How to re-surface a leather strop

[rpttrsn]

I use a old fine to med. file and rub the bar of compound on the file lightly, while holding it over a sheet of paper. After I have collected enough fine particles I mix it in a old 35 mm film container with some mineral oil. Place a few dabs, in different spots, on the strop and spread it out but DO NOT covering the entire surface. To clean up the strop I use WD-40 on a rag. I have also tried the orbital sander with 220 grit but only use this if the strop is slightly messed up. (caught an edge when stropping) This has worked well for me.

 

[kelbro]

The pumice stones in the health and beauty section at the grocery store (for grinding corns and callouses) make quick work of cleaning a strop up. Make sure you remove all of the pumice before re-applying your abrasive.

 

[stitchawl]

<SNIP> A bar of compound the size of a 'Milky Way' chocolate bar should last the average hobbyist using it on a non-powered strop about 150 years... or more.
Using more compound won't hurt anything. It just won't help anything other than the wallet of the shops selling the stuff.

Stitchawl

Man I hear that! When I first got a strop and the green compound I melted the stuff on there like candle wax on a wine bottle in an Italian restaurant. What a mess!!! Green stuff everywhere...it was horrible...but it did work. Then I got wise and now I have two "Milky Way" sized bars and I suspect I'll be passing at least one if not both of them down to my grandchildren right along with my knives. I spray a little WD-40 on a paper towel and it cleans off the gitty bits that get on there and it raises compound up and out of the leather. Even though I do crayon on a little extra every now and then, I can still see leather everywhere and frankly, I'd guess you could load up a strop and go for years on it without re-loading...couple years anyway.
Stropping is a subtle skill.

I guess it's been more than 15-18 years ago that I purchased liquid Chromium Oxide from HandAmerican. They were selling it in large plastic bottles but I figured I'd save some money on shipping if I bought two bottles at the same time.

I was fairly new to using compounds on my knives so I really gooped on the liquid, making sure I had a thick even coating. As soon as I saw any thinning areas I'd add more...

This foolishness lasted just long enough for a jeweler friend to tell me I was doing it wrong. 15-18 years now of regular use, and I still have about 1.5 bottles of compound left. I expect I have about another 15-20 years left in this life, so I guess I'll be passing at least 1.3 bottles of compound down to my grandkids.

I almost made the same mistake with the first syringes of diamond compound that I received. I wasted almost half of a syringe in the first few weeks, and have made the second half last for the last 7-8 years. There is still a quarter of the syringe full of compound. That should be enough to last my lifetime anyway.

I suppose that if one were to strop an edge for several hours, one would use up more compound. But why would one do that?

Stitchawl

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I guess it's been more than 15-18 years ago that I purchased liquid Chromium Oxide from HandAmerican. They were selling it in large plastic bottles but I figured I'd save some money on shipping if I bought two bottles at the same time.

I was fairly new to using compounds on my knives so I really gooped on the liquid, making sure I had a thick even coating. As soon as I saw any thinning areas I'd add more...

This foolishness lasted just long enough for a jeweler friend to tell me I was doing it wrong. 15-18 years now of regular use, and I still have about 1.5 bottles of compound left. I expect I have about another 15-20 years left in this life, so I guess I'll be passing at least 1.3 bottles of compound down to my grandkids.

I almost made the same mistake with the first syringes of diamond compound that I received. I wasted almost half of a syringe in the first few weeks, and have made the second half last for the last 7-8 years. There is still a quarter of the syringe full of compound. That should be enough to last my lifetime anyway.

I suppose that if one were to strop an edge for several hours, one would use up more compound. But why would one do that?

Stitchawl

Hey Stitch,

Do you have any special method of cleaning the strops on which you're using the diamond compound? I'm assuming, since you've had success at making the diamond compound last this long, you have a means to clean the strop without removing too much of the compound?

Reason I ask is, I've just bought some of the DMT compound (paste). Haven't used it yet, as I've been somewhat reluctant to make sure I don't waste it. And, with that in mind, what's your favorite method for applying it initially?

 

[stitchawl]

Hey Stitch,

Do you have any special method of cleaning the strops on which you're using the diamond compound?

I've never felt the need to clean off 99.9% of my strops.
The only ones I did clean were from back in the day when I applied waaaaay too much compound to them, and had it flaking off on the table! I used lighter fluid to do so. I wasn't cleaning them because they were turning black. Just because compound turns black doesn't mean it stops working. Even a glazed strop will still work on an edge, just not as aggressively. And this translates to using 30 strokes on the strop instead of 20. If we need more than 20-30 strokes on a strop, we should have spent more time on the previous grit stone or tape.

I'm assuming, since you've had success at making the diamond compound last this long, you have a means to clean the strop without removing too much of the compound?

Nope. It means that I haven't seen any reason to clean the strops. If one eventually does becomes too 'glazed,' I just break the glaze with a wire brush. And that's all... break the glaze. I don't try to remove it. Rather than remove compound, I think of it as 'roto-tilling' it! That exposes more than enough fresh compound to keep me going for another 6 months or more.

