Be sure to check out my recommended product page on my website, including sharpening stones, strop compounds, and knife making supplies ⬇ www.outdoors55.com/shop

Congratulations, you're the first knife guy I have come across that understands stropping. The closeup of the blade sinking into the soft leather answers the age-old question "Why does my knife get duller the more I strop?" You gave a good solution, but mine is different: I use a hard rawhide strop that the blade does not sink into. You can actually sharpen a knife with this, though I rather a stone for real dull blades. I use 1-5 micron diamond on the rawhide because it's faster and just as cheap. You can also impress a shallow checkered pattern into the rawhide to retain the diamond lapping compound. Well done sir!

6:27 The bonus tip about reversing your sharpening method on the strop so you don't change the scratch pattern was exactly what I needed to hear. I appreciate your visuals and the way you explain everything. Thanks!

Damn dude, I was sharpening to the point it would shave and call it good. Figured my skills wernt quite there for hair splitting/whittling sharp. After following your tips I just achieved my first hair whittle. Thanks my dude!

You have helped me man for over 4 years I've been sharpening knives while watching your videos I'm 15 BTW with this I have made over $200 in a week thank you hope to see more from you I was the one who asked about the folding knives sorry

Been using a strop on my knives for ages and had no idea about the scratch pattern direction thing. Been doing it the opposite this whole time lol. Great video 👍🏻

I've transitioned away from strops completely at this point and do all of my finishing on high grit stones. No risk of round over, lapping the stone gets you new, clean abrasive every time, etc.

Platitude. Tangential anecdote. My unsolicited opinion. Just like many of the comments. But 8:04 to 8:15 reveals why I have had to plough through so much utter rubbish when searching on KZfaq for sharpening advice as good (and as entertaining, including the offbeat reflection on Internet access) as yours. By chance, one of your videos appeared in my suggested list, and like a lot of people, I have done the decent thing and Liked and Subscribed. (The person who uploaded his opinion that the pinnacle of sharpening methods was to use an electric bench-grinder had me shouting at the screen. Glad to have found your channel, thanks.) 👍

Another tip - use basswood as your strop. Diamond compound works great on it, and it give a much more solid surface to use, which helps prevent rollover.

This is the video I didn't know I needed! Have put these into practice and my results are 1000x better!

I've only seen a few dozen of your videos but every one has been interesting and informative. Not to mention entertaining. Thanks for the info and the effort you spend getting it to us. It's appreciated.

Those close up shots were really nice. Well done.

I began using gunny juice on cut hard wood blocks, i never have to worry about rounding the edge and it gives me the sharpest edges I've ever had, i tried leather, tool leather, but i have a heavy touch and was prone to edge rounding, but with hardwood it's not a problem, and like i said i get the sharpest edges I've ever had

Thank you so much for the energy and time you put in your videos! I'm also glad KZfaq recommended me your channel!

Hahaha. "Now if you're a weirdo.." 😄😆😅😂 Had me rollin' bro.

An addition to tip 1: Don't overstrop, but strop often! The less you need to bring the sharpening stone, the better to the blade's longevity

Thanks, This was the most understandable content on stropping media that I've seen.

Always a happy day when Alex releases a new video!!!!

Im so happy U r back I can"t say how many times i"ve tryied too look after U and Your leesons. I'm glad too have u back. I'm sorry for spelling , Trying my best. Hope you poste more .

I thought i knew how to strop knives after sharpening... I only knew 1/4 tips you shared! Lot of valuable informations! Thank you 😉

Best sharpening videos on KZfaq. Straight and practical, like your knife selection. Thank you sir

You hit on all the visuals that are needed to get a good understanding of stropping. You got a sub out of me. I appreciate your knowledge.

Glad you got internet again. When you get back to selling some strops i want to get one from you. Just been using some scraps from belt making. Happy to see you posting again !

Always excited to see a new video from you. Great material! Thank you for sharing!!

Just Started being serious about sharpening. Your advice and examples are definitely very helpful.

High praise for your work: I created a playlist for knife sharpening with this video as the inaugural save. Your stuff is it easy to follow, makes sense, and includes just the right amount of detail and explanation and visuals.

