Best Way to Put Diamond Dust on Strop?

T

The Mighty Ginsu

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Aug 11, 2016
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I bought one or two spray bottles of diamond dust in suspension to spray on a strop, and the bottle's plunger keeps getting stuck. I guess it hates the grit. Is there a better way to spread this stuff on a strop? I am thinking maybe it's better to mix the dust into something thick and spread it on. A dropper would just dump all the dust in one place.

Maybe I should try mixing with WD40 or mineral spirits, since they evaporate for the most part.
 
One thing you might try with the original suspension you mentioned is to use a small arts & crafts paint brush to apply it to your strop. A smaller brush will make it easier to avoid applying too much at a time in a small area. I'd done this with a homemade strop of mine years ago, using dry chromium oxide (green) lapidary powder mixed with mineral oil, applying it to a strop of mdf. It 'painted' on in a very even application.

I'd avoid using WD-40, mineral spirits or other solvents to apply it. I tried cleaning a strop years ago by spraying it with WD-40. Over some time, it leeched down through the leather and broke down the adhesive binding the leather to my strop block. The leather started peeling off.
 
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The Mighty Ginsu said:
I bought one or two spray bottles of diamond dust in suspension to spray on a strop, and the bottle's plunger keeps getting stuck. I guess it hates the grit. Is there a better way to spread this stuff on a strop? I am thinking maybe it's better to mix the dust into something thick and spread it on. A dropper would just dump all the dust in one place.

Maybe I should try mixing with WD40 or mineral spirits, since they evaporate for the most part.
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I actually use dust .
I mix it with water ; very little dust and relativly a lot of water . In a little nut cup or the lid for my Edge Pro Apex Leather Strop package ; you know kind of the clamb shell thing that the strop comes in .

Then I just take my index finger and wipe the very weak solution over the surface of the strop .

You could do the same with your paste . . . that is delute it A LOT and wipe it on . Mineral oil or sewing machine oil .
I find with these very fine stropping grits that it takes hardly any on the surface and with the minimal stropinng strokes that many / most of us are into lately it is rare to need to add more .

I strop small blades ( 3" to 4" ) that are already near or at polished bevels .
YMMV .
PS : I said oil for yours assuming that is the kind of thing that is in the spray bottle . I suppose you need to test it . My other stropping stuff is gunk in a syringe . The syringe plungers get stuck bad . I just use oil with them ; tiny bit dug out of the syringe and a bunch of oil mixed with that . Works .
 
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My diamond emulsion comes in plastic squeeze droppers. After shaking, I would apply a drop and quickly use my finger to spread it as quickly as possible. I remember feeling frustrated while applying, thinking that it wouldn't be right, though once I started using the strops it was apparent that it worked just fine. One of the strops had the bottom of the leather - which has a kind of suede look to it, was more frustrating and required a lot more diamond emulsion.

After several months, these strops are working like a charm and, they get a lot of use.

While I'm commenting, I think it is a wise move to use really high quality diamond emulsion, even though it is expensive. I use KME Sharpeners polychristalline product. I understand that Jende is also really good.

I'm not rolling in money, so I understand it being expensive - about $23 for 5 ml.

The reason I think that it's worth it follows. Even with todays technology, it is very difficult to get a consistent size among the diamond particles. The smaller you go, the harder it is. KME Sharpeners and Jende do this well. They also use polycrystilline for their emulsions, which is the superior material.
 
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