Leather Strop vs Sharpening Stone vs Honing Steel: Which One Do You Need?
, by Outback Edge, 15 min reading time
Leather strops, sharpening stones, and honing steels each do a different job in the sharpening process. This guide explains what each tool does, when to use it, and which products are available at Outback Edge — including Sydney Strop Co Australian-made strops, Edgemaster whetstones, and Dexter Russell professional steels.
A sharp knife is a safe knife — but "sharp" can mean several different things depending on where you are in the sharpening process. Leather strops, sharpening stones, and honing steels are three different tools that each do a different job. Using the right one at the right time keeps your edges keener for longer and reduces how often you need to grind metal.
This guide explains what each tool actually does, when to reach for each one, and what's in stock at Outback Edge.
The Short Answer: What Each Tool Does
| Tool | What it does | Removes metal? | When to use | Skill level | Frequency |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Honing steel | Realigns the edge (straightens the burr) | Minimal | Before or after every use | Low — quick to learn | Every session |
| Leather strop | Polishes the edge to a refined, razor finish | Almost none | After honing or light sharpening | Low — forgiving technique | Every session or after honing |
| Sharpening stone | Grinds a new edge (removes metal to reshape the bevel) | Yes — significant | When the edge is genuinely dull or damaged | Medium — requires practice | Monthly, or as needed |
The confusion usually comes from treating these as alternatives. They're not — they're a sequence. A stone reshapes the edge. A steel or strop maintains it between sharpenings. Used together, you sharpen less often and your knives stay in better condition.
Honing Steel
A honing steel doesn't sharpen a knife in the traditional sense — it realigns the edge. Through normal use, the fine edge of a blade rolls and bends microscopically, losing its cutting efficiency even though the steel hasn't worn away. A steel straightens that edge back into alignment with a few strokes, which is why a chef's knife that feels dull after a day of use can feel sharp again after five seconds on a steel.
The most common mistake is reaching for the sharpening stone first. If your knife feels dull but you're not sure why, try the steel first — it fixes edge rollover instantly and is the right tool 80% of the time.
There are three types of sharpening steel in stock at Outback Edge:
| Type | Abrasion | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Diamond steel | Highest — removes small amounts of metal | Knives with minor edge damage, harder steels, quick touch-up with light reshaping |
| Smooth/grooved steel | Low — realigns only | Carbon and stainless kitchen knives, regular daily maintenance |
| Ceramic rod | Medium — light abrasion + alignment | Fine-edged knives (Japanese, thin slicers), final touch-up before use |
Edgemaster Steels
Edgemaster Diamond Sharpening Steel Oval 26cm – 00719 — Oval diamond sharpening steel, 26cm. The versatile everyday option — diamond surface realigns and lightly removes metal in one pass. Good choice for kitchen and outdoor knives that see regular use.
Edgemaster Oval Diamond Sharpening Steel 30cm – 00722 — Oval diamond sharpening steel, 30cm. The longer reach version of the 00719 — better suited to larger chef's knives, boning knives, and butcher blades where a full stroke matters.
Edgemaster Ceramic Sharpening Rod 26cm – 00723 — Ceramic sharpening rod, 26cm. Lower abrasion than diamond — better suited to maintaining a fine edge without removing as much metal. The right choice for thinner kitchen knives and those sharpened to a fine bevel.
Dexter Russell Steels
Dexter Russell's No Work Sharpening Steels are favoured in professional meat processing environments — butchers, abattoirs, and commercial kitchens where steels get heavy use every day. The ergonomic "no work" handle design reduces hand fatigue on long shifts. Both steels are HACCP-compliant and NSF-listed. See also: Best Butcher Knives for Australian Meat Processing.
Dexter Russell No Work Sharpening Steel (Coarse) – 7830 — Coarse-cut steel, 10"/25cm. Faster edge realignment for blades that need more correction — carving knives, boning knives, and other blades used hard in processing environments.
Dexter Russell No Work Sharpening Steel (Smooth) – 7820 — Smooth-cut steel, 10"/25cm. The finishing-grade honing steel for Dexter Russell's professional range. Use after the coarse steel for a cleaner, more refined edge alignment.
Dexter Russell SANI-SAFE 10in Diamond Sharpener 7613 — SANI-SAFE diamond sharpener, 10in. Diamond coating provides light metal removal as well as alignment — suitable for high-carbon knives that need more edge correction than a smooth steel can deliver.
Dexter Russell 10in Ceramic Knife Sharpener 7020 — Ceramic sharpener, 10in. Low-abrasion fine maintenance rod for thin kitchen blades and fillet knives that need a delicate touch rather than heavy realignment.
Browse the full honing steels collection.
