Swivel Knife Blades

[emsnut]

I just purchased a couple of ceramic swivel knife blades. Wanted to try them out. My question is. I know your not suppose to strop a metal blade on leather because it will end up rounding the corners. But can you strop ceramic blades on leather? Or should I just keep doing my card stock strop? Thanks for the help

Michael

[pete]

fell free to strop on leather with ceramic OR steel. If you don't lift it at the end you won't curl the tip. I had and used a ceramic for the first 20 years of carving. I thought that it was the best and still love it but I recently got a Henley 1/4" angled blade. MAN it's sharp!

Nothing wrong with the ceramic at all- it's wider so I use it a lot on decorative cuts.

Strop them both on firm leather or a card.

Better yet- glue card stock to a paint stir stick. It will allow you to strop an 8 or 10" pass instead of a 3" as with a card.

pete

[Rawhide]

Actually Pete,

it's not the tip that gets rounded with a leather strop, it's the corners of the blade. Since the leather gives way to the pressure from your finger, you actually make the leather cup around the blade and it begins to form a "U" shape around the blade and rounds the corners off.

EMSNUT, I would strop the ceramic on card as well just to keep myself in the habit. I use Cresent illustration board, kind of like a buisness card, but I can cut longer strips. I don't know if leather has the same effect on the ceramic or not, but better safe than sorry. I had to regrind all my steel blades because they had been rounded, Until Peter Main hipped me to this, I was clueless as to why my blades wouldn't remain sharp and cut with ease. (Now I know).

Marlon

Edited March 18, 2008 by Rawhide

[emsnut]

Thank you both for your suggestions. I really am greatful. I am going to have to check out that blade you was talking about pete. Just one more question for some one. I was reading that you could take and heat the white jewelers rouge and mix with olive oil to soften it. I was wondering if this is a good thing. I don't like how the stuff I get from Tandy is so hard. And if you can heat it, is it easyer to use and work better?

Thanks again Pete and Rawhide. Very helpful on the forums. Glad I found a place to come for answers.

[Rawhide]

Thank you both for your suggestions. I really am greatful. I am going to have to check out that blade you was talking about pete. Just one more question for some one. I was reading that you could take and heat the white jewelers rouge and mix with olive oil to soften it. I was wondering if this is a good thing. I don't like how the stuff I get from Tandy is so hard. And if you can heat it, is it easyer to use and work better?

Thanks again Pete and Rawhide. Very helpful on the forums. Glad I found a place to come for answers.

I don't use tandys anymore I use a red jewelers rouge that I bought at woodcraft.

Pete is absolutely right about Henley. You have to be careful not to cut completely through the leather.

Marlon

[emsnut]

I don't use tandys anymore I use a red jewelers rouge that I bought at woodcraft.

Pete is absolutely right about Henley. You have to be careful not to cut completely through the leather.

Marlon

I have done a search on the internet and can't find the Henley's anywhere. Any suggestions on where I can find them. Thanks again for everything.

[Blake]

http://gemosphere.tripod.com/gemosphere/swivel_knivesx.html

This is the link I have for Henley

Blake

[superchute]

I get my red jewelers rouge a the welding supply nice little size and vary soft most of the time and is only about 2 bucks.

if I use the sanding paper on my blades I put plate glass on the bottom vary level surface that way

Russ