Thread: Finding the perfect edge. Yeah right.

In the bigging of this thread, i was talking in general but, i had one blade that had just come off the stone and it fit the bill. Sense then ive stropped it on the leaded strop. (Lead sent to me by Shartptonn) then cleaned it off, stropped on linen and leather and found it a smoother edge. So im now starting to lean towards stropping being the answer. Ive got a CROX coated strop, but i just didnt like the thought that i was trying to sharpen a little more on a strop. It just dont feel right to me. The hone does the sharpening IMO, and the strop finishes the edge.
I got carried away a year ago and own 12 or 13 strops. Counting leather and linen. A few are coated but i just never felt good about using them. I will put the leaded strop to more use and continue w8th this. Its possible that tbis is what i was looking for. I want to buy a Thuri some day but for now i will hold off and stick with strops.

I don’t think using a coated strop to fine tune an edge is cheating anymore than the old guys’ using a barber hone or a coated strop to maintain an edge between going to the stones would be. They are all part of the process.

the Europeans have been using a loaded strop longer than we have been a country, any thing from Chimney black, to modern pastes, people didn't have all these stones ,, your actually doing it the way its been done for eons

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

the Europeans have been using a loaded strop longer than we have been a country, any thing from Chimney black, to modern pastes, people didn't have all these stones ,, your actually doing it the way its been done for eons

I started by using those Dovo pastes on balsa. That really worked great for me too! Smoother than diamond, that’s for sure. Just not as sharp me thinks.

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

the Europeans have been using a loaded strop longer than we have been a country, any thing from Chimney black, to modern pastes, people didn't have all these stones ,, your actually doing it the way its been done for eons

Here's a couple of 'recipes' from The Whitehouse Cook Book. 1887 Edition;

Originally Posted by cudarunner

Here's a couple of 'recipes' from The Whitehouse Cook Book. 1887 Edition;

How do you find such esoteric stuff so quickly?

Originally Posted by DZEC

How do you find such esoteric stuff so quickly?

First and foremost--I had to look up esoteric

I have two copies of the cook book. An original and a reprint. I'd read the recipes long ago so I just took a picture of the recipes and posted it.

It's really interesting to read how things were done a few years ago. Washington State was still a territory in 1887 (it's also the year my great grandfather registered his brand). Washington didn't become a state until 1889.

For example under Menus for September for breakfast you'll find;

Musk Melon
Corn Meal Mush
Fried Smelt
Potatoes a la Cream
Veal Hash on Toast
Graham Gems
Wheat Bread
Coffee

Each has the page number following it including coffee

Can you get spermaceti on Amazon or the bay, Roy?

I love these discussions about "the perfect edge" we all chase. It's like I always say: there are many roads to sharp.

Originally Posted by ScoutHikerDad

Can you get spermaceti on Amazon or the bay, Roy?

I love these discussions about "the perfect edge" we all chase. It's like I always say: there are many roads to sharp.

Maybe in Japan--they are still harvesting whales for 'research'.

Originally Posted by cudarunner

Maybe in Japan--they are still harvesting whales for 'research'.

So do we.
Good stuff to put on the egg.
I love whale steaks