What am I doing wrong?

[Manteo]

Lynn:

When you strop your utility knive do you do it by hand or use power?

Thanks,
Manteo

[Mitchell]

Manteo,

Lynn uses power per his previous response:

"I use a motorized wheel to strop the blade and load it with Zam. Here's a link that might help you.
Google Image Result for http://z.about.com/d/culinaryarts/1/0/o/0/-/-/wh-st.gif"

[mobjack68]

At the risk of muddying up the creek........I listen to and read an awful lot about sharpening. I have sharpened an awful lot of steel, some good steel...some cheap stuff. It doesn't take long with steel and stones to separate the good stuff and the bad.

I read with interest about "scary sharp" and "wicked sharp" and being very impatient??? I sharpen my steel until it cuts like I need. Some larger shaped chisels that I drive with large mallets?? I don't spend as much time sharpening. The smaller chisels and straight knives, used for detail work I sharpen a little finer, again...until it cuts the way I want it to. I have the ability and the grits to polish an edge to "superfine", what I have found??? I was spending more time sharpening than cutting, and some of the extra sharpening was unnecessary. a sharp edge is a true pleasure but how sharp is sharp enough?? Only the person behind the edge can determine that. I would encourage anyone that uses sharp tools to sharpen a bit and then try cutting. Need some more?? back to the grit and test again....some may find as I did, it is not necessary to spend quite so much time sharpening.

I do not strop, I have yet to use power sharpening anything. I use an old beat up Washita for shaping and knick removal. Translucent white hard arkansas for the majority of sharpening and edge polishing and black hard arkansas for final polish mainly for fine detail......
good luck...
jerry