# Kitchen knives & stropping compounds



## Mangelwurzel (Apr 16, 2014)

Hi all,

My current sharpening set up is 400, 1200, 6000, then I strop with newspaper. I think Murray Carter recommends that for sharpening kitchen knives, all you really need is a 1000/6000/newspaper strop set up.

I see a lot of people getting excited about using stropping compounds for kitchen knives and discussing the merits of Chromium Oxide particles -v- Diamond paste, etc. I had a conversation a while ago with one of the vendors on here, in which that vendor suggested that there's no real need to go above 6000 grit for kitchen knives.

So my question is: are there any real benefits to using stropping compounds for kitchen knives (I'm thinking petits, gyutos, sujis here)? Or is it just another excuse to buy more knife stuff?? :knife:

Thanks!


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## Cynic2701 (Apr 16, 2014)

I like to use 6 and 3 micron diamond paste loaded strops to upkeep the "fresh off the stones" feel of the edge on my gyuto. It won't replace a stone in the same grit range, but it does making touching up the edge faster and easier--I can run it over the strop 4 - 8 times and, provided that it doesn't need more work, I get a fresh edge in about 10 seconds.


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## Benuser (Apr 16, 2014)

@Mangelwurzel: that vendor is a honest guy. For Western kitchen and double-bevelled blades even 2-3k could be the limit. I use 5k only for deburring.
@Cynic: split or plain leather? Sure it will work with some steels, but not with all. Basic carbons respond the best, as far as I can see.


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## Cynic2701 (Apr 16, 2014)

Split leather. I've done it with Aogami Super, Blue #1, VG-10, and Konosuke's mystery HD2 steel in the kitchen.

Outside of the kitchen I strop a lot of S30V, S90V, 3V, CTS-XHP, ZDP-189, Aogami Super, Elmax, and M390. Perhaps its due to the fact that I don't use chromium oxide paste in the same grit range (though I do use 1 and 0.5 micron diamond paste) but you will need to triple the number of strokes for high carbide steels.


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## erikz (Apr 16, 2014)

What about a roo strop? I cant seem to find any pre mounted ones in Europe.


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## Benuser (Apr 16, 2014)

Thanks, Cynic!


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