Using a truly sharp knife is like cutting through a cloud of air…
…as the knife glides through whatever you’re cutting.
Knife enthusiasts long for edges like this….
…and entire industries have been built around it.
This is where stropping comes into play…
Until I used a knife that had been correctly stropped…
I had no idea this technique existed….
It was the most expensive steel I had ever seen…
It turns out the owner just knew how to strop a knife…
Using our 7-step guide, we’ll explain how to use the techniques…
You’ll learn exactly what you need and where to start…
Let’s learn how to create knife edges..
…that would make a chef’s eyes light up!
let us hear Gabby’s story…
I really love cooking to the point I cook varieties of food every day….
But these days I feel like my hobby is kind of affecting my knife….
My knife become dull…
It is really hard to use and I’m afraid that it will hurt myself somehow….
So my friend suggest me to strop my knife?…
But, how? I never strop a knife before. …
So I look up how to strop a knife tutorial on the internet…
…and it totally changed my life!
Proper maintenance of your blades makes for safer, more efficient cutting in the kitchen or the field. That’s where a good knife sharpener comes in.
Adrienne Donica, from Yahoo!finance.com
Maintaining your knife not only will make you save more money…
…ut using good knife also safer to.
If your knife is dull, maybe you need to strop it like Gabby..
But, let’s read this first..
What is “Strop a Knife”?
The knife stopping process…
…gives a knife edge an impeccably sharp edge..
..that can’t be achieved with a whetstone or sharpening rod.
Strop a knife is anything other than a sharpening stone…
…or rod that is used to sharpen or hone the edge of a blade.
We’re going to be talking about leather stropping in this guide….
Leather strops have two sides, just like your belt…
In contrast, one side is smooth and polished…
while the other (think of the inside of your belt) is rough and rugged…
Abrasive compounds are often applied to leather surfaces…
…to give them a polished and refined finish.
If you are interested in getting a leather strop,..
…we have the best recommendations for you.
Compound grits and strops come in a variety of designs and materials…
Hanging strops (this is how you strop a knife with a belt)..
…bench strops, and paddle strops are the most popular methods.
It involves running the edge of the blade along the leather’s surface…
…to remove waste and burrs left behind during sharpening with a whetstone or rod.
As sharpening does, stropping does not realign or remove any steel….
It gives you the sharpest possible knife edge…
…and should always be used after sharpening (unless the edge is convex).
Check out the steps and techniques needed…
…to achieve the sharpest edge possible on your blade!
Get to know the 2021 top knife strop recommendations here!
How to Strop a Knife
We’re going to walk you through the process of how to strop a knife…
…by breaking it down into 7 steps you can follow at home.
Prepare the following materials…
- Work on a clean, flat surface
- Bench strop or paddle strop
- Three grits, ranging from rough to very fine
- Wipe the blade with tissues
- If you want added protection, wear work gloves
Step 1: Set Your Stropping Angle
Stropping your knife at the right angle should be your first step….
Placing it flat on the strop will make a “+” shape with the strop…
Turn the knife so that the spine lifts off…
…and the edge remains on the leather.
If you are sliding a knife across leather…
…begin at a relatively shallow angle.
Be careful not to overdo it…
Too steep an angle is evident if the blade touches the leather…
Find the point where the angle is shallower…
…than the point where these catches occur.
At this angle, you should strop a knife at the edge…
Pro tip: Alternatively, you can use a black sharpie…
…to draw a line along the edge.
Check to see if the sharpie has come off after a couple of strops…
The angle is too steep if it hasn’t…
let’s move on...
Step 2: Choose the Right Grit to Strop a Knife
The roughest grit leather will be used first….
If your strops are infused with a compound…
…then it will most likely be black.
Green is the finest color, and white is the finest….
To get rid of waste and burrs left after sharpening…
…run two or three runs with the black grit.
