Strop

[Hepotec]

Can anyone tell me how to make as leather strop for sharpening? I am thinking that it can't be as simple as it looks. What leather, thickness, treatment etc?

[Basemetal]

It's as simple as it looks...;)
You can strop on any fibrous surface -denim, skin (palm of your hand), even cardboard!
But the unfinished side of a leather belt or other piece of leather of a suitable size is ideal and lets you add buffing or cutting compounds to the mix.

I'm delighted with a 6 x3" piece of leather called a Starky Strop from Axminster -and a block of their stropping compound (all in about, £5).
I prefer to hold or mount the leather on a backing board (or sit it flat on the edge of bench) for stropping -using it like a stone but with the blade edge draggiing rather than pushing (or you cut the leather).

[Anarcus]

Reminds me, a while back someone found a source of green stroping compound 5micron. IIRC it was fairly cheap. Anyone got the link?

[Tiffers]

My strop at work is double sided on a wooden base, one side has suede impregnated with diamond paste while the other side is just suede. Its about 18" long by 3" wide with a handle on one end.

Tiffers

[Tiffers]

Good grief, I'm repeating myself again!

:D

Tiffers

[bardster]

It's as simple as it looks...;)
You can strop on any fibrous surface -denim, skin (palm of your hand), even cardboard!
But the unfinished side of a leather belt or other piece of leather of a suitable size is ideal and lets you add buffing or cutting compounds to the mix.

I'm delighted with a 6 x3" piece of leather called a Starky Strop from Axminster -and a block of their stropping compound (all in about, £5).
I prefer to hold or mount the leather on a backing board (or sit it flat on the edge of bench) for stropping -using it like a stone but with the blade edge draggiing rather than pushing (or you cut the leather).

I was giving away pices that size at the hammerin - bits from my offcut bag :D

[Basemetal]

I was giving away pices that size at the hammerin - bits from my offcut bag :D

Works fine, and fits in my Lansky box :)

[The General]

I was giving away pices that size at the hammerin - bits from my offcut bag :D

Thanks again for that!

Flitz works a treat as its a very fine and gentle metal polish. I have tried many different polishing compounds, but none seem to be just right, till I tried flitz.

YMMV

:)

[Ratel10mm]

Bardster, first thanks very much for the offcut, which is working a treat! Second, can you tell me what the compund was that you lent me to load my offcut with? Something Gold - Gold something? Third, can you tell me where to buy it? Fourth, should I load the strop before I use it each time?
Fifth, does a strop need cleaning occasionally, or just fresh application of sharpening compound? Sixth, should you always use the same compound, on a particular strop, or could you mix, say, flitz with the gold stuff - I presume that it's not a good idea - probably end up with an ugly gooey mess?
Questions, questions! :D

[bardster]

Bardster, first thanks very much for the offcut, which is working a treat! Second, can you tell me what the compund was that you lent me to load my offcut with? Something Gold - Gold something? Third, can you tell me where to buy it? Fourth, should I load the strop before I use it each time?
Fifth, does a strop need cleaning occasionally, or just fresh application of sharpening compound? Sixth, should you always use the same compound, on a particular strop, or could you mix, say, flitz with the gold stuff - I presume that it's not a good idea - probably end up with an ugly gooey mess?
Questions, questions! :D


hehe no worries - the stuff is flexcut gold - available from axminster or any dealer that sells flexcut tools. I find that I dont need to load it each and every time. now and then i will scrape the surface with a steel rule to sort of clean it of grey gunk then reload it. I wouldn't mix a paste like flitz with a powdered compound. but other solid compounds would be fine other than they would probably be a diff grade of abrasive. flexcut gold is a very fine one i believe.