Leather Strop
A strop polishes and deburrs the edge after sharpening or honing. Where a steel realigns the edge mechanically, stropping removes the microscopic wire burr left by sharpening and refines the bevel surface to a mirror-like finish. The result is a noticeably sharper, smoother cutting edge — the kind of edge that shaves hair or slices paper cleanly.
Stropping with compound (abrasive paste) adds a small amount of material removal, allowing the strop to do light work that sits between honing and light sharpening on the maintenance spectrum. Stropping without compound (bare leather) is purely polishing — it refines the edge geometry without changing it.
A leather strop is particularly valuable for:
- Hunting and outdoor knives that need a hair-shaving field edge
- Pocket knives that don't justify pulling out a full whetstone
- After-sharpening refinement when coming off the stone
- Maintaining a barber-quality edge on razors and woodworking chisels
Sydney Strop Co products are Australian-made in Sydney. The paddle strop format — a rigid board with leather on both sides — is the most practical for knife stropping because it provides a flat reference surface that keeps your angle consistent.
Double-Sided Paddle Strops
The flagship format: two leather surfaces (rough grain and smooth grain) on a rigid paddle, sized for full-length knife strokes. Use the rougher side with compound, the smooth side for bare-leather polishing.
Sydney Strop Co Double-Sided Paddle Strop – Kangaroo Leather — Kangaroo leather on both sides. Kangaroo hide is the premium stropping leather — it's dense, tight-grained, and develops an exceptionally flat surface over time. The premium choice for those who want the best possible edge refinement.
Sydney Strop Co Double-Sided Paddle Strop – Brown Cow Leather — Brown cow leather. The popular mid-range option — full-sized paddle strop at an accessible price. Works well with or without compound. The right choice for most knife users who want a capable everyday strop.
Sydney Strop Co Double-Sided Paddle Strop – Black Cow Leather — Black cow leather. Identical format to the brown cow version with a different hide finish. Same performance and price point — choose whichever appeals aesthetically.
Mini Paddle Strops
Compact versions of the paddle strop — shorter length, same leather, designed for field carry and travel. Fits a pack or kit bag without taking up working-bench real estate. Ideal for maintaining hunting and pocket knives in the field.
Sydney Strop Co Mini Kangaroo Leather Strop — Mini kangaroo leather strop. Compact size, premium hide. The best field option for those who want the finest edge refinement when away from the bench.
Sydney Strop Co Mini Brown Cow Leather Strop — Mini brown cow leather strop. Compact and affordable — the sensible starting point for anyone who wants a field strop without a significant outlay.
Stropping Pastes
Abrasive compound charged into the leather adds cutting ability to the strop, allowing it to remove small amounts of metal and correct minor imperfections in the edge. Sydney Strop Co pastes are graded by grit. Use lower grit for more aggressive edge work; higher grit for final polishing.
| Paste | Grit | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| Low Grit | 1200 | Post-stone refinement, minor edge repair, bringing back a damaged edge without reaching for the stone |
| Medium Grit | 8000 | Pre-polish — bridges the gap between the low grit and final high-grit finish |
| High Grit | 60,000 | Final polishing pass — produces the mirror-finish, hair-shaving edge |
Sydney Strop Co Low Grit Stropping Paste – 1200 Grit — 1200 grit stropping paste. The most aggressive of the three — use first to begin refining the edge off the stone, or to address minor edge damage without going back to a whetstone.
Sydney Strop Co Medium Grit Stropping Paste – 8000 Grit — 8000 grit stropping paste. Mid-range finishing compound — use between the 1200 and 60,000 pastes when working through a full stropping progression.
Sydney Strop Co High Grit Stropping Paste – 60,000 Grit — 60,000 grit stropping paste. Final polishing compound — use for the last pass on bare leather to achieve the finest possible edge. Can also be used alone for quick touch-ups on knives that are already well-maintained.
Starter and Complete Kits
Sydney Strop Co Starter Kit – Mini Cow Strop + Low and High Grit Pastes — Mini brown cow strop + 1200 and 60,000 grit pastes. The practical entry point — everything needed to start stropping without committing to a full-size paddle. Good for those who want to try stropping before upgrading to the full-size paddle.
Sydney Strop Co Complete Stropping System – Kangaroo Strop + 3 Pastes — Kangaroo leather paddle strop + all three pastes (1200, 8000, 60,000 grit). The complete stropping system — for those who want to do it properly from the start. No need to buy anything else.
Browse the full leather strops collection and stropping compounds collection.
Sharpening Stone
A sharpening stone (whetstone) grinds a new edge by removing metal. It's the tool you reach for when a knife is genuinely dull — not just edge-rolled, not just unpolished, but actually worn down to the point where realignment and stropping won't fix it. Stones are also used after edge damage: chips, nicks, or a bevel that's been rounded off over time.
