Thread: 12000k whetstone is stropping needed?

I just received my 12000k stone and was curious with such a fine edge would stropping have any effect other then user error

I typically strop after I use my naniwa 12K, just to smooth things out. But how much this will improve the edge all this depends on how much pressure you use on the strop or hone.
Of course, the cutting edge is made at lower grits. The 12k just makes it finer. And if your stropping is sloppy, it will ruin whatever edge you create on the hone. And a strop can't make up for bad honing.

I would make sure your 12k is flat, polish the blade on it, feel how it shaves off the hone, then strop it to see how the performance changes. It should improve, I think. Any of the honemeisters want to chime in?

The hone is flat/level and I used a slurry stone. I'm 2 years into only using a straight so my stropping isn't great but is good enough to notice a difference between stropping and not after using my 10k agate stone.

Very interesting question. There is the issue of directionality. But if after you honed it , you reversed direction for a few strokes would it be the same as stropping?

I used x laps then lightly swirled a lap or 2 then x laps and finished with a swirl lap

From my experience using a Chinese natural stone (which may or may not be 12k), I have found that stropping always improves the edge. I certainly could shave right off the Chinese stone, but I find the stropping gives a slightly smoother shave.

YES. Stropping always helps. It gets all those little left over molecules back in line and the loose ones off :<0)

Originally Posted by ontariocutleryjeremy

I just received my 12000k stone and was curious with such a fine edge would stropping have any effect other then user error

I suggest you try it without stropping, and then with stropping. Experience both ways and see. I think you'll settle on the stropped edge, unless as you say..."user error".

Have fun with it and then let us know what you think!!

Me......old saying......they'll have to pry my strop out of my cold dead hands!!

Regards,

Howard

Yep, a strop always improves an edge it seems to me.

Originally Posted by SirStropalot

I suggest you try it without stropping, and then with stropping. Experience both ways and see. I think you'll settle on the stropped edge, unless as you say..."user error".

Have fun with it and then let us know what you think!!

Regards,

Howard

+1. Could not have said it better.