[Ratel10mm]

Thanks mate! :)

[MotorbikeMan]

I have to say, I've always found Starkies a PITA to use due to the size as I find them too short. My strop at home is an offcut of leather about 2" wide, by about 18" long stuck suede side up onto a piece of board and loaded with Autosol Solvol. The thing to remember with a strop is that if you get the technique wrong, it's a very easy way to totally round off the edge on your knife. The trick, wether you use a strop to actually sharpen or like me just as a finishing treatement, is to lay the blade straight down and to lift it straight off at the start and end of the stroke.

[Hepotec]

I have to say, I've always found Starkies a PITA to use due to the size as I find them too short. My strop at home is an offcut of leather about 2" wide, by about 18" long stuck suede side up onto a piece of board and loaded with Autosol Solvol. The thing to remember with a strop is that if you get the technique wrong, it's a very easy way to totally round off the edge on your knife. The trick, wether you use a strop to actually sharpen or like me just as a finishing treatement, is to lay the blade straight down and to lift it straight off at the start and end of the stroke.


I think I will practice on something expendable before I break out the Leukus. Thanks for the advice.

[MotorbikeMan]

I think I will practice on something expendable before I break out the Leukus. Thanks for the advice.
That's a really good idea, I used to practice with a Mora

[Edgehog]

On the subject of stropping compounds, Jewellers Rouge works well too.

[Hepotec]

Would polishing compound be any use?

[PS_Bond]

Pretty much anything that is harder than whatever you're trying to remove will function. I usually use Tripoli simply because it is usually handy, but Autosol, cerium oxide, rouge, industrial diamond dust etc. etc. will work.

[Hepotec]

I'll give it a bash. Thanks for the advice.

[Basemetal]

You can, of course, strop with nowt at all on the leather. Starting that way will let you see the difference.

[Hepotec]

You can, of course, strop with nowt at all on the leather. Starting that way will let you see the difference.
I'll try it neat first, then loaded later. I'm starting to feel like the guy from the Fast Show....The guy who does whatever the last person suggested to him.....

[Basemetal]

Aaah, but at least there's logic in this!

[herbicide]

You can, of course, strop with nowt at all on the leather.
That's what I do, though I do need a new leather bookmark as it's a bit old, worn and mucky (I wrap it around my fist).

[helmar4578]

A very simple strop can be fashioned with a piece of vegetable tanned cowhide. Use a piece that is about two inches wide and twelve inches long and does not have healed scar or tick marks. Cement this using contact cement to a block of wood the same dimensions, flesh side to the block. The block should be at least 3/4ths of an inch thick so you leave room for your knuckles when stropping. This allows you to strop at places other than the edge of your bench. Using the same honing oil you use on your whet stone, wet the leather and before the leather absorbs the oil, rub briskly with a stick of jeweler's rouge. The oil will liquefy the rouge and lay it on the leather and as the leather absorbs the oil the rouge will be evenly deposited on the surface of the leather. Remember that the strop is not to be used as a hone but as a "touch up" between honing. Excess oil can be removed with tissue paper from the knife edge before stropping as it may contain metal particles from the honing operation. ---Sandy---

[Razorback]

This subject is right up my alley. :D I convex grind my knives with a convex edge. I recommend stropping to maintain them. All I use is an old belt (the type that held my britches up :) ) charged with 600 grit aluminum oxide compound. I use it like a barber used to do in the days of the straight razor for shaving.
Scott

[Bogflogger]

No matter how many times I scroll through "the commons," the title of this thread never fails to make me cackle with laughter!

[Dave Budd]

mind if i put in my 2p worth?

good.

I use several differnt strops depending on what I'm sharpening. My standard strop is made of 4.5mm veg tan (off cut) 2"x12" glued into a board and lightly charged with autosol. I tend to use this for most general purpose knives and when I'm out on the road doing sharpening demos at fairs and country shows.

For axes and convex cutting edges I use a board 3"x12" with a layer of suede glued onto it and them a layer of 3mm leather. the smooth surface of the leather is then rubbed with 240grit paper to raise a slight napp (sp?) and then charged with green buffing compound. this conforms to the conves edge without undue rounding off, the compound polishes nicely but does leave residues on teh blade that need cleaning off.