The key concept is grit. Lower grit means coarser abrasion — faster metal removal, used for damaged edges or re-profiling. Higher grit means finer abrasion — used for finishing and polishing the new edge once the bevel shape is correct.
| Grit range | Abrasion | Use for |
|---|---|---|
| 120-400 | Coarse | Repairing chips, reprofile a damaged bevel, starting from scratch on a very dull knife |
| 1000-2000 | Medium | General sharpening — brings a worn edge back to functional sharpness |
| 3000-6000 | Fine | Refining and polishing after medium grit — the edge before stropping |
| 8000+ | Very fine | Finishing — produces a polished edge ready for stropping or use |
Combination stones provide two grits in one — one coarse face to set the bevel, one fine face to refine it. They're the practical choice for most knife users who want a complete sharpening solution without buying multiple separate stones.
Edgemaster Combination Whetstones
Edgemaster Combination Whetstone 240/1000 Grit – 00730 — Combination whetstone, 240/1000 grit. The workhorse option — the 240 side handles chipped or very dull edges, the 1000 side brings the edge to functional sharpness. The right combination for general-purpose knife sharpening where you occasionally need to start with coarser abrasion.
Edgemaster Combination Whetstone 1000/3000 Grit – 00731 — Combination whetstone, 1000/3000 grit. For knives that are dull but not damaged — the 1000 side re-establishes the edge, the 3000 side refines it to a smooth finish ready for stropping. A good everyday sharpening stone for kitchen and outdoor knives.
Edgemaster Waterstone Sharpening System 400/1000 Grit – EM00732 — Waterstone sharpening system, 400/1000 grit. Includes a base/holder for stability during sharpening — practical addition if you're sharpening regularly on a bench or in a professional setting.
Edgemaster Professional Waterstone Sharpening Kit 240/1000 – 0760 — Professional waterstone kit, 240/1000 grit with accessories. More complete setup including angle guide and flattening stone — for those who want to sharpen freehand with support, or who need to maintain consistent bevel angles across multiple knives.
Edgemaster Knife Sharpening System – Dual Whetstone + Diamond Steel Bundle — Dual whetstone + diamond steel bundle. Combines a two-stone sharpening setup with a diamond honing steel — a complete kit covering the full sharpening and maintenance sequence.
Browse the full sharpening stones collection.
Which One Do You Actually Need?
| Your situation | Tool to reach for |
|---|---|
| Knife feels dull after a day of cooking | Honing steel — 5-second fix |
| Want the absolute sharpest possible edge before a hunt or job | Leather strop (with high-grit paste) |
| Knife is genuinely worn and won't respond to a steel | Sharpening stone — 1000 grit to start |
| Blade has a chip or visible nick | Sharpening stone — 240-400 grit coarse face first |
| New knife, want to maintain it from day one | Honing steel after each use + strop periodically |
| Hunting knife — want a hair-shaving field edge | Strop with compound, mini paddle strop for the field |
| Professional kitchen — high-volume use every day | Smooth or coarse steel before service + stone monthly |
| Want everything and only buy once | Complete stropping system + 240/1000 whetstone + diamond steel |
Do You Need All Three?
For most people: no — pick the one that fits your actual usage, and add others when they become relevant.
If you cook at home and keep a couple of kitchen knives — a honing steel and a combination whetstone is the complete toolkit. Steel before use, stone when the steel stops working.
If you hunt or carry a knife in the field — a strop and compound is the compact, high-performance option. Most field knives don't need a stone often; they need a final polish before use and a quick strop to restore the edge after.
If you work professionally in a kitchen or meat processing environment — steel before every service, coarse stone for regular maintenance, and a strop if you need a finer edge than the steel alone provides. See the related guides: Best Butcher Knives for Australian Meat Processing and Best Hunting Knives for Australia.
If you want all three and are buying once — start with the Sydney Strop Co Complete Stropping System, the Edgemaster 1000/3000 combination whetstone, and the Edgemaster diamond steel. That covers every stage of the sharpening sequence.
Shop Sharpening at Outback Edge
All products in this guide are available in stock from Outback Edge, dispatched from Yandina, QLD. Browse by category:
- Leather Strops — Sydney Strop Co paddle strops, mini strops, and complete kits
- Stropping Compounds — 1200, 8000, and 60,000 grit pastes
- Sharpening Stones — Edgemaster combination whetstones and kits
- Honing Steels — Edgemaster diamond and ceramic steels, Dexter Russell professional steels
- Full Sharpening collection — all sharpening products including Work Sharp powered systems
Trade and volume enquiries welcome — call us on 0489 229 879.
