Sharpening and Stropping Tools

Tool Maintenance

You will have to learn to hone your tools, thankfully this is not a difficult skill to acquire. You should use a leather strop and honing paste on your tools unless there is significant damage to the cutting edge. Using oil or diamond sharpening stones will cause much grief in getting the cutting edge back to its nominal state. This being said, there are times when cutting edge is damaged and grinding it back is the only option.

Make a habit of putting a blade cover of some kind on your sharp tools if you’re putting them away, it’s so very easy to ruin the cutting edge if they knock or rub against each other. Some ideas are a wine cork, page binding bars cut to the correct length or clear PVC hose (like this as you can see the blade). Good quality tools are made of high carbon steel. Great to hold a sharp edge but are susceptible to rust. So if you intend to put your tools away for any length it’s a good idea to give them a rub over with a light sewing machine oil to stop them rusting

Keep your whittling tools razor sharp by stropping regularly

Stropping a carving knife is an important technique to maintain its sharpness while carving. This is effectively polishing the cutting edge without changing this cutting angle. Done correctly the tool will not require sharpening on a stone for many years.When the cuts are harder to make, you see tracks or scratches in the cut you just made or the knife doesn't feel right, it's time to strop. As you gain experience, you will become better at recognising when to strop. We suggest that you strop your knife every 15 minutes of use until you get the feel of it.Below are detailed steps on how to effectively strop a carving knife.You’ll need a Leather strop, optionally honing compound, and a flat and stable surface to work on.Firstly, ensure that your carving knife and strop are clean and free of any debris or residue, grit on the strop may damage the cutting edge.If your strop requires a honing compound, apply a small amount evenly onto the leather surface. Use only a small amount, as excessive amount of compound can be counterproductive.

Hold the knife firmly with one hand. Ensure a comfortable grip and maintain control over the knife throughout the stropping process. Place the cheek of the knife flat on the strop. You may wish to place your finger flat on the upper cheek to help keep the blade flat.

Lift the spine 1 to 2 mm off of the strop.

Start at the heel of the blade and gently draw the knife across the strop towards the tip maintaining a consistent pressure against the strop.

Use smooth, controlled strokes with light pressure to ensure uniform honing.Lift the blade vertically off the strop at the end of each stroke and come back to the start.Do a few strokes on one side then repeat on the other.

Excessive pressure in the direction of the arrow will cause the cutting edge to round over.

The object of stropping the knife is to polish the apex or very point of the cutting edge. Be careful not to apply too much pressure as this may cause the the blade to crush the leather and round off the cutting edge, necessitating the re-profiling of the bevel. 

Sharpening / re-profiling a knife on a stone

Sharpening on a stone should only be necessary if the cutting edge has been damaged beyond that which stropping could repair. Grinding away material will change the feel of the knife and it will take many strop and carve cycles to get the feel right again. 
Care must be taken not to change the angle of the bevel.Depending on the amount of damage or reshaping required, start with a 400 diamond stone, moving on to progressively finer stones until you get to 3000 or 4000. To finish stroip the knife to a mirror finish.All sharpening is based on creating a wire edge or burr along the cutting edge of the bevel. The wire edge is the result of removing metal from the bevel until it is very thin at its cutting edge.
The wire edge shows up as a shiny line along the bevel on the side opposite the one you are sharpening

Position the knife.

Place the knife on the stone, with the side to be sharpened facing the stone. If there is an existing bevel, make sure the total surface of the bevel touches the stone. Don’t focus on the angle, keep the whole bevel flat, touching the stone.

With the cutting edge away from you, push the knife away with a firm and even stroke. Keep the bevel flat on the stone. Lift the knife at the end of the stroke and come back to the start. Tip: If the knife overhangs the edge of the stone it may be held at an angle across the stone, so the whole blade is sharpened.

Continue sharpening

Turn the knife over and align the bevel on the stone. Pull the knife towards you with the same firm and even stroke. Keep the bevel flat on the stone through the entire stroke. Repeat the steps above to maintain an even bevel on both sides of the knife. 

Creating the wire edge

After a few strokes, check the bevel for the wire edge. Keep stroking until the wire edge on one side is clearly defined. The wire edge must be consistent in size and length. Moving the knife about under a bright light will help you see the wire edge as it reflects the light.As you turn the knife over on each stroke, the wire edge will be pushed to the opposite side. When you are satisfied that the wire edge is consistent on both sides, stop sharpening. The knife is now sharp and ready to use as soon as you remove the wire edge by stropping. 