Excellent information. I am much bigger on sharpening with whetstones than constant stopping. I generally use a good leather with mineral oil. I did not know the direction of stropping would matter. Makes sense. Thanks.

i love all these comments here, i like how this knife enthusiast community is so supportive, kind, and helpful

A very detailed and helpful video. Great job, man!

Great tips. Thank you for the breakdown on the cheap diamond compound vs quality! Never thought of it in that way until seeing your video. Thanks again

Your videos are really helping me take my sharpening to the next level. Thank you.

After watching this video I am ready to head towards the garage and apply what I learned. In the past I've done all the mistakes: -overstropped -used tons of pressure -used too fine grit -used cheap diamond paste that led me to so much frustration, it's hard to express. Thanks for the valuable information!

You have been very helpful! I have just got my wet-stone running after several years, I have worked out the angles for straightening, sharpening, and putting the second angle on. I knew nothing about fine-honing or stropping. Will be buying some diamond compound and I have a couple of friends in the equine world who will be able to get me some strong saddle leather for stropping.

Great vid! I made my own pocket strop from a piece of pine moulding and my old leather belt. Now I just strop my Spyderco Sage 1 every other week.

I grew up in the 50's and 60's and High Carbon Steel still has a magical ring to it for me. As a child, all of my "good" knives were HC steel, often of German origin and l still have a few from my Boy Scout days. I even spent several years making my own knives. And yes, today l tend to depend on "stainess" steels, but l fight the trend to steel snobbery...the heat treat is the most important factor in knife performance. Your info on stropping is appreciated.

Awesome tips as always, brother! I'll definitely take your advice on being light on the strop and follow the scratch patterns. I also tend to drop some oil on my green compound (chromium oxide) given it's dry and somewhat flaky. A little oil helps color the strop an even green. Cheers!

I wanted to say thank you for helping me getting better at sharpening my knives. I've always used green compound so far and will switch to Diamond. It may cost more but the difference ain't that bad considering you don't need to use as much. Again, thank you very much :)

Good work, I didn't think about the compound wearing that much. Thanks.

I'm glad to hear you mention the diamond compound quality. It's a real problem with the diamond past. Don't go, Cheep.

Well done video! Nice humor too. I use 2.5 micron silicon carbide powder on the roughout side of the leather, and then naked smooth veg tanned leather for the final strop. Has worked very well FOR ME for over 20 years. The custom made mahogany and leather strop, and the stropping powder are from a now defunct company called Hand American Made. They were quite well known at one time. Thanks for this informative video!!

Great video Alex! I really like how you dive so deep into these topics. I learned a lot. Cheers buddy!👍

a lotts videos i see that try to give advice end up being rambles with vague ideas, or just things that dont matter at all/effect anything. This video is possibly the best general advice for stropping i have ever seen.

Superb advice! Thanks!!!

I started leatherworking not too long ago, so my sharpening skill has really been tested recently haha. Definitely going to start using lighter passes on my strop, paying attention to the direction of the scratch pattern, and looking into diamond pastes. Or at least something other than the green compound I've been using...

Excellent detailed tips and amazing microscopic video footage!!!

I have not seen such a clean, in terms of ideas and void from conflicting interests, person talking with such a humble but experience-backed knowledge. I now might feel dangerously and probably mistaken, empowered to sharpen my tools. I do really enjoy your videos. Please send me a way to patron you. I am not much tech savvy, so if I can just click and support, will work. Thank you for sharing your passion

Very helpful. Just got my first ligit sharpening stone And leather strop. Appreciate the bonus tip

I appreciate the authentic Phoebe call in the background

This is good to know, thank you, Alex!

This is why I love your channel I always learn something good

thanks for the nice tips Alex. Great video

U deserve a huge like for this video. I will save it in my library also. Have to watch it again. Thank you.

Interesting. Really enjoyed the information. I learned about stropping from the straight razor community. At the time the advice tended to be use a compound with a canvas strop and use the leather strop without compound, or have a dedicated leather with compound, and still finish on a clean leather strop. I know a straight razor is different from a knife, but it is still an edge. I am kind of inspired to break out my straight razors again. I enjoyed shaving with them and the super smooth shave they gave.

Excellent information! Thanks!

I’m always fine tuning my stropping technique.. thanks for the tips!

