surely would do without the ruler.

 

[David C]

Do we believe that leather has abrasive properties?

Is the strop plain leather or charged with a fine abrasive?

David

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Hello,

But stropping as has been suggested here has a sharpening effect, akin to the ruler trick, which would be my definition of stropping, not removal of the wire edge, which has always been refered to as 'the removal of the wire edge' or removing the burr. Hayward is describing 2 different things here and caused confusion by using the name of stropping for both. But let us not be confused, there is a distinct difference in result, and we know it.

Mike.

I don't think Hayward was confused, and neither am I. If you whap a freshly honed edge tool across a strop (leather glued to wood, piece of MDF or hardwood, palm of hand, dressed with mild abrasives or plain) that's stropping. If it has a slight sharpening effect, that's great. If it doesn't, but removes the wire edge, that's great too. If it causes the edge to be duller than when it came off the stone, or dubs the edge, that's not great and you should either modify your equipment or technique somehow, or not strop in that particular circumstance.

As has been said by far cleverer and more experienced people than me, everyone should go with what works for them.

 

[Jacob]

Do we believe that leather has abrasive properties?

Is the strop plain leather or charged with a fine abrasive?

David

Either. If you rub a piece of metal for long enough with a piece of leather, or your hand, or probably almost anything, it will polish up. This is good for cutting edges as there will be less friction resistance behind the edge. If you add abrasive it will polish up but differently, according to the abrasive.

 

[Jacob]

I do appreciate the fact that ruler trick proponents understand that jigging is an absolute requirement to prevent the tiny back bevel from metastasizing, which it surely would do without the ruler.

Cancer? Things are getting serious! Tiny bevels spreading through the tool box :shock:
What difference does the ruler make? People have been doing this since time immoral but without the ruler. It's totally normal. And rounded bevels are normal, found everywhere.

 

[lurker]

Ooo goody a sharpening thread!

I think DC is a great bloke and have all of his books, some signed, but the ruler trick is pointless IMHO

All you need to do is get the back flat and progressively more scratch free then bring the bevel to the same state.
Those two flat surfaces come together at a point
Once done keeping it like that should be a minutes effort at the most assuming you do it before the blade is seriously blunt.
Unless of course you Get a nick.

As DC states ( somewhere) once you do the ruler trick you are stuck with it until you grind past the micro bevel , so it's just an extra activity achieving nothing

 

[woodbrains]

Hello,

I'm sure Hayward was not confused, as he qualified the difference between stropping to remove a wire edge and stropping to remove metal with abrasives to further refine the sharpening process. Some here are confused by the difference, when the blanket term 'stropping' is used with no differentiation as to what ends.

If anyone thinks that an edge sharpened on site by a joiner, using the usual India stone or similar, can be observably or measurably improved by stroking it back and forth on the palm of the hand, is really indulging themselves in mythic folklore. An abrasive charged leather or softwood block, however, is different thing altogether. The OP question was about stropping with abrasive being similar in effect to the ruler trick. It almost certainly is, by forming a micro bevel.

The ruler trick does not mandate jigging up in any way, though using a rule is hardly a cumbersome or time consuming process. Simplicity of a rule is actually convenient, which is why it is advised. It is reasonable enough to freehand a small back bevel, if one wanted to. The fact that a low back bevel is useful for speeding up and making more efficient the honing process, is lost on some, however. The open minded, might think about the effect of tool blunting and how back bevelling could restore an edge quicker than working the bevel only. It is a time saving excercise, in fact.

Mike.

 

[mouppe]

Do we believe that leather has abrasive properties?

Is the strop plain leather or charged with a fine abrasive?

David

David, my strop is charged with a green polishing compound.

 

[G S Haydon]

If anyone thinks that an edge sharpened on site by a joiner, using the usual India stone or similar, can be observably or measurably improved by stroking it back and forth on the palm of the hand, is really indulging themselves in mythic folklore.

Mike.

