I want to make a strop...

Piece of leather mounted on a piece of 1x4. Some like rough side up, some like smooth side up. Get some green aluminum oxide compound, rub it on the leather, bingo-bango.

Depending on what supplies you have, some of the strops you can buy relatively cheap are worth the money. The e-auction place had some recently.
 
My most used strop is a 3"x12" piece of 11oz. cowhide glued onto a board with a paddle shape handle cut into it.

I think I have it loaded with some jewelers rouge but there's also some toothpaste, mag polish and the like on it.

The older and more used they are the better they work.
 
Also find a place that sells leather for crafts and buy the scraps. For reference I paid $3/pound. California.
 
i have an old duty belt that didn't have a buckle. i got it free from the junk box at a gun store i used to shop at frequently. i ran some 550 thru the end where the buckle normally goes and hung it on one of the Gorilla Racks in the garage.

somewhere i've got a barber's strop... lurking somewhere out in the garage. trying to find that.

and i'm thinking of getting one of the strop bats with strops on 4 sides, in different grits from JRE.
 
MDF or Particle board work well because they won't warp too much. I saw the suggestion (and took it) to use a paint stirring stick and cut it down to your desired length. It gives you the desirable paddle handle and you can rubber cement the leather of your choice to it. I went rough side up and got some stropping compounds off of e-prey. It travels well, too. I just put it in a plastic zip-loc bag and go.
 
I made a strop bat.

I had a brand new leather belt (high quality, heavy leather belt).

I stepped on the buckle in the dark in my bare feet. It broke and really hurt my foot!

I use green buffing compound (red top container #6) from the hard ware store. Works to keep my knives hair popping sharp.

the crappy 4 sided strop I made (carved with the SS)

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those curls were cut after a few minutes of stropping (it got much shinier and sharper over the next few times)


There are better cutting compounds out there, but I can tell you that my knives are sharp with just these.

I only use the Red (#6 green buffing compound).

I am going to make a wider version with some heavy leather I have in a big roll. I might order some Bark river compound, with some finer stuff too.
 
what is mdf? Thank you guys so much for all the responses

bigfatty what store did you get the compounds at?
 
Like that strop you did, Bigfattyt. I think i'm gonna steal your idea and try to make one like that.
Could any of you guys educate me on compounds a bit. Are they important and do they make a bit difference? I used simple leather belt so far and it makes a huge difference after sharpening, so i'm curious if compound gives much better edge.
 
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Check out this link as well if you have not already decided what to do.

Best Strop

It comes from Classic Shaving website, but I am assuming that if you can shave with it, then it is sharp and they know what they are talking about! A lot of the ideas parallel what is already said, but there are a lot of refining ideas listed in the description as well. Best of luck!
 
Tin.Man said:
what is mdf?
Click to expand...

Mdf is Medium-Density Fibreboard, basically an engineered wood. It can be bought at any lumberyard or big box store, Home Depot, Lowes, etc.

Some people use this wood smeared with compound paste to strop an edge.
 
I used a large 5 gal stir stick (for paint) got some scrap leather at a supply store and cut to fit, used rubber cement to attach and have one rough side the other is smooth, both have green compound.. works great and is super cheap..

I suggest call around feed, farm stores, or a leather shop and ask them for scraps..

the only leather I 'buy' are whips:eek: j/k
 
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