Always giving great info

This is the channel I’ve been waiting for

Taking the stropping advice with me forsure! As to the rest, do what works for you but there is always something new to learn.

Very helpful, thanks.

Helpful. Even though I strop using a motor, I find this video (and others of yours) helpful. "Good show." Thanks!

Well presented. Thank you. It kept me on the edge of my seat.

Wow, this is exactly what I needed to know. I push too hard when I strop. Thank you!

Thank you man. I've been getting into sharpening and these have helped immensely. Love from Western Kentucky. Subbed and liked.

Great Video ! Thanks for the great advise!

I am so envious pf your sharpening ability

Thank you. God bless

Thanks, you just made sharping more complicated. I’ll have to work my way up to this. But seriously thanks

Awesome breakdown. Good job

Another great informative video!!!

Thank you for the education. I am the proud owner of two Knife Point Gear strops and the lightest backpack saw (while they were still being made.) THANK YOU 👍

Green compound is ok. Right now I’m saving so I’m only using the compound I have right now I can get knifes hair with long sharp chest takes a lot more work. Love the channel keep up the work. Ps when I started I was using those horrible whetstones and thinking I was horrible but after watching you for a bit I picked up a few dmt stones thank you for the recommendation.

Great tips. As I sharpen on a guided angle system (Edge Pro w/ ceramic abrasives, digital angle finder & loupe at the moment), I've been alternating heel-to-tip and tip-to-heel with each grit as this provides both touch and visual feedback for when the scratches from the last grit are removed. I always forget which direction of (from heel or from tip) I hit with my last stone at 1200 grit. If stropping is refining the last scratch direction, then perhaps I should be aiming for a consistent perpendicular to the spine for my final passes on stone, so that stropping isn't removing the microteeth at the apex. Great macro video on depressing the leather here. I just discovered that some strop on balsa wood, and I wonder whether that mignt be less prone to rounding the apex.

Thanks, very helpful!

Awesome information

Best stropping explonation👍

Remarkably useful and info dense. I learned a lot. Thank you. Subscribed.

The sharpening skill was a worthwhile skill to learn and master . I ve done over a hundred edges now and some take more time than others but it’s all worthwhile . Thanks man . We need someone to test hrc hardness on knives . There’s a general fee they charge for each knife but it might be fun , or not , lol . LTK is doing it but I think they want to test more knives , and more knives .

Wow, this video was really helpful, thanks.

Great video! Super helpful.

great video this is my new hobby and i loved your video Greg here in Florida,funny following the last comment Greg stold my thunder with the scratch pattern direction cause I was doing it wrong and to find out early on is lucky so thanks for the great advice .

Good info. Thanks

Great video as always, good to see you posting more regularly. Would love to see a deep dive on strops. Whata the best way to clean a strop

Great channel. Well done. Thank you.

Good episode. Straight to the point, succint, really sharp 😁 Thank you for sharing your knowledge good Sir! I've been using green goop for some time for my wood carving knives and yes, it does need frequent reapplying... Like every stropping frequent... Fortunately i have a few carving knives but i think i will try out that diamond paste too.

Scratch pattern and stropping makes sense. Sharpen heel to point, strop point to heel. Wished I’d paid attention to the alignment for the last 40 years.

Excellent presentation, thanks...

Thanks for sharing this great content!

Great video!!!

This helped alot thanks.

I carve around 4 to 6 hrs a day. I mostly carve 2 x 2 x 6 cartitatures, but sometimes I do 6x6x12 animals, I Stroup about every 20 to 30 minutes. Keeps the blades sharp . I mostly use the green chromium but every hour or so I do have a very fine diamond on the Stroup also which I use If the blade starts rounding or scratches the wood. The trick is keep doing it you will get it right. I only need to go to my stones if I drop the blade or every 2 to 3 months. A Stroup is a wonderful way to keep a sharp knives very sharp.😊

GREAT vid as always. 👍👍🔪

Thank you for the very informative video, again.

Great video love the finer details 👍

Thank you!

Thanks, good explanation.

Good info. Thanks.

Thanks for the video 👍. Great tips I will use because I was pretty wrong…

Great info

First stropping vid I've seen where the word "bur" was not even mentioned. Stropping is not just about bur removal. Very useful info, thank you!

Thank you!!