Sharpening resources

[blues]

FYI, you will want to delete this thread when people know you can sharpen well. I ended up doing a friends restaurant knives.

I don't mind sharpening knives for folks...but when my buddy brought a bag over...I did 'em but told him afterward to bring a couple at a time so we can sit and have a beer, (and maybe a cigar), while I did 'em.

[SeriousStudent]

I don't mind sharpening knives for folks...but when my buddy brought a bag over...I did 'em but told him afterward to bring a couple at a time so we can sit and have a beer, (and maybe a cigar), while I did 'em.

And tacos. I always insist on tacos.

[backtrail540]

That's where the buddy comes in. He already does it, so I'll direct all work i don't want to him

[mrozowjj]

A few people in this post said a good strop can do a lot to help without needing to sharpen... what should I look for in a good strop?

[Clusterfrack]

A few people in this post said a good strop can do a lot to help without needing to sharpen... what should I look for in a good strop?

I use a cheapass one:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078SR9XM8/

[critter]

A few people in this post said a good strop can do a lot to help without needing to sharpen... what should I look for in a good strop?

cheapass works! or pretty much anything from Stropman Strops (no affiliation but made in USA) is good, or you can make your own from an old belt or piece of scrap leather and a table top or glue it to a piece of scrap wood. I've heard and read arguments ad nauseum. What seems to be the case is that for most uses the piece of leather is a vehicle for compound (cheaper) or emulsion (can be ridiculously expensive) and the latter (what goes ON the strop) are more important than the former. The good news is that it all works. For compounds, I use Bark River green often then followed by white or just the white. You can also use a stop with no compound but I rarely do.
For common Bark River compound grit equivalents:

black (3,000 grit)
green (6,000 grit)
white (12,000 grit)

Never mix compounds on the same strop. the 'green' strop (or side if doublesided) will forever and always contain nothing but green compound from brand name X and so on. AND mark what they are on the handle or.. white and green become blackish with use so they all begin to look the same.

tip.. A big square pencil eraser works pretty good for quickly 'cleaning' a strop when that time comes.
You can't go by color alone across vendors - any color can be any 'grit' from various sources.