Making a Strop?

[TZHunter]

I'm wanting to make a strop to keep my round knife and other small blades really sharp.

1) What type of leather is best for this?

2) Which surface (side) of the leather comes in contact with the blades?

3) What is used to condition/prepare the leather for better "stropping"?

Much Thanks, TZHunter (Doug)

[Rawhide]

I'm wanting to make a strop to keep my round knife and other small blades really sharp.

1) What type of leather is best for this?

2) Which surface (side) of the leather comes in contact with the blades?

3) What is used to condition/prepare the leather for better "stropping"?

Much Thanks, TZHunter (Doug)

Make yourself a 4 sided strop using 800, 1200, 2000 grit wet/dry sandpaper, the 4th side use a strip of veg tanned leather. I like to use a thin leather, 2/3 or 4/5 oz. Which side up is dependent on who you talk to or what book you read. I like the grain side up personally. Load it up with White or Red jeweler's rouge and you have a strop.

P.S. Never strop your swivel knife on the leather.

Marlon

[pete]

P.S. Never strop your swivel knife on the leather.

??????????WHAT????

explain please

[Rawhide]

I know it goes against everything we've learned over the years, but what happens is the leather will give, because it's soft, and you will eventually round the corners of your blade. In talking with Peter Main, he stresses to never strop on a piece of leather. He places his rouge on a piece of Crescent illustration board. I was using a piece of manilla folder rubber cemented to my strop board (made from mdf) and he said that was fine. In some books they'll tell you to strop on a business card. That's the right idea, it's just better to strop with a few long strokes than a lot of short strokes. You have a tendecy to rock the stroke if it's really short.

I hope that explains my reasons. Please don't bash me!!

Marlon

[Kevin]

Marlon, that makes so much sense. Thanks a million, Kevin

[Romey]

when i make a strop for knife sharpening i like thin leather, some are canvas and some card construction paper, yes it will load with polishing compound. ALWAYS back your strops unless your using a hollow grind. I have seen leather or sandpaper glued ith spray adhesive to marble ect, I use oak or harder wood as well as micarta 1x1 or 2x2 blocks about 12 inches long so i can vise them up as needed. I dont use thick leather at all, that is when you will round over your edge, which is FINE for a head knife or something with a convex edge, not so much for secondary flat grinds. Harder the leather the better , on strop i use i impregnated the leather wish CA glue, (very thing super glue) it makes it essentailly stable, dense and hard yet will still take a charge.

On top of this each blick, having 4 sides i will have a strop on each side, One side for green compound (600 grit) the next for white, the next for a polishing rough called pink no scratch, its about 3000 or so grit. and another side for Simichrome or a polishing paste of some sort. So as i want to go up in grits i just have to turn the block over. Some strop blocks have different types of leather and compounds for different applications. Generally very thin vegtan on to chrometan depending on grit and hardness i need.

As i have been getting various posts and private messages and emails abou the 3rd or my sharpening articles I have it written and am begginning the picture taking process, it maybe published in a major knife publication i am having to make the photos of a higher quality for print so ts taking more time but ill have a web version out in a few weeks of which ill post here first ofcourse.

[Rawhide]

Thanks Romney,

That's almost the same thing I am doing. Just not nearly as sophisticated. I'm sure with you having to make knives, you've developed this to suit your sharpening. Nice work. I just use the different grits of wet/dry sandpaper. 800, 1200, 2000, then a thin piece of leather loaded with rouge. I just don't use the leather to strop my swivel knife, only the 2000 grit. I use the leather as a final hone for my head knives, paring knife, etc...

I'll be looking for that guide.

Thanks,

Marlon

[rgerbitz]

Where do you guys get those really fine grit sandpapers?

Thanks

Rob

[RandyScott]

Up to 2000 grit 'sandpaper' can be obtained at most auto supply stores, i.e., NAPA, Advance Auto Parts, Pep Boys, O'Reilly, local auto supply stores, etc.. Get the wet/dry stuff for metal, not the stuff for working wood. the stuff for wood is typically brown or sand color, the stuff for metal is typically grey, could be another color also. The label will help, key word on the label is 'Aluminum Oxide' or 'Silicon Carbide or Oxide'. I am at work so depending on my memory.

[Rawhide]

I actually bought mine from WoodCraft. It is nearly black in color and made by Norton abrasives.

Marlon

[Romey]

'Aluminum Oxide' is generally a wood intended grit unless at the very coursest grits and 'Silicon Carbide is intended for harder things such as metals ect. I get mine from autobody repair place as body men use wet/dry sometimes on up to 2500 grit, plenty for most people, actually 600 grit is plenty for most as it leaves a more toothy edge which is what i prefer for leather, cardboard or other fiberous materials. I wrote the articles with the mindset of giving the reasoning and not a exact how to so folks could figure out what works best for THEM,but I have had alot of ppl email and needing more detail apparently so thats why the third has taken so long.I forgot, Norton is very good, I prefer 3m but either brand of wet/dry will do exactly what you want it to do.

[CitizenKate]

This is exactly what I would have said. Thanks for saving me the typing, Marlon.

Kate

I know it goes against everything we've learned over the years, but what happens is the leather will give, because it's soft, and you will eventually round the corners of your blade. In talking with Peter Main, he stresses to never strop on a piece of leather. He places his rouge on a piece of Crescent illustration board. I was using a piece of manilla folder rubber cemented to my strop board (made from mdf) and he said that was fine. In some books they'll tell you to strop on a business card. That's the right idea, it's just better to strop with a few long strokes than a lot of short strokes. You have a tendecy to rock the stroke if it's really short.

[Rawhide]

Romney,

Thanks for identifying the difference in the wet dry. I went and bought the grey wet dry from the auto parts store. I still used the black 800 grit, but for the 1200 & 2000 I used the grey paper.

Marlon

[Romey]

No problem. Sounds like you got the right stuff, To make a simple strop for leather workers, being most everyone has a marble slab of some sort, one can use spray adhesine on the paper, stick it to your slab do your stropping and peel it back off. MOST spray adhesives leave little to no gunk or if so its easy to clean up. As for rolling the rounding the eage with a leather strap yes you will if its not hard leather, There is more kinda of leather then just soft vegtan. I had some saddle billet blanks rolled up for a long time that never got used and thats what some of my strops are made from, they are hard and thick. Some others is thinchap leather. Just exsperiment most all has scrap this or that laying around, charge it with green compound and try it.