Update:
Well, these last four days off were knife sharpening research days. I dug everywhere on this subject and found someone on a forum who claimed to be able to hold a long single strand of hair with one hand and cut it with a knife with a single swipe. It's a very interesting read and I'll have to give it a try. Here's a link to the thread:
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showt ... p?t=222864
Here's how he did it:
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I got the knife to regular shaving sharp using a combo of Lansky and Gatco systems. I like the Lansky stones, but prefer the Gatco guide clip and stand. Besides, Lansky has an Ultra Coarse Diamond stone which shortens the work.
UCD stone until wire edge. Turn. Other side takes less time. Wire edge. Turn.
Medium Diamond stone: Repeat
Fine non-diamond stone: Repeat
Ultra Fine non-diamond stone: Repeat twice polishing ALL cut marks from the bevel until it's smooth and uniform.
I got a nice strop off KnifeCenter that's rough on one side and smooth as a baby's butt on the other. I went to Sears and bought polishing compound from the tool department where the buffing wheels. They look like gold inguts. I got a White one and a Red one. I rubbed the conditioner I got with the strop into the coarse side really well. I used quite a bit. The smooth side had already been done. I scrubbed it in with a clean toothbrush. Next, on the coarse side I rubbed the heck out of it with the white brick using it like a crayon. Then I scrubbed it in real well with a freshly-cleaned toothbrush. Repeat. Scrub. Repeat. Scrub. The smooth side had already been done with Red, but I did it again. I used so much that it tended to build up on the surface in a few places. It didn't seem to matter. Scrub with freshly-cleaned toothbrush. I stropped a few of my cheaper knives quickly on both sides to get the compound worked in.
I renewed the compound crayon-style on both sides a little, but didn't scrub it in this time. I took the D-2 Benchmade that I'd already sharpened to shaving sharp and started to strop on the White/Rough side.
I strop SLOWLY! Being very careful to keep the angle. I hold the spine off the strop only about 1/8 inch. I also ONLY work parallel to the sides of the strop. I don't draw the knife sideways off the side of the strop where the edge is rough. I don't use a sideways motion at all. I just move vertically and that's all. I will reposition to focus on different areas of the blade. I use about the weight of my arm on the stroke and hold the strop very tightly so it bows very little during the process. It took me about 50 strokes on each side.
Next I switched to the smooth/red side. I used the same technique except I was more gentle, pressing more lightly, and did this about 15 strokes each side.
That's it. I can cut a hanging hair repeatedly with it.
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I have a Lansky Diamond system with the Saphire polishing stone, and I made a large strop, but I'm going to make a smaller strop this evening at work. I also bought a new Buck knife with three different blades.
I got two more smaller nails for my next whips. I'm going to start on whip #3 using the eight inch and if it doesn't look right, I'll use the 10-inch one for my 4th. I still have plenty of leather and hope to have the first whip finished in a week -unless something comes up, which is common. I'll be sticking with the 10-foot 12-plait until I get brave enough to go higher (And my knives get sharper).
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