Stropping Help, Please

[ronhga]

Hello all, please bear with a noob and give a little advice. I am just getting back into the hobby after having collected pocket knives & hunting knives as a kid. I am now interested in learning how to sharpen my blades myself since way back when my dad used to do all my sharpening for freehand with bench stones (fyi, the man was an absolute artist with those stones but by his own admission he's now out of practice).

Anyway, based on the great advice I've picked up here in the past week or so I purchased a Sharpmaker and am extremely pleased with the results (achieved shaving sharp) . Of course being naturally obsessive about my hobbies I am now wanting to take things the the "next level", so to speak and purchased a paddle-style strop. The model I ordered is here:

http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/522944/4011478.htm

I also purchased a two-pack of this compound:

http://www.classicshaving.com/catalog/item/522944/196065.htm

Okay, the strop is two-sided with a rough black side (suede-like finish) and a smooth untinted side (looks & feels like cardboard). The pastes are a red coarse(r) paste and a black finishing paste.

My questions are as follows:

1. Do I have what I need to begin stropping? Keeping the strop as a given, are the pastes I have the right ones?

2. If the pastes are the right ones, which one do I put on which side?

Like a lot of you I am looking to go from hair-popping to tree-topping sharpness. I also just ordered a pair of the extra fine rods for my Sharpmaker. Any advice y'all could provide would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

Ron


P.S. I have a Kershaw ZDP knife coming in next week and would also appreciate any advice regarding what else I may need to maintain it's edge. Thanks again.

 

[Native Justice]

Put the red on the suede finish, the black on the smooth finish. Yes you do have what you need to start stropping. Just don't contaminate the 2 surfaces. Use a very light touch. After using one surface, clean your edge thoroughly before going on to the other.

The x-tra fine stones are a great investment. Use them before going on to the strop. Better still, never let your edge go dull to begin with, strop them between uses to maintain their keen edge. Only use your hones when you can't strop them to " tree-topping" sharpness.

The same goes for the ZDP189. Even more so ... ZDP189 can take a much longer time to restore after it's gone dull than most edges. Hone frequently. However, it takes very little maintenance between sharpenings if monitored closely. If you can't restore the edge with your strops, then take it to your SM.

If you let it get really dull, you'll wish you had a diamond hone set for your SM. You can easily substitute wrapped wet/dry sandpaper if you can't afford diamonds.

Contrary to what others would have you believe, you don't need diamonds to restore your edge if you don't mind freehanding on Norton India Coarse stones. Granted, Spydercos diamond hones make it easier you're comfortable using their system, and can afford the expense.

My $.02.

NJ

 

[ronhga]

Thanks for your help NJ. Just what I was looking for. You're absolutely correct that I am looking to use the strop to maintain my knives primarily and have become intrigued by the idea of stropping since it takes away less metal.

Also, you picked up on the implied question on the ZDP. Those diamond hones are expensive, even at Sal's reasonable prices, so I would like to avoid getting them if possible or at least as long as possible.