Hand made strop works great

iflygreen

iflygreen

Joined
Dec 10, 2009
Messages
168
It has been mentioned here many times before, but I am again highly recommending using a strop on your RAT knives. I built my own today out of a small piece of scrap wood, an inexpensive leather belt and glue. I already had the green compound in anticipation. It is obviously very easy to make and it really does work as great as everyone has written. I'm having a hard time comprehending the sharp edge I am getting from just a piece of leather. I only wish I had done it along time ago and forgotten about stones and files and getting that angle just perfect. I fought the stropping urge for along time. Foolish. It works really good. What a difference a field strop is going to make when things start to get dull.
 
I cut up one of my wife's old leather purses. The inside is rough leather the outside is smoother. Along with some stropping compound it works great.
 
OK so there are alternatives to buying stropes, you can make one. What about alternatives to stroping compounds? Are there any other household products that work the same way as stroping compound?
 
Stropping compound is just abrasive in a paste form, much like buffing compounds. The the money I hear the Bark River compound is great but there are other alternatives out there. I need to order some up for myself.
 
this may be a silly question, please no flogging....but i cannot seem to find anything pointing out a difference between a buffing compound and a stropping compound...same thing?
 
master_blaster said:
this may be a silly question, please no flogging....but i cannot seem to find anything pointing out a difference between a buffing compound and a stropping compound...same thing?
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All of them are just grades of abrasive powder, cake, paste, etc.

They are chosen for the appropriate fineness to the application.

The colors of the compound (although not 100% reliable) mentioned here give you a reliable idea of what grit you are buying, all the way from a "cutter" to a polish.

One of the resources for our local carving club that seems to have everything:

http://www.swmetal.com/cart/search?category=Polishing Compounds

However, in a moment of honesty they also told me that they buy the green stick from Woodcraft or Lowes when they forget the one they are using. They would know; they consider stropping actual "sharpening" and never touch a stone or diamond device unless they drop a tool.

Even to shape up a rusty tool or garage sale find they start with black (or emory) or brown (usually tripoli) and then go to the lighter colors.

Now you want to talk about guys that have sharp pocket knives..... WOW!

Robert
 
All I can say is I wish I had done this a long time ago. Simple, cheap and there is a whole science out there on proper stropping which is cool because it's just one more thing I get to study and learn.
 
I carry my KnivesPlus loaded strop with me everyehwere in my BOB along with a Sharpmaker and an AG Russell ceramic sharpener
 
Would car polish work the same way? They make a cutting compound all the way down to a fine polishing compound.
 
Thanks for the info guys, I've been picking up tidbits here and there. I'm about ready to give it a whirl. Just need to find some leather.
Slugger
 
I just cut the buckle off an old leather belt.
 
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iflygreen said:
I am again highly recommending using a strop on your RAT knives.
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I thought all the ESEE knives were not convex.. and you only use a strop with them even if they aren't convex and it work great ? ok, im lost now.. I saw people making youtube video about convexing their Izula, etc.. to be able to simply use a strop once its convexed..

Thats is kinda why I bought a Spyderco Sharpmaker to help me sharpen my ESEE knives.. since none of my knives are convex

I currently own 2x Izula, an RC3mil, RC5, soon an RC6 in the mail.
All of them not-convex or else i cant recognize convex blades at all.

enlighten me please.. :confused: no stones, no sharpmaker, just leather and compound to sharpen every ESEE knives ??
 
DocBurN said:
I thought all the ESEE knives were not convex.. and you only use a strop with them even if they aren't convex and it work great ? ok, im lost now.. I saw people making youtube video about convexing their Izula, etc.. to be able to simply use a strop once its convexed..

Thats is kinda why I bought a Spyderco Sharpmaker to help me sharpen my ESEE knives.. since none of my knives are convex

I currently own 2x Izula, an RC3mil, RC5, soon an RC6 in the mail.
All of them not-convex or else i cant recognize convex blades at all.

enlighten me please.. :confused: no stones, no sharpmaker, just leather and compound to sharpen every ESEE knives ??
Click to expand...


Ditto. If you use a strop what will it do to the standard esee edge.
 
A leather strop will never replace a stone. The strop just polishes and refines the edge. You can use a strop on any edge. You hardly use any pressure on a strop, it would take a long time to convex an entire edge just on the strop.
 
I got DH a strop and a straight razor for Christmas one year. I suppose I could snag the strop since it doesn't get used...
 
Picked up the black and green compound from sears. about 2 bux for each 4oz block...should last a long time. I glued a belt to a piece of 2x4 like the OP and it works like a charm.
 
@deeds21 - so if a strop would never replace a stone... it mean that in order to sharpen your ESEE knives you have to have a stone then?

How about a field strop on a survival situation? What if it gets wet?

If only using a strop... does it mean that we have to sharpen it more often?

Can anybody post some pics of your strops? and results?
 
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