Wako-San, I've been watching you for 3 years now. At first I couldn't sharpen a knife to save my life. Now all of my knives are mirror polished razors just like yours. Thanks for teaching me this craft.

this is by far the best compound video I have seen. after this I got myself some green and white compounds and began to learn how to strop my knives. I enjoy my new hobby very much. thank you.

This is actually the best stropping video I seen, and I’ve watched at least a dozen. The magnifying images were able to prove what each compound did, but more importantly it proved to me that a firmer stroke at a higher angle is very effective. I’ve seen guys on KZfaq using so little pressure and at such a low angle that they wouldn’t remove a micro particle of steel. I’ve stropped just like this guy for years with excellent results. I’m not changing. Thank you for a great video.

this guy's broken english is the most amazing thing I've listened to all week. Totally made my day man.

Wow!! What an awesome video! You can clearly see the difference it makes under the microscope. Thanks doc!!

I love the Sound of your voice! It's so soothing & calming. I could watch you videos all day

I hope you now how important you are for the knife world! I stropped wrong all the time until I watched your videos, I feathers sticked wrong but with sour deeper grip technique I feather stick with no problem. Your a gift mr Wako!

@OrangePHX Even when stropping a clean knife on a new white compound, the compound goes black as in this case. Surely just after the black compound the edge has many black particles on it when viewed through the microscope. So I regularly wipe the blade after the black compound. Nonetheless my old leather with a white compound is now completely black. So I write "白” which means white on the white side to differentiate it. I think the main cause for blackening is the metal from blades. Thanks.

@vjanda1 I usually apply more compound over the old layer. But when I feel the layer has got too thick, I remove the layer completely with a metal brush used for removing paint. It also raise the hair of the strop. Thanks.

Although I'm new to stropping, and constantly learning, I find your video very informative and a pleasure to watch. Great English by the way, I only wish my Japanese was anywhere near as good. Keep up the great videos.

Wow your videos are so informative, beautiful work on how you explain the compounds and I'm going to order a DLT two side strop with black and white compound!! thank you for all the great videos i can't wait for the new hunting season and not to forget the deer dishes loved to see those! Thanks again! Greetings from the Netherlands

My knives are now very sharp thanks to your instruction. Take care knife person.

Excellent demonstration. I will get this. I have learned a lot from your videos, thanks for all of your hard work put forth in making these videos.

You are a great teacher. I am learning from watching your videos.

New to stropping. This video is very helpful in showing a good technique. Thank you.

This is amazing, seeing the results of the compounds under a microscope is exactly what I was looking for, thank you.

All I can say is WOW YOU ARE THE MAN WITH A PLAN GREAT VIDS!!

i will have to try white compound based on your recommendation. I have found that when stropping at the proper angle some dust from the compound will be raised as well. I have been glad to see you making so many videos lately! take care.

@secretsquirrell13 Depending on the extent of damage, I begin with #320 or #600 to restore a damaged edge if needed. In my experience the abrasive power of black compound is comparable to #1000 paper. So for regular convex edge maintenance I don't use sand papers at all. Thanks.

Hey Wako. I have a suggestion for a video for you to consider. I'd love to see you make a tutorial on maintaining your strops. Your compound loaded strops always look smooth as glass and I always have pits which form in mind. Just something for you to consider if you'd have any interest in filming it. Love the channel.

Hello virtuovice! Thank you for sharing your knife sharpening skills!!! Very impressive. Best I have seen on KZfaq! Looked up the Bark River DLT web site and will be ordering the same items you are using to sharpen my knife to "SCARY" sharp.

Beautiful work. Thank you for sharing all of the results of your testing.

I am impressed! Looking forward to purchasing my very own Bark River Bushcrafter in the next month or so. And I think those strops with compound look great fo taking care of it.

VERY informative, thank you SIR.I also have to say this made me smile,I love this video.

Heat makes applying compounds easier. The smooth side leather of KSF strop doesn't take black or white compound without heat. But the rough side leather of DLT strop takes all compounds very well without heat. If heated, the compound layer will go too thich on the DLT strop. Thanks.

@ridnovir The DLT leather takes compounds without heat. It will make a better surface. And when you feel its surface is glassy, you had better get rid of the old compound using the spine of a knife. Then the surface will get rougher, and apply the compound again. After doing it some times, it will get a better surface. But its surface is different piece by piece. I have ever owned 5 pieces of DLT strops. And I gifted 2 good pieces to my friends and I have the same trouble as yours now. Thanks.

