--- Chris Freemesser  wrote:
 
> Would using a leather strop after the 2000 grit paper make the edge 
> appreciably sharper, or would the difference really not be enough to 
> justify the cost of a strop (it would be a birthday gift, actually). 
> If the strop WOULD be a good idea, do I need to use the green 
> charging compound commonly available, or do I just use the leather 
> as-is?

Lately I have been using the mylar backed micron grit sheets instead of
SiC.  If you just substituted  a .5 micron sheet instead of 2000 grit, you
won't need a strop.  According to Brent Beach's microphotographs, the .5
micron sheet leaves a smoother edge than the green crayon, which is also
.5 micron.  I can vouch that the .5 micron sheet cuts more aggessively and
leaves a better edge than the 2000 grit SiC (WalMart) I have been using.

=====
Roger Nixon
Out in the Flint Hills of Kansas
www.traditionaltools.com

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