For fine edges and things that I want to be bloody sharp. I have a board with a bit of 1 1/2"x 16" leather that is from a pre-1950s belt driven machine, its 1/4" thick and really dense. the surface has been rubbed down with 600 grit paper and then is charged with a little honing oil (this is the only place that I use honing oil, prefering waterstones).

I use light, even strokes with all of the strops and as said above lay the blade almost flat (at least flatter than the cutting edge angle). And as with sharpening in general I try to do equal numbers of strokes on each side. I always rest the board against something or better still, held in a vice.

Also watch out for contamination. I keep each one in a seperate ziplock plastic bag. I also clean themn all regularly with a steel scraper, and/or acetone to degrease a little.

I have a selection of other shaped ones too for doing unusual jobs. I have 1/2" and 1" round dowels with 2mm leather wrapped round and glued in place charged with autosol for doing internal curves like sickles, billhooks and spoon carving hooks (that I make, of course). I also have a 1"x 3/8"x12 wedge shape for doing v-guages, serated knives and the like. when I get hold of a router I'm going to make up a hollow form that will be lined too.

hope that doesnt baffel too much. I think the most important thing about the strop is that it must be firm and free from contamination. I've had some nasty scratches from stray grit stuck in the leather!

[helmar4578]

GOOD POST, Dave! Very informative and useful! ---Sandy---

[Wrangler]

...............................The thing to remember with a strop is that if you get the technique wrong, it's a very easy way to totally round off the edge on your knife. The trick, wether you use a strop to actually sharpen or like me just as a finishing treatement, is to lay the blade straight down and to lift it straight off at the start and end of the stroke.

Very good point! :!:
That`s why well known german knifemaker Richard Hehn, gave me another good advice for stroping my blades.
He told me to use a (not too small) block of wood from a pear-tree spreaded with diamond paste (or one of the already mentioned resources) to strop my knives.
The pear-tree has even (constant) and dense (close) fibres (vein) and should be well suited for this kind of job. The risk of rounding off the edge is much less than it could be on a leather strop.
It works out very well with my knives.:D
For testing the final sharpness, just hold your fingernail down to ~ 45° and put the knife edge on it without any pressure. (With blade`s own weight only.). The edge should not slip down but grip into the nail.

These tips can also be found in his book: "Messer" by Richard Hehn/Norbert Klups. "Profi-Tipps für Benutzer und Sammler".
What means: "Knives" by........... "Professional tips for users and collectors".
(In german language only, if I remember correctly!?)

Hope, all of you get good results!;) :D

Regards,

Wolfgang

[Dave Budd]

It's also worth mentioning that knives intended for different jobs will require varying amounts of stropping. If its a knife designed for aggressive cutting (so will be sharpened on a relatively coarse stone) it is best to do a little stropping with as little abrasive as possible so that you don't polish out the aggressive edge. Likewise a fine razor should be stropped lightly on the hardest strop and the finest abrasize, so that the edge is not rounded off but is polished to the finest possible edge.

I've got myself a reputation for providing the residents of my area with knives that they are scared to use incase they cut themselves, so I must be doing something right!

[seabassmgm]

Wolfgang,

Thanks for the fingernail trick, that's awesome! As soon as I read that I tried it with both knives I had within arms reach.

[RovingArcher]

I carry a cordovan leather finger tab that I use when I shoot my bow, as well as a piece of 600grit and 1500grit W/D paper.

[Bogflogger]

I have just knocked up a strop that is the same size as a standard Oilstone (8" x 2" x1") using an offcut of veg tan leather (thanks Medium John) Araldited onto a bit of 2"x 1 that was lying around.
This has been loaded with Jewellers Rouge worked into the surface.

Having just sharpened and stropped everything, from my Felling Axe, right down to the scissors on my SAK Classic with it,:P I have now got a collection of knives that are sharper than they have ever been before!:D

So I just wanted to say thanks to everyone who has posted in this thread for the infomation.:D