Reason I ask is, I've just bought some of the DMT compound (paste). Haven't used it yet, as I've been somewhat reluctant to make sure I don't waste it. And, with that in mind, what's your favorite method for applying it initially?

If you strop a dozen knives a day, every day, for the next five years, you might use up 3/4 of your compound... How many knives do you plan to strop?

My diamond paste compound came in syringes. I applied little 'dots' of compound. Like half or quarter size of a bb, spaced about two inches apart. The total amount for a 12" strop would be less than the size of a small green pea. Then I just smear it around with the ball of my thumb. The action of stropping will eventually even out all the dots, while the diagonal travel of the blade will insure that all of the edge gets worked on by the compound.

Stitchawl

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

I've never felt the need to clean off 99.9% of my strops.
The only ones I did clean were from back in the day when I applied waaaaay too much compound to them, and had it flaking off on the table! I used lighter fluid to do so. I wasn't cleaning them because they were turning black. Just because compound turns black doesn't mean it stops working. Even a glazed strop will still work on an edge, just not as aggressively. And this translates to using 30 strokes on the strop instead of 20. If we need more than 20-30 strokes on a strop, we should have spent more time on the previous grit stone or tape.

Hmmm....

Not cleaning it sounds almost too easy. But if it saves my precious diamonds, I'll give it a try.

Nope. It means that I haven't seen any reason to clean the strops. If one eventually does becomes too 'glazed,' I just break the glaze with a wire brush. And that's all... break the glaze. I don't try to remove it. Rather than remove compound, I think of it as 'roto-tilling' it! That exposes more than enough fresh compound to keep me going for another 6 months or more.

'Roto-tilling' a strop! Now THAT'S a different way to look at it.

If you strop a dozen knives a day, every day, for the next five years, you might use up 3/4 of your compound... How many knives do you plan to strop?

A LOT!

But, I'll take your word for it, that this stuff will go a long way.

My diamond paste compound came in syringes. I applied little 'dots' of compound. Like half or quarter size of a bb, spaced about two inches apart. The total amount for a 12" strop would be less than the size of a small green pea. Then I just smear it around with the ball of my thumb. The action of stropping will eventually even out all the dots, while the diagonal travel of the blade will insure that all of the edge gets worked on by the compound.

Stitchawl

This is as much as I could ask for, for a well-explained answer. Exactly what I was looking for. I also just purchased some of the DMT syringes, so this is perfect, as a 'how-to'.

Thanks again. :thumbup:

 

[RubiconSS]

I have been using my WEPS strops for over a month now with the initial application of the diamond ooze. Keep them clean in separate bags and they work great.
Little bit does the trick.

 

[stitchawl]

If you strop a dozen knives a day, every day, for the next five years, you might use up 3/4 of your compound... How many knives do you plan to strop?

A LOT!
But, I'll take your word for it, that this stuff will go a long way.

Hmmmm... I guess what I was really getting at with this statement was more about the fact that although we are all knifenuts and have plenty of edges to play with, just how much stropping do we really do? Remember, we only really need to give an edge 20-30 strokes on a strop. Even if we strop every knife we use, every day we use them, that will still only be 2-3 different knives at most, and more likely only one. I can't imagine even the typical knife collector needing to strop more knives every day. Only a professional who deals with stropping dozens of knives every single day should be the one worried about using up compound or needing to clean a strop.

Stitchawl

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

Hmmmm... I guess what I was really getting at with this statement was more about the fact that although we are all knifenuts and have plenty of edges to play with, just how much stropping do we really need to do? Remember, we only really need to give an edge 20-30 strokes on a strop. Even if we strop every knife we use, every day we use them, that will still only be 2-3 different knives at most, and more often only one. I can't imagine even the typical knife collector needing to strop more knives every day.

Stitchawl

I got what you meant. My comment ('A LOT!') was somewhat tongue-in-cheek.

I know I strop more than any of my knives actually need. But, I still do it quite frequently, if mainly to keep the stropping muscles 'in tune', and I also usually manage to find a way to improve my technique, and/or learn a bit more about the process. At the moment, I probably have 20+ folders laying around my desk. When I'm at a moment of pause, taking a break from whatever else I happen to be doing, I'll usually just pick one of 'em up and strop it a bit. I find it quite relaxing.

 

[rayban]

How does one re-surface a horse hide strop? (sorry if it's been addressed already, but I only look for pictures)

 

[stitchawl]

How does one re-surface a horse hide strop? (sorry if it's been addressed already, but I only look for pictures)

There should be absolutely no need to re-surface a horse hide strop if used correctly. I have my grandfather's razor strop, passed down through my father (both of whom shaved with a straight razor and used daily for 50-60 years each,) to me, (I've had it for 40 years myself,) who only uses it for stropping knives, and the damn thing is as good, if not better, than the day it was first sold. Each year we've all given it a pea-sized gob of mink oil to revitalize the leather, but that's all.

If you have a horsehide strop that's been cut up and dinged, sand the sucker down with some fine grit paper, finishing with extra-fine so the surface is slick, give it some leather food (Lexol, neatsfoot oil, old style Mink Oil (not the new stuff that is only 'called' Mink Oil) etc,) and you should be good to go.

Stitchawl