I recently got a curved strop that uses sandpaper on one side, and I'm trying to figure out which grits I should purchase. I'm looking for recommendations—ideally one grit for faster sharpening and another for smoothing before I finish up with my leather strop.
3 Answers
You don't usually need lower grits for the inside of a hook knife—just focus on stropping to eliminate the burr. Be careful, as grinding too much can create a micro bevel on the inside edge, which makes cutting worse. I recommend light passes with 600 grit, but only after a complete re-sharpening.
If your blade is really dull, I'd suggest starting with 400 grit. For knives that are just a bit dull, you can use 600 to 800 grit. To get a nice, smooth finish, go for 1,000 to 2,000 grit before moving to the leather strop.
I personally stick with a 2000 grit stone. It really depends on your knife's condition. If it’s super dull, work your way up to the lower grits first. But if it just needs a touch-up, jump right to the finishing grit—it's usually all you need!
I only use flat stones for straight knives. That curved strop is specifically meant for hook knives.
Good advice here.