If You Are Using A Leather Strop, Do You Need Compound?

MattyLav

MattyLav

Joined
Jun 28, 2012
Messages
2,159
Hey guys, just wondering if you can sharpen your knives on the strop, as is, or if you need compound or paste.
Thanks, Matty.
 
You can strop on leather without compounds. However from what I have gathered. The leather needs to be properly cased. Which is where it is very lightly dampened, then rolled with a heavy rolling pin, or something else round. This helps bring natural silicates to the surface, which is the very fine abrasive naturally occurring in leather. This is abbreviated, Stitchawl is the knowledgeable one on strops.

Compounds can be applied to help polish the edge, and refine it more. Different compounds cut differently. I personally like the edge diamond abrasives leave. A very popular one is Chromium Oxide, which is a very economical abrasive. And lower grit stropping abrasives can help bring your edge back to sharpness instead of going to the stones, when it is only lightly dulled.
 
Yea, its just that im trying to get a strop now and then get compound so while im waiting for the compound.
 
Compounds change the grit size of the abrasive. Different compounds have different sized abrasives so if you are going to use them, learn the SIZE of the abrasive first. It would be foolish to strop on a first a small followed by a larger size...

Bare leather has the smallest easily found abrasive grit size, so it is used as the FINAL strop surface. Cover it up with compound and the grit size increases. If you plan to use compounds, plan to have 2+ strops so you can keep one bare for the finish work.


Stitchawl
 
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