Okay, so I've decided to invest in a strop, and then I realized that I have no idea what strop to pick or what kind of leather is good. So, what I need is a recommendation for a leather strop, I can play maybe $150-$200 for one. I would really like to learn how to strop, but I can't do that without practicing on my own.
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First strop.
- Thread starter Raylas
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I wouldnt spend that much for a strop. I made a strop for less than 10 bucks! I bought a leather belt at a thrift store for 1.50, got a 5 gallon paint stick at a home improvement store (free), and a bottle of contact cement for 4 bucks. Add in a small can of motjers mag wheel polish, and youre just under 10 bucks! Save your money to buy a new knife
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Go here: http://www.stropman.com/ really nice guy and nice strops
And that is EVERY BIT AS GOOD as almost any strop you can purchase pre-made UNLESS you need to strop straight razors. For under $15 and 10 minutes work, a person can have 3-4 strops that are perfect in every (important) way for stropping knives. It boggles my mind that people will spend so much extra money on a piece of wood that does nothing for the edge. And I'm not adverse to spending money. I'm just adverse to throwing it away and getting little in return. Sanded wood? Maybe a hole drilled in it and a leather thong to hang it up? Those are certainly worth $25-$45... Not.
Stropping isn't magic. There are no 'extra high quality' strops to use with compounds that will work 'better' than others. A strop doesn't wear out or need replacement (if used correctly.) When using compounds, the strop is just a sub-surface to hold the compound. Chrome tanned leather will work just as well as Vegetable tanned, cowhide work as well as horse hide. It's only when using a 'bare' strop that one specific leather will out perform another.
Spend $15 and get some nice leather from a knife supply outlet or Tandy Crafts, get some cheap (or free scrap) flat wood from your home center, and a tube of glue. (While at the home center, pick up a small bar of green and white compound.) Cut the leather into 3" wide or 4" wide strips and glue to the wood, smooth side up. Crayon on some compound. And that's all it takes. Nothing more. You'll have a few strops, and still plenty of money left over for a new knife.
3-4 strops + a new knife.... or one strop with pretty wood. You get to choose.
Stitchawl
Stitchawl
*Grin* Well, seems I'm gonna have to buy some leather. I have PLENTY of scrap wood out in my parents workshop and contact cement too. All I need is some cowhide and compound! I don't need it to be pretty, I just need it to work on my knives. Thanks for the help guys!
P.S. I KNOW this sounds stupid but.... what is "crayoning" on compound? *self conscious*
P.S. I KNOW this sounds stupid but.... what is "crayoning" on compound? *self conscious*
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For what it's worth, this afternoon I've been stropping on a 3-1/2" x 9" piece of veg-tanned 'tooling leather' bought at a hobby/crafts store for maybe a couple bucks. I used a couple of binder clips to hold it onto a 1/4" thick, 9" x 13" 'candle plate' of glass (~$4 - $5), also purchased at the same store. My piece of leather has some DMT 1µ diamond paste applied to it (At maybe $12-$15, this is probably the costliest element, and well worth it). As stitchawl said, when using compounds, the 'strop' itself is just a substrate to hold the compound. Choose the compound wisely, and what's underneath it is almost trivial. Literally, anything relatively smooth and flat will work (wood, cardboard, paper, fabric).
I do have a 4-sided, German-made razor strop 'bat' I purchased years ago, before I knew anything about stropping. It's very nice, and was more likely geared towards stropping straight razors in basic carbon steel (the pre-loaded compounds are not very aggressive on higher-alloy steels). Since I started making my own and choosing my own compounds (green, diamond, aluminum oxide polishing paste), I've never picked up or used that 'good one' since. My others perform much better.
David
I do have a 4-sided, German-made razor strop 'bat' I purchased years ago, before I knew anything about stropping. It's very nice, and was more likely geared towards stropping straight razors in basic carbon steel (the pre-loaded compounds are not very aggressive on higher-alloy steels). Since I started making my own and choosing my own compounds (green, diamond, aluminum oxide polishing paste), I've never picked up or used that 'good one' since. My others perform much better.
David
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The stick or bar-type compounds can literally be 'drawn' onto whatever stropping surface you use, much as one would do if 'coloring' with a crayon.
David
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Stitchawl is going to have a hernia when he reads this, but... I strongly recommend the Knives Plus Strop Block. It costs $19.00 or so, is beautifully made, and is preloaded in a very unique and effective way that would be very hard to replicate at home; no, it's not magic, but they melt the compound down in olive oil and hot work it into the leather. This leaves a very saturated and loaded strop with compound deep in the leather, but the fibers are still accessible at the top. The compound is in no way clumped or over applied, and to refresh he strop, you just rub fresh compound to the surface with your finger dipped in a little olive oil.
Unless you want to make your own strop as a DIY project (or you want something other than Chromium Oxide), get the Strop Block.
Unless you want to make your own strop as a DIY project (or you want something other than Chromium Oxide), get the Strop Block.
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I made and used my first strop today, just a piece of leather belt with paracord loops at the ends to attach it to something and hold on to it. It is the first time I have gotten a knife "shaving sharp", not just sharp enough to cut a few arm hairs, but sharp enough to shave with like a straight razor. I used white compound.
The knife was a $13 chinese K.O. I used for practice in case I ruined it or did something wrong, sadly it is now the sharpest knife I own. I'll change that as soon as I get off here.
The knife was a $13 chinese K.O. I used for practice in case I ruined it or did something wrong, sadly it is now the sharpest knife I own. I'll change that as soon as I get off here.
G: That's assuming he reads it And while I MAY pick up the strop block, I really do wanna try making one for myself. Funnily enough, my father says he made a strop for his old pocket knife back in his childhood . Seems knives run in the family! Thank you for the suggestion, I'll look into it.
I'm gonna go and pick up some cowhide, cut it to size, contact cement it onto some scrap wood, and get some compound. Then, it's all about learning.... given my disastrous attempts at freehand sharpening, I doubt that's gonna be fun or easy, but I will do it nonetheless.
And while I MAY pick up the strop block, I really do wanna try making one for myself. Funnily enough, my father says he made a strop for his old pocket knife back in his childhood . Seems knives run in the family! Thank you for the suggestion, I'll look into it. I'm gonna go and pick up some cowhide, cut it to size, contact cement it onto some scrap wood, and get some compound. Then, it's all about learning.... given my disastrous attempts at freehand sharpening, I doubt that's gonna be fun or easy, but I will do it nonetheless.
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If you buy a strop I would recommend against getting a two-sided strop as it is difficult to keep it from picking up contaminants should it be laid down. Those contaminants could likely be a larger particle size than the compound applied to the strop rendering your strop ineffective at producing a fine scratch pattern. It's not like the unused side of single sided strop is valuable real estate.
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I just got a 4" DLT Field Hone and loaded it with Bark River green compound. Fantastic little strop for my field kit. It was very dry and roughly finished, but a little sandpaper, strop dressing for the leather, and Boos Mystery Oil for the wood made it perfect. It is *light*!
The chances for my recovery seem slim... but I will try.
... which really is my ONLY complaint, provided the strop is single-sided. I can appreciate fine woodworking and craftsmanship. I just don't need it in a strop. And for that money, I can have three or four strops.
This will actually work with almost any strop that has compound applied to it.
The oil just lifts out the deeper bits of compound, bringing them to the surface. But with most bar compounds, they are cheap enough not to need to be frugal.
Stitchawl