Make a leather strop

[Bigfattyt]

One key to stropping, aside from finding the "bite" angle (the angle where if you were going edge first it would cut the strop), is make sure you are not pushing or putting downward pressure on the blade. You really want to keep it light. too much pressure will have the same effect as dragging the edge at 90 degrees.

The leather is soft enough that it will wrap up past the edge and actually dull it.
For thicker heavier knives you will actually want to lift some so they are not resting full weight.

here is my ghetto strop bat. I broke a new belt, and cut it up. I use ghetto buffing compound from the hard ware store, but it works.

This is a v grind at this point. Just a bit of stropping with the loaded strop and it was hair popping sharp.

Angle does matter. If you have an obtuse angle and strop it up, it will get polished and shave hair well, even be hair popping sharp, but re-profiling the edge to a thinner angle then stropping will give you better tree topping results, but the edge will be more delicate, so just figure out what edge gives you a good balance between durability and slicing scary edge.

convexing an edge is another subject. If you use a strop for a while on the knife it will eventually become more convex.

Next I want to actually use quality leather and good quality compound.

 

[loiro-alto]

Thanks for the advice, the clever way to find the angle was helpful.

 

[David Martin]

Nice job knifenut. DM

 

[Jason B.]

Nice job knifenut. DM

Thanks, still working on some vid's.

 

[mbhanzo]

Good stuff here!! One additional thing I've done for years is to use abrasive powders of different grit sizes along with flitz or any other good metal polish to make strops of various grit. Years ago I got ahold of a bunch of containers of lens grinding compounds in powdered form ranging from 2500 to 300 grit. I've used this stuff to make some very nice strops that work well when refinishing some bruhsed finished type blades like Fallkniven's and Bark River knives as well as to help blend angles together when hand convexing edges using flat stones. This gives similar results as to using the wet/dry sand paper and mousepad but with less deflection as the base under the abrasive is leather rather than neoprene.

 

[Jason B.]

I use a few different strops too

 

[Cisco Kid]

Which side of the leather is the glue applied to: the smooth finished part or the rough part? It seems that in your tutorial you glued the rough part. I've read that the rough part should be the one used for stropping. Does it even matter?

 

[Jason B.]

Which side of the leather is the glue applied to: the smooth finished part or the rough part? It seems that in your tutorial you glued the rough part. I've read that the rough part should be the one used for stropping. Does it even matter?

With some leather it can matter and usually its the smooth side that is used but when using compound it really does not matter.

 

[learnme]

good one knifenut, quick question though, do you need compound on the strop or is plain leather enough?

 

[Jason B.]

good one knifenut, quick question though, do you need compound on the strop or is plain leather enough?

Yes you can use plain leather but more as a final final finishing step, it would probably be best to use plain leather after 0.5 or 0.25 compound, though I think 0.25 could be finer than the silicates in the natural leather. I find it a little extreme though, its fun to sharpen a blade to that level but I just don't find it practical.

 

[powernoodle]

My strop is not perfectly flat. Either the leather itself is not flat, or I have way too much compound on it. What do you guys think? See the hills and valleys?

How do I remove the excess compound, and do you think thats my prob?

thanks

 

[Jason B.]

Too much compound, use a very little WD-40 on a rag and rub the surface it should spread the compound and help to work it into the leather. The surface of the strop not being perfect really won't effect anything but if it bothers you use a orbital sander and some 320 grit to smooth it out.

 

[ibanezplayer470]

where can I get leather to make a strop?

 

[FLymon]

where can I get leather to make a strop?

If you have a Tandy leather store near you you can usually buy it in the scrap heap.

 

[ibanezplayer470]

If you have a Tandy leather store near you you can usually buy it in the scrap heap.

nearest one is pretty far from where I am... anywhere else? would a cheapo leather belt work? from like wal mart or something?

 

[bladeymae]

powernoodle - excuse the poor photography but this is what i use to spread compound

If you or someone you know has a Dremel , the brush works great

 

[rc3mil]

What compound do you use on that strop or dont u use any knifenut?

 

[jiggyfly16]

A very sharp knife

just curious, but what's the process to get that kind of an edge on that blade?

and btw thanks for the tutorial, I was almost going to be an idiot and buy one

 

[jiggyfly16]

Yes you can use plain leather but more as a final final finishing step, it would probably be best to use plain leather after 0.5 or 0.25 compound, though I think 0.25 could be finer than the silicates in the natural leather. I find it a little extreme though, its fun to sharpen a blade to that level but I just don't find it practical.

where do you get the diamond compound from? been looking to get some.

And is it better to get water based or oil based?

 

[Jason B.]

Classicshaving.com sells amplex (water based), knifecenter and others carry DMT (oil based), and handamerican has their own spray (water based and the best).

I like the spray best because it goes on in a even coat, the HA spray also has the highest carat count (% of diamond within the mix) so it works very fast. The only other compound I use besides the HA spray is the 3 micron DMT compound.

To get a edge like that you must keep your angles straight and have enough sharpening tools to get you to a very fine grit. The edge seen their is finished at 1 micron.