Finesse and polishing are better accomplished with lighter grits…
It is imperative that you know which side of the leather you’re going to use…
Apply the green compound (mid-grit) to the smoother side..
…and the black compound to the rougher side…
…if you’re applying the compounds yourself.
Make sure the long side of the bench/paddle strop…
…is perpendicular to your working surface.
Take your knife and move on to the next step….
Step 3: Strop a Knife with the Right Technique
To sharpen the knife…
…place it flat against the surface of the leather…
…in a 90-degree angle (like a “+” sign) to the strop.
Slide the knife across the leather (with your handle hand)…
…so that the handle-side of the blade is on the leather.
Place the knife at the far end of the strop…
….and lift the spine off the leather, leaving the edge touching.
In step 1, we tested for the angle we wanted….
Let’s talk about stopping now…
Remember to keep the angle steady and apply light pressure…
We’re going to slide away from the knife’s edge, not toward it…
When you pull the knife toward you…
…remember to move it steadily across the leather…
…so that the entire edge touches the leather at some point.
Repeat the process after resetting the position…
This is a single stroke…
Keep reading…
Step 4: Stropping the Tip
This is a good time to show you how to stroke the knife tip….
When you reach the end of the stroke from step 3…
…rotate the blade so that the tip makes contact.
Consistently maintain the angle and pressure….
It will ensure that any roughness on the tip is worked out…
It’s not necessary to do this on all knives…
…and it depends on the tip style.
Step 5: Use the Blade from All Sides
Now that we know how to do a successful stropping stroke…
..and how to take care of the tip, the next step is to repeat all these steps…
For each side of the edge, I like to work in sets of 20 strokes….
Be as steady and consistent as possible…
…when you apply the pressure and the angle.
In order to be professional about it…
…you can alternate between strokes starting from your side…
…and ones starting from the far side (on the same edge of the blade, of course).
Afterward, repeat the process for the other side….
Always use the same number of strokes…
…and inspect the edge and tip after each set.
On a piece of paper, you can test the sharpness….
After a couple of sets, your results will diminish…
…and it will be time to switch to the finer grit strops.
Step 6: Use a Finer Grit
We will now use the green compound to strop a knife…
…or the smooth side if you are not using compounds.
Repeat the sets of 20 strokes for each side of the edge (or alternate 10×10)..
..and do tests after each round.
The next step will make the edge razor sharp…
…so if you are testing the sharpness with your thumb, be careful.
Continue to maintain a steady angle…
…and light pressure during the process.
After you’ve done a couple of sets, you’ll be good to go….
Make sure your knife is ultra-sharp and ready to use….
Step 7: Bonus Tip
You can even go down to a finer grit compound (white)…
…if you want to polish your edge even further..
..and get an even sharper finish.
Perform one or two stropping sets…
…and use the tissue to clean the blade.
Now is not the time to touch the edge…
..since the edge is sharp enough to cut open fabric and time.
Despite the jokes, the edge will be extremely sharp, so tread carefully…
Get to know the 2021 top knife strop recommendations here!
To Sum Up
You now have a clear understanding of how to correctly strop a knife…
…so you’re ready to practice and finally strop a knife.
If you still have any knowledge gaps…
..take a little time to fill them.
Get ready to be blown away by the results you’ll get…
…if you’ve never strop a knife before.
Conclusion
You should be careful when you strop a knife…
The safety of the people comes first…
Put the techniques and steps you’ve learned into practice…
…by strop a knife on your own.
Let your experience guide you..
…when it comes to fixing your knives – good luck!
If you have more question, leave a comment!
Was this helpful?
Hi there! I’m a food enthusiast and journalist, and I have a real passion for food that goes beyond the kitchen. I love my dream job and I’m lucky enough to be able to share my knowledge with readers of several large media outlets. My specialty is writing engaging food-related content, and I take pride in being able to connect with my audience. I’m known for my creativity in the kitchen, and I’m confident that I can be the perfect guide for anyone looking to take their culinary journey to the next level.
