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!



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

[Basemetal]

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

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

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!

[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!

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.