Just a further note regarding stropping…I strop my knives at the end of each day of use with a two-sided hand-strop(wood and leather) loaded with Green compound on one side and White compound on the other. I have to say that after stropping for a year,I now know when the strop is working because I can hear that it is. Listening attentaively IMO is important whether it is working with the diamond paddles/Chosera stones on the WEPS or stropping with leather or balsa.
The amount of pressure being used, both when stropping by hand or with the strops on the WEPS, is critical. I judge the pressure by holding the knife lightly with my fingers and brushing it over the loaded leather with a force roughly equal to the weight of the knife plus a bit. On the WEPS I lightly brush the blade with the paddles almost like I was wiping dust from the edge.
As I said I am very intuitive in my sharpening and I have learned a lot by listening and feeling along with reading the advice of others who are experts in the field of sharpening. Maybe practicing Zen for the last 30 years has been a help. LOL! The Zen of Sharpening! Sounds like a good title for a book Clay!
Cheers
Leo
