Need strop advice

[Dave Martell]

Hard felt loaded with 1u Diamond spray.
I don't like the feel. Its spongy and hard to hold an angle cause the pad changes depending on how much pressure you poly.
Found it hard to really get the tip right.
Was not able to produce a tomato biting edge and I think it actually rounded the primary B that I could not correct even with using the Tatenono.
I know guys are very fond of loaded felt. Perhaps just don't have the technique of it. Those that are fond of this method, please share with me your approach.

Is this felt from HA This Site Not Allowed Here.com? If so then it's the felt's fault, it's too mushy. If it's really true "rock hard" felt then it might be you but I hesitate to blame the user if the felt is truly rock hard because this stuff os so forgiving to improper technique. Plus, you're using leather without edge rounding so my guess is that you know what your doing here. So I'm back to guessing that the felt you have as being too soft.

[Dave Martell]

This has been my exact experience with felt. The tip is awkward (it seems to bite into the felt or get hooked up), the feedback is zero, and nothing ever got sharper. As you said maybe its my technique, but it just didn't work for me.

Cris, what type of felt are you using? In my experience only the true rock hard stuff from India works on knives, the industrial stuff we get here in the US is junk in comparison.

[Dave Martell]

I was going to try Advanced ABrasives (http://store.advancedabrasives.com/) insanely good prices...

That's where Ken Schwartz of CKTG and Keith DeGrau of Hand American get their stuff from. They buy it by the gallons and re-bottle it.

[Dave Martell]

Wow...nice selection. I wonder what the differences between slurry and suspension are? Then MDP, RDP, and PDP lol. The PDP is PRICEY. RDP cheapest, with MDP being middle of the road.

Slurry is for manual dispersion applications, requires shaking to mix, often times an uneven amount of abrasive is dispersed since the abrasive settles/separates from the solution carrier.

Suspension is meant for use in automated dispensing applications where shaking of the product can not be done, the abrasive particles are suspended within the solution, evenly distributed.

MDP = Monocrystalline Diamond - Single clump like structures that work great initially but slow down on cut rate as the particles begin to wear/round over.

PDP = Polycrystalline Diamond - Multi-faceceted sharp pointed structures with a fast cut rate that can remain, or even increase, in speed as the particles break down into smaller bits through fracturing thus exposing even more sharp edges to the work piece. Expensive for a reason.

[CrisAnderson27]

Cris, what type of felt are you using? In my experience only the true rock hard stuff from India works on knives, the industrial stuff we get here in the US is junk in comparison.

You're probably 100% right. I searched and searched for what type felt to use...I ended up choosing F1 hard felt from Amazon after finding zero information.

I may have to try again

[CrisAnderson27]

Slurry is for manual dispersion applications, requires shaking to mix, often times an uneven amount of abrasive is dispersed since the abrasive settles/separates from the solution carrier.

Suspension is meant for use in automated dispensing applications where shaking of the product can not be done, the abrasive particles are suspended within the solution, evenly distributed.

MDP = Monocrystalline Diamond - Single clump like structures that work great initially but slow down on cut rate as the particles begin to wear/round over.

PDP = Polycrystalline Diamond - Multi-faceceted sharp pointed structures with a fast cut rate that can remain, or even increase, in speed as the particles break down into smaller bits through fracturing thus exposing even more sharp edges to the work piece. Expensive for a reason.

Excellent! So what I made from the paste is a slurry. Good to know...and also good for future purchases. Thanks Dave.

[ar11]

Wow lots of good info in this thread!

[chinacats]

Slurry is for manual dispersion applications, requires shaking to mix, often times an uneven amount of abrasive is dispersed since the abrasive settles/separates from the solution carrier.

Suspension is meant for use in automated dispensing applications where shaking of the product can not be done, the abrasive particles are suspended within the solution, evenly distributed.

MDP = Monocrystalline Diamond - Single clump like structures that work great initially but slow down on cut rate as the particles begin to wear/round over.

PDP = Polycrystalline Diamond - Multi-faceceted sharp pointed structures with a fast cut rate that can remain, or even increase, in speed as the particles break down into smaller bits through fracturing thus exposing even more sharp edges to the work piece. Expensive for a reason.

Very helpful info Dave--Thanks!

[Seb]

Is anybody selling the good hard felt with magnetic backing then?

[CrisAnderson27]

Is anybody selling the good hard felt with magnetic backing then?

I ordered self adhesive magnetic backing from Amazon and did it myself (I did the same with my balsa strops...having them stick to my DMT plates is incredibly useful). I think Marko sells felt strops with magnetic backs though...but don't hold me to that.