After much debate, I purchased a PPT. I happen to prefer hefty knives ... they just feel better in my hand. Reviews on this knife were pretty mixed .... but I really like it. Feels great in my hand. Posting a picture almost makes me a little embarrassed ... considering what most of you can accomplish ... but after using it for a while to see how it performed, I decided to touch it up on the WE. Like the others I have worked on, I am pretty satisfied with my novice skills. The only thing I need to really work on is my stropping technique. I have put more cuts into my strops than I have in my fingers ... and believe me, I am no stranger to band-aids and super glue!!!

I like the knife a lot and your photography is superb Dennis! Well done. I like Fred Perrin's work...I have his Street Beat fixed blade knife also by Spyderco and it is a wonderful blade that leaves no doubt that Perrin used to be a French Special Forces guy. The edge you gave your new knife looks good!
As for stropping, it is a skill that one develops quickly when one remembers to carress the leather rather than pressure it. Pretend to be a breeze brushing softly on the strop. You will soon get it. It also helps to listen to the sound the blade makes on the strop...eventually you will know when you are hitting it just right. It is a very Zen skill when well done.

Cheers
Leo

DennisHibar wrote:


Same here, Dennis. I had to learn the correct motion, too. I have ordered a spare stropping paddle . Important is that your paddle continually goes upward a little bit when stroping.

At one time I noticed that I did make cuts in the leather treated with the 5 micron compound and not in the leather treated with the 3.5 micron compound. It appeared the 3.5 micron leather was much smoother than the 5 micron leather. Adding a little more 5 micron compound solved that problem. Maybe that could help you a bit.

Another observation I made is that my right hand is much steadier than my left hand (I'm right handed), so for some time I only stropped with my right hand.

That said, some people like to strop on the rough side of their belts, and probably your leather strop now looks like that .

Success!

Looks like you did a great job from here!

I can't help but notice just how clean and pretty your WEPS is.... Mine will get jealous if it sees yours

It is a Murphy's law of nature that one of the first things to be done with a strop is to nick it. A slight cut in the leather won't ruin the strop, but if you've got a little flap of leather, just cut it off at the base of the flap. If it's really a bad divot, sand it out a little with some sandpaper.

Keep up the good work!

Thanks Leo and Mark. My problems with stopping at this point can probably be attributed to my eyesight and hands. The working distance with the WE is just at the point where focusing with my progressive bi-focals is the toughest. So I am constantly repositioning my head to get a clearer picture of what is going on. Add to that, is the fact that I have, over the years, lost a great deal of sensitivity in my fingers. As a result, I typically hold on to things much firmer that I probably should .... to prevent me from dropping everything I put my hands on! Most of the cuts have occurred at the end of my stroke ... toward the blade tip. I have found myself following the blade in a curved motion instead of drawing it straight up. That with the increased pressure from grasping the strop paddles too firmly .... well you know the result. When I did the PPT today, it probably took me longer to strop than work the other stones ... because I went so very slowly as to not further damage the leather. Thanks again.

jendeindustries wrote:


Yes ... but mine has only sharpened about 8 or so knives ... and I am still at the stage where I vacuum it off after each knife!!! You know ... sort of like a new car that gets washed and waxed every time weather permits!!

DennisHibar wrote:


Thanks! I learn something new here every day... I used to clean my base (a thick high-quality wooden cutting board) under a running tap. After two clean-ups it had bent already...

I have never been a fan of Spyderco knives but that one is very sharp... yeah, yeah pun intended.

My strops also have the edges skived where I have caught them on the knife I was working on, they're just warrior marks as I see them. Although it is a good thing I bought a spare set knowing I was going to cut them up in the learning process.

I like that you vacuum your WE, mine just gets a swab with a towel squirted with DNA(De-natured Alcohol, not my own).

Great photos, great looking edge!