Best Strop?

G

gulliamo

Joined
Nov 26, 2005
Messages
193
Who makes the best strop? Are there any particular features I should look for or avoid? Do I need all four compounds? (In what order do I use them anyway?)

Here are a couple I'm considering?

Cool 4 sided strop block:
http://www.jreindustries.com/strops.htm

Standard hanging strop:
http://www.jreindustries.com/stropstrap.htm

Double sided paddle:
http://www.knivesshipfree.com/product_info.php?products_id=1759

Some other options:
http://search.store.yahoo.net/yhst-...talog=yhst-72001783265187&x=0&y=0&query=strop

Thoughts?

Thank you in advance!
 
Unless you wish to buy a high quality horsehide strop, or plan to use the strop for daily straight razor shaving, don't bother to waste your money buying pre-made strop.

If cost is important to you, and you're going to use compounds on your strop, the substrate you use isn't that important. A piece of MDF will work just as well. Even cheaper, use the free paint stirring sticks you get at the home center. Either will work just as well as leather.

If you still wish to use leather, purchase a 12"x12" piece of vegetable tanned cowhide from Jantz Knifemaker's Supply. Cost is about $10. From that you can cut four good strops 3"x12, and using and good contact cement, mount them on pieces of scrap wood. A strop is just a tool. There is no need to mount the leather on a piece of expensive coccobolo wood or a curly maple burl.

For the surfaces, keep one strop bare for your final work, one loaded with green Chromium Oxide (.5 micron,) one using Hand American's 1 micron diamond spray compound, and give the fourth to a friend. This will give you three perfect strops and make a friend happy.

Just keep in mind that stropping is the final step in sharpening, not a replacement for stones . If you are needing more than 20-30 strokes on a strop, you haven't used your stones enough. Some people will spend hours stropping an edge to get it to where 2 minutes on a 2000 grit stone would have resulted in the same edge.


Stitchawl
 
I have a 1x42" belt grinder so I use a leather belt with green polishing compound.
 
stitchawl said:
Just keep in mind that stropping is the final step in sharpening, not a replacement for stones . If you are needing more than 20-30 strokes on a strop, you haven't used your stones enough. Some people will spend hours stropping an edge to get it to where 2 minutes on a 2000 grit stone would have resulted in the same edge.
Stitchawl
Click to expand...

Interesting ideas Stitchawl! I may end up making one - I never considered it before. How does the spray on stuff compare to white or black stropping compound?

One question regarding your quote above: I thought I should throw out my old stones if I was going to go convex. Should one combine stones and strops on a convex edge?
 
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