| Should I Use A Strop For My Bowie Knife? |
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| Written by BlakeBenson | |
| Friday, 04 June 2010 | |
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Those who were around before the safety blade was invented may remember their dad or grandfather sharpening their blade on their razor strap. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a razor strap. It's called a strop, actually, but your father or grandfather was using one of the best tools for getting a very fine edge on a blade, which was probably a good thing if they were about to shave! These products are still used today for sharpening just about everything, including Bowie knives.
Those who were around before the safety blade was invented may remember their dad or grandfather sharpening their blade on their razor strap. Unfortunately, there is no such thing as a razor strap. It's called a strop, actually, but your father or grandfather was using one of the best tools for getting a very fine edge on a blade, which was probably a good thing if they were about to shave! These products are still used today for sharpening just about everything, including Bowie knives. Better Sharpening: No matter what method you use to sharpen your blade, you will always find that the edge can be better. A strop is a great way to get the perfect edge on Bowie knives. A strop is nothing more than a wide leather strap, though you will also find canvas options on the market, as well. Using a strop is a great way to achieve an amazing edge for your knife, when you use it as part of your sharpening process. Once you have ground down the edge with your rod system, simply spend a moment stropping the blade and you will be surprised at the difference. On the strop itself, you'll find a particulate abrasive. This may be something such as aluminum oxide or a similar light, abrasive compound. The blade is worn down to a sharp edge as it is dragged down the strop, just as is the case with a sharpening stone. The difference is that the grit is so fine on most strops that the edge can be honed down to incredible precision without a lot of time being invested toward the task. Bowie knives can be sharpened on these quite easily. Because these knives have large blades, small stones can be very awkward, especially when you're finishing off the edge. When you use a strop, you usually have a lot more freedom of movement for the blade as there is a much wider surface area on which to work. This can make it very fast for sharpening Bowies. As you can see, a strop can be an excellent investment for those owners who like to keep a Bowie knife in pristine condition and as sharp as possible. It takes very little time to learn how to use a strop, unlike a whetstone, and the optional abrasive compounds used to help speed sharpening are usually affordable. About the Author: Blake is a business consultant for an online bowie knifes store featuring western bowie knife. From the Webmaster: "Having the opportunity to share my hobbies and interests with so many people around the world gives me great satisfaction. As a bonus, I blog and produce websites about topics that interest me and receive ad revenue from the websites and Blogs." You can live like this too. Get your domain name and set up a blog on your favorite place or topic. No come-ons. No "Get-Rich-Quick" promises. The results are worth the time and effort needed to build a REAL business.You can start your first or your fiftieth Blog or website to build long- term, ever-growing profits that can take you where you want to go. For less than $10 dollars a year for a domain name and $3.95 a month for basic blog hosting you can start to earn from your hobby or interest. To begin, Click here to sign up for a domain name and Blog hosting . Or, Click here to learn more about starting a blog or website for profit. |