Excellent instructive video. I learned some very good information. Thank you.

I highly recommend you water stone sharpening. Cheap stones won't give you satisfaction at all since they don't containg efficient abrasives. Chosera stones comprise artificial gem stones and cut much faster than cheap stones. Chosera's high speed is absolutely necessary for real sharpening to get the keenest edge in an acceptalbe period of time. Nagura stone makes slurry to meke the sharpening feel better. I don't feel Nagura abrasives sharpen the edge since Chosera itself cuts extremely fast.

@aTellerOfTruths The black compound has pretty strong abrasive power to change the edge geometry. I don't think the white compound will change it. Its abrasive particles seem very fine. Thanks.

You have a lot of information to share. Thank you

Wow! Incredible video! Thanks for sharing!

Thanks for the information. It's good to know that the white compound works better than the green. I was wondering which worked better.

I have black and green compound and the results afterthe sharpening my chosera is incleible Naniwa, but I have to try the white compound to see the difference. Thank you for another great video.

@ridnovir My one happened to have the same leather on the both sides. About your wonder different persons say different things and I am confused. But I would prefer black compound on the thicker smoother side and white compound on the thinner rougher side. The purpose of the black compound is making or restoring a convex edge, and the white compound is for polishing the edge finely. The rougher side will take the white compound better. And the thinness will not change the edge geometry. Thanks.

Very good explanation. Thank you for posting this vid for us new strop users!

@h4xx0rrx The size of abrasive particles in the green compound seems to be between the black and the white. So the green compound cannot make the edge really razor sharp. And the KSF leather strop cannot take the white compound very well. Only fine rough side leather can take it well. So they don't recommend their customers the white compound positively in my opinion. Once you get the DLT leather strop, it takes the white compound very well and you will be satisfied with its result. Thanks.

@traderjoes What you say sounds very correct. The blade tends to slip on the smooth leather even if the compound was loaded on it. I like fine suede leather for strops. The reason was said by you. Thank you!

@catfishBG The white compound always gives me a mirror edge, so it is expected to remove stains as well. If it doesn't, the #1500 sandpaper on flat backing will do it. And then the white compound will finish it. Thanks.

@bushnblade I have both #6000 and #8000 King stones. But they have gone completely useless far behind the Bark River white compound loaded DLT leather strop at my place. My initial edge reprofiling stone is a #220 green carbide stone from unknown company. And my sharpening stones are KIng #1000 and Naniwa #3000. The #3000 stone does enough to go to the white compound. Some skilled water stone sharpening person might say a different thing though. Thanks.

I missed your " Hi, knife people", too.

Bark River Rampless Gunny knife in A2 tool steel. The dealers take the ramp removal modification for around $20.

@ryanrrx I totally agree with you. I feel like the green can even dull the edge after the black in my experience. So I had already quit using the green before I met the white. But the dullness cannot be seen through the microscope. If I were able to observe the edge just from its front side, it would be thicker after the green and thinner after the white. Thanks.

@marcbolan88 I am understanding that all Opinels have a zero grind convex edge. So your Opinel must be sharpened only on the black and white compound loaded leather strop. The black compound performs comparable to #1000 sand paper. But if your Opinel had a secondary micro V edge, you would have to grind it off at first with sandpapers beginning from #320 or so. Thanks.

Great Video!! Do you mind giving your tips and/or method of removing old compound from your leather strops?

Got my DLT Economy Strop with Bark River Black and White Compound. BRK Black is same as Enkay Emery Compound and the smell too. But white is really nice put a mirror polish and scary sharpto the edge

Thanks. I know I just need to jump in and try things. Looking forward to it.

@DocGDubs That 's what I'd think too, but Virtuovice clearly polishes his blades with far finer grit compound than I do, yet he can tell his feel sharp (and are razor sharp might I add!). Perhaps he can tell the 'soft' nature of a razor edge, in comparison to that of a duller edge. I must say I am surprised the way my sharpest feels soft...

TK2 blade is tapering thinner to the point, and the point is kind of weak. TK2 comes with a micro V edge on its convex bevels. So, unless you remove it, you cannot strop it sharp. Bark River rampless Gunny is almost the same size as TK2. The Bark River stocking dealers will give you a free ramp removal service which will take a couple of weeks though. 3V Gunny is already scheduled to produce. So if you assume the case where you cannot sharpen the knife, 3V will serve you longer. Take care!

@dchinell No, I haven't. But it's much worth doing to check how sharply the edge cuts. Thanks.