Dunno, seems to improve things for folks I've been around. It's been mentioned in text too, not now but in the when trades relied more heavily on hand tools. It's unusual for people to develop a practice like that just for fun.

 

[n0legs]

Dunno, seems to improve things for folks I've been around. It's been mentioned in text too, not now but in past when trades relied more heavily on hand tools. It's unusual for people to develop a practice like that just for fun.

I agree.
I've used a knife for most of my working life and I was taught to sharpen said knife then strop it in my hand.
I've been doing this for a long time with edge tools and have seen the benefits of it. No one is going to convince me it doesn't work.
Leather is skin and skin is what covers the palm of your hand.
Just a thought,,,, my barber doesn't seem load up his leather strop with anything, a quick swipe then it's on to the shaving and he ain't cut me once.
Which is nice

 

[bugbear]

Just a thought,,,, my barber doesn't seem load up his leather strop with anything, a quick swipe then it's on to the shaving and he ain't cut me once.

Once a strop is loaded, it needs very, very little additional compound to keep working on a day to day basis. Once a week would be a lot.
It is normal for barbers to dress their strops (I bought some strop dressing from a specialist barber's supply shop n Norwich), and I don't suppose
that your barber is different.

I fully believe that you've never seen him dress his strop..

BugBear

 

[Paul Chapman]

Once a strop is loaded, it needs very, very little additional compound to keep working on a day to day basis. Once a week would be a lot.

I agree. Some people seem to use far too much honing compound on their strops, and end up with a thick, gloopy surface. You need very little honing compound.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

 

[MIGNAL]

My procedure is to start with a 1,000G, to 6,000G, finishing with an 8,000G waterstone. Then on to leather charged with the Green compound. Then leather without the compound, followed by soft tissue paper, then soft tissue paper charged with my Oil of Olay. Finally I blow straight across the blades edge. It's so highly polished that I can see Neptune!

 

[bugbear]

My procedure is to start with a 1,000G, to 6,000G, finishing with an 8,000G waterstone. Then on to leather charged with the Green compound. Then leather without the compound, followed by soft tissue paper, then soft tissue paper charged with my Oil of Olay. Finally I blow straight across the blades edge. It's so highly polished that I can see Neptune!

You been reading (the late great) Terry Pratchett?

BugBear

 

[Trafalgar]

Once a strop is loaded, it needs very, very little additional compound to keep working on a day to day basis. Once a week would be a lot.

I agree. Some people seem to use far too much honing compound on their strops, and end up with a thick, gloopy surface. You need very little honing compound.

Cheers :wink:

Paul

The wax sticks are the wrong product. They are designed for power buffing where the wax melts and exposes the grit when touched to the running wheel. A little AlOx powder and mineral oil well rubbed in is a much better way of charging a leather strop.

 

[iNewbie]

Leather is skin and skin is what covers the palm of your hand.

Ah, but our skin is untanned though - unless you have the George Hamilton thing going on... :wink:

/pedant

 

[n0legs]

Once a strop is loaded, it needs very, very little additional compound to keep working on a day to day basis. Once a week would be a lot.
It is normal for barbers to dress their strops (I bought some strop dressing from a specialist barber's supply shop n Norwich), and I don't suppose
that your barber is different.

I fully believe that you've never seen him dress his strop..

BugBear

You're probably right BB. I've got enough quirks and I'm not going to add stalking my barber to them :lol:

The wax sticks are the wrong product. They are designed for power buffing where the wax melts and exposes the grit when touched to the running wheel.

I thought the same.

Ah, but our skin is untanned though - unless you have the George Hamilton thing going on... :wink:

/pedant

:lol:
True, thankfully.


I don't have a leather strop, so could someone tell me how soft/hard their strop is when loaded with their choice of stropping medium. What's the texture like?

 

[Paul Chapman]

Mine looks like this. I use jewellers rouge and very occasionally some Vaseline



Cheers :wink:

Paul