The How, Why, and When of Stropping

Stropping is an essential step in guided angle sharpening that refines your edge, enhances durability, and delivers a beautiful polish. In this guide, we’ll cover the benefits of stropping, how to apply diamond paste or emulsion, and best practices for getting the most out of your Wicked Edge strops.

Why Use a Strop?

Strops serve several key purposes in the sharpening process:

• Improved edge durability: The leather slightly rounds the bevels, reinforcing the edge and helping to prevent premature dulling.
• High polish: Strops remove fine scratches left by diamond stones, leaving a clean, reflective finish.
• Micro-serration removal: Perfect for razors or blades used for clean slicing, strops smooth out the edge for optimal performance.

Pastes vs. Emulsions

Wicked Edge offers both diamond pastes and diamond emulsions. Both deliver the same end result, but they differ in application and speed:

• Diamond Emulsions contain more diamond particles, making them faster-acting but slightly more expensive.
• Diamond Pastes are more economical, though they take longer to achieve the same finish.

Tips for Using Strops

• Micron ratings: Our strops are labeled by micron size—the higher the number, the coarser the strop. (e.g., 4 micron is coarser than 2 micron)
• Work clean: Strops absorb grit and debris easily. Always clean your blade and workstation before stropping.
• Use rubbing alcohol: Lightly mist with 70% isopropyl alcohol to reactivate dry compound or improve stiction.
• Drop your angle: Reduce the sharpening angle by 1–2° when stropping to preserve your refined edge.
• Edge trailing strokes: Always strop up and away from the blade to avoid slicing into the leather.

Watch a video guide on strop preparation

Watch a video on stropping technique

How to Apply Diamond Paste or Emulsion

Proper application ensures consistent results and extends the life of your strops:

1. Wash your hands and clean your work surface to prevent contamination.
2. Match each syringe of paste/emulsion with the corresponding strop handle (marked by grit or “Coarse/Fine”).
3. Apply a small amount—a thin line or three small dollops—along each leather strip. Don’t use the entire syringe.
4. Optional: Mist with rubbing alcohol and rub the matching strops together to distribute the compound evenly.

Using Your Strops

1. After sharpening with diamond stones, thoroughly clean your knife to remove any metal filings.
2. Start with the coarsest strop and work toward finer grits.
3. Use slow, controlled edge-trailing strokes, always stropping up and away from the edge.
4. Clean your blade between grits to avoid cross-contamination.

Quick Tips

• Lower the angle by 1–2° from your sharpening angle.
• Use a light alcohol mist to keep the strop tacky and effective.

Care and Maintenance

Taking care of your strops will maximize their effectiveness and lifespan:

• Always clean your blade before stropping to prevent contamination.
• Store strops in clean, separate bags or containers to avoid grit transfer.
• Reapply compound only as needed—less is more.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact our team at support@wickededgeusa.com.

Learn more about our Wicked Edge precision sharpeners here.