Merry Christmas Dr Wako 2021

@ctnnpt My DLT leather strops don't make pits at all, but the others make many pits. The DLT leather itself is special. Thanks.

@scdave100 I guess the abrasive particles in the green compound is too small to make a micro convex bevel or restore micro problems efficiently, and too large to make a razor edge. So I love the black compound too. Thanks.

Great video

Great great video Wako! I had a poll posted on the message board regarding what people feel about smooth leather vs sueded leather strops and did not really recieve much feedback. I feel that the suede leather is best because the small flaps of leather hold onto the compound and polish the metal better than smooth leather. In all your videos, I notice that you also use the sueded leather exclusively.

Hi Virt, on some other videos people knocked you down, I think their just jealous, I learn so much from you, that I wish you were my neighbor, I will try the white compound on my 52100 Austemper John Bradley camp knife and then I will tell you, John's knife is a price of art, with what I think is the best steel material considering the Austempered made. talk to you soon.

Great Video, Great Channel. Thanks Virtuovice!!

Its 2.5"x12" size is the same as my favorite DLT strop. I personally love DLT strop because its leather is very thin which doesn't take an edge deep. I know thick and soft leather makes a strong convex bevel. My preference is a weak convex bevel made by my water stone sharpening. I don't know how thick the leather is to the StropMan. I ever owned Busse CABS knife. Its secondary convex edge had a large apex angle over 40 degrees, and I sold it off before evaluating INFI in a small angle. Thanks.

@siypic What you say is very correct. I was wrong. That figure was the zoom ratio from the wide to the tele. Thank you!

@Burostoelpootwieltje On their website I was not able to choose Japan for the shipping address. So I contacted them directly and paid via PayPal. Their email is a kind of secret, but you can find it on a thread at Knifeforums. You will reach there when you google "DLT Trading email". It's kind of funny though. Crystal Falls Trading > Bark River knives > Sharpeners is selling the same thing. They are easy to place an order on. Thanks.

@paolowolverine My internet connection is ADSL and very slow because my location is 15 miles away from the station. So even for uploading this video it took me 3 hours. When I get a faster connection, I will read out and upload the video in HD. Thanks.

Bark River Bravo1 and Gunny have a gimped ramp on the spine just above the border of the handle and the blade. It is much annoying for stretching our thumb onto the spine in strong push cutting. Many dealers in the US send the ramped knives to BRKT and after the ramp is removed they ship the rampless knives to us depending on our demand. In many cases this service will be free of charge. But in some cases $20 will be charged. Thanks.

@Wako Bark River claims there white compound is 12,000 grit . Other white compounds I have seen are around 9,000 grit . The Bark River white is the best white I have used thus far . I apply white to my DLT strop smooth side . I realize that the white applies easier to the rougher side but I find that the BR white on the smoother side gives me the sharpest edges . I have a knife Wako that you would really like for your deer, it is the Gerber Matolius D2 . If you can find a GM D2 give it a try .

@OnRappel All electric or optical items made in Japan are labeled in English here. It's because some decades ago American products were far superior to Japanese products. That tradition is still remaining now. If the label is written in Japanese, people will take it strange and won't purchase it. Thanks.

@MrEShue I have got many of them from KnivesShipFree(KSF) and The-Knife-Connection(TKC). And I know Crystal Falls Trading, DLT Trading, and Jagged Horizon Knives are also Bark River stocking dealers. Before purchasing, I always need to go to all of them because they have different handle variations in many cases. Thanks.

To survive Dooms day or such, I will carry my 3V Bravo1. The 3V steel is fairly rust resistant and although it is prone to chipping, the size and the number of the micro chippings are very small and the edge itself holds extraordinarily long. So without sharpening it is expected to serve me as a knife for a very long period like a couple of week survival situation or such. But for hunting it is a bit bulky and heavy, hence I like Fallkniven TK2 too. The two purposes don't stand together IMO.

thanks my friend! know all is clear

@marcbolan88 I have ever experienced 4 kinds of leather strops. And the DLT leather takes compounds extraordinarily well far beyond the others, and its stropping result is also far beyond the others. I have never experienced other compounds. I just know the Bark River black and white compounds make a great edge. They are selling at Crystal Falls Trading or DLT Trading. Thanks.

@pelahale No. I cannot see the difference through the microscope with my bear eyes. I think it is a molecular level issue and cannot be seen from the side view. I guess the molecular thickness of the very edge must be different between the two. Thank you!

the green compound is for razors its chromium oxide paste

I don't think it is possible to strop starting with the point of the blade first, without the point grabbing into the strop surface. (If the point is not grabbing into the surface, that should mean that it is not touching the surface, but traveling in the air above the surface.) Therefore I believe it is better to strop in the other direction, from the bottom of the blade and moving out towards the point.

