Tell me how to use jewellers rouge

[Chris B]

Ok i have heard of different methods of doing this. Please excuse the very newbie question here. But I have heard people say to put the jewlers rouge on the flesh side of a piece of leather and other people say to use cardboard. What do you use and recommend? I have tried both, but I dont know the difference between them.

Thanks,

Chris

[Mike Craw]

Hey Chris!

To parphrase an old Chevy Chase routine on Saturday Night Live, it doesn't matter how you strop, it's that you strop... I'm sure that some members could provide micrscopic evidence of the effectiveness of one over the other, but as long as your blade is stropped evenly on each side and the angles are maintained, your blade should pass smoothly through the leather. That's all we're going for!

Mike

[whinewine]

I was told to use the back of a business card. Because it's thin, flat & hard, it'll allow the angles to strop evenly, whereas, if the piece of leather is soft & spongy & can flex, the angles might not be properly polished. Actually, I use both methods in conjunction with W&D sandpaper glued to a board.

As Mike said, the important thing is that you DO strop.

[Art]

The surface needs to be hard, and by that I mean NOT squishy (a technical term), you do not want the surface to conform to the tip. So, cardboard, business card, piece of sole bend, piece of thin veg tan glued to a hard surface; anything like that will do. It should not be so slick that it won't hold the rouge.

Art

Ok i have heard of different methods of doing this. Please excuse the very newbie question here. But I have heard people say to put the jewlers rouge on the flesh side of a piece of leather and other people say to use cardboard. What do you use and recommend? I have tried both, but I dont know the difference between them.

Thanks,

Chris

[Romey]

Make it hard, so you can control and maintain your edge geometry, assuming a flat secondary edge. And learn the grit comparisions of each compound. Decide if you want a toothier edge (leather ect) of a more polished edge,(paper cutting ect) 600 grit will leave a toothy edge above that will take those micro teeth out and make a more burnished edge. If you want simple, glue hard sole leather to a hardwood board, charge it with green compound on one end white or pink on the other. Green is roughly 600 grit, white roughly 2000 grit. For convex grinds like many head knives a slightly softer surface like a hard mouse pad or other neoprine, or a softer leather surface should be used as it will roll with the convexed grind. Often ill step down in grits Untill im using charged cigerette paper but thats for certian crazy sharp demonstrations and not suited for leather cutting needs.

Edited October 7, 2007 by Romey

[Chris B]

Hey thanks for that info. It was what I was looking for.

Thanks,

Chris