Very cool thanks for sharing 👍👊

I must say I am not entirely sure feeling the edge is the best way of determining how sharp it is. I find that my sharpest edge (stropped O1 steel) feels almost soft to the touch, yet it simply brushes hairs off my arm. My next sharpest (S30V) feels generically sharp by way of it catching on my finger pads. So the softer feeling one, which most people associate with dullness, is at least for me, the sharpest in my experience. Not entirely sure why!

No. The removed metal is huge during the initial edge reprofiling from the factory angle to my own angle. My water stone sharpening will be much more aggressive than you assume. Thanks.

Those are some great results. I'm convinced.

What exactly is the ramp removal modification? I really love your vids showing microscopic views on the effects of compounds. Thank you very much

I really like Bark River knives shapes, also they have probably the best sheaths on the market but i am off whit A2 steel. A2 wear off really fast, it is a weak steel; difficult to get it razor sharp whitout coumpond...

It is BladeTech Ganyana Lite. It is cheap and handy in AUS8.

Wako, you should post a video of you shaving your face with one of your Bark Rivers. It would be awesome!

Hello, I have recently discovered your videos and I am enjoying them immensely. Thank you for your time and effort. I am very new to knife sharpening and care. I received my Bark River compounds yesterday for strops I have made. I read the instructions for applying the compounds and they talk about heating the compounds and the leather with a flame. But you are simply rubbing it on. What are your thoughts regarding this?

I LOVE your videos, they're very informative and for someone like myself that wants to learn more about and get better at stropping, yours are the ones to watch. Have you ever tried any StropMan Strops? I'm getting ready to buy his 16" long "NoMomma Strop" and it has two leather sides running 2.50" wide by 12" long and he sells compound as well. I believe his compound is different than what's made by Bark River. Have you ever used any knives made of INFI steel? Keep up the great work!

the 12x on you camera normally refers to the zoom ratio.. not magnification....... ie a zoom of 15mm to 180mm would have a 12x ratio (12x15)............. I think (could be wrong) the 20x DOES refer to magnification on the microscope (ie a milimeter would look like 20mm through the microscope......... I'm always amazed at the quality of your close up shots of the blades..

This was very useful video. Thank you!

When I switch from black to white when strouping, the white seems to undo any edge gained from the black. My white always cakes up on my leather stroup. It does have some black metal traces in it but feels smooth, almost glass like on my leather stroup. So I typically use black side only and stop🙅

Cant believe haw crap that edge looked initially under the scope! Seen lots of your videos with various edges under the scope and dont recall any looking as tattered as this edge

great job

Wako, you are right I can't see the difference in your video-microscope images between your green & white stropping. Can you see the difference through a dedicated microscope directly?

@scdave100 I guess the particle size in the green compound is too large to make a razor sharp edge and too small to make a convex micro bevel or to restore micro edge problems efficiently. So I have the black compound. Thanks.

Great video, thank you for sharing.

Excellent

Thanks for the great video dr wako !!!!

Use the green to smooth a rough edge, then go to white to sharpen. Why work so hard on the white only?

@virtuovice Thank you for the great info. I was wondering if I can jump from #6000 to BR white, coz I got info that BR white is equivarent of about #12000. but you managed to jump even from #3000, then my concern is answered. Thank you again for great help of info!

@Outbacknac I bought it at Crystal Falls Trading. Thanks.

@mickey081586 I got my two sided paddle strop from Crystal Falls Trading > Bark River > Sharpener. Thanks.

At minute 12.05 I fell of my chair! ahahha! Great video, Sir. As usual.

Bark River says Black is coarse, Green is medium, and White is fine. I used to use the Green after the Black. But I didn't feel the Green did anything better after the Black. So I switched the Green to the White to finish up the edge. Then the edge got twice as sharp. Any of my strops have no difference of the nap texture between each side. Thanks.

it was like listling to jackie chan having a hobby in knife sharpening ,,joyfull

Very professional videos 👍🏻

@hatesprayers My DLT two sided leather strop paddles have the same surface on the both sides. They are very fine rough side leather. But some said one side is more furry than the other on his DLT strop recently. I got my ones around one and half year ago. They might have changed the leather recently, not correctly though. Anyway I don't like a very smooth surface nor a very furry surface too. Thanks.

very useful information thank you for sharing it -boyce