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Leather Strop
- Thread starter Glock27
- Start date
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- Aug 27, 2004
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I made my own. Just get you some flex cut gold polish compound or something similar and glue a piece of leather to a board like a paint stir stick or old scrap block of wood with the leather mounted rough side up. Use the flex cut polish compound like a crayon and color it on the leather and there you go.
An old leather belt will work so long as it has some rough leather on its back side. Although I know guys that have had no problem using the smooth side. I've never done that. I have always been told to use the rough side of the leather because it works best but I'm sure the back side of a worn belt will still polish an edge to remove a wire burr just fine..There is some good info here on stropping also... http://home.nycap.rr.com/sosak/convex.htm
An old leather belt will work so long as it has some rough leather on its back side. Although I know guys that have had no problem using the smooth side. I've never done that. I have always been told to use the rough side of the leather because it works best but I'm sure the back side of a worn belt will still polish an edge to remove a wire burr just fine..There is some good info here on stropping also... http://home.nycap.rr.com/sosak/convex.htm
- Joined
- Oct 18, 2001
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you can pick up a nice kit from Lee Valley.
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=32999&cat=1,43072
http://www.leevalley.com/wood/page.aspx?c=2&p=32999&cat=1,43072
- Joined
- Aug 4, 2004
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I have found that the Spyderco UltraFine stones (available from the factory outlet , New Graham, and elsewhere) preclude the use of a strop.
I use a leather belt that I can no longer wear. I put it on a wall hanger and go to work while it hangs there--just like I remember my granddad used to do every morning when he shaved. I finish every plain edge knife with a stropping after using the Sharpmaker. It's nothing special, not very high tech or specialized but it works really well.
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Interesting thread 
Say what do you guys know about stropping compound. I have heard so much conflicting information about what if any stropping compound, jeweler's rouge, polish or any other micro-abrasive to dress your strop with for optimal results. You can also PM me or e-mail me at joedot@swbell.net to compare notes. Thank guys
Say what do you guys know about stropping compound. I have heard so much conflicting information about what if any stropping compound, jeweler's rouge, polish or any other micro-abrasive to dress your strop with for optimal results. You can also PM me or e-mail me at joedot@swbell.net to compare notes. Thank guys 
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JD Spydo said:Interesting thread
I use both 'rouge', commonly used in jewlery making, and the green compound from Lee Valley Tools. I don't have any idea about the size of the cutting abrasives, but it seems like the Lee Valley stuff is more coarse than the rouge.
Pine board sounds good too, especially if the grain is tight.
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It depends on how you use the knife, but I find the coarse stones alone to be enough. If all I was doing was push cuts, I beleive the white stones would do it but I find these too fine for general cutting. YMMV.
But why not make a strop as has been suggested and find out for yourself.
But why not make a strop as has been suggested and find out for yourself.
Please help this newby learn how to strop.
I have read conflicting instructions on stropping. Some say to raise the blade to a 20 degree angle, others say to keep it flat. You guys are the experts, so please give me some guidance. Does the angle that you use depend on the material that you are stropping against?
I have read conflicting instructions on stropping. Some say to raise the blade to a 20 degree angle, others say to keep it flat. You guys are the experts, so please give me some guidance. Does the angle that you use depend on the material that you are stropping against?
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You place the bevel of the blade as flat down on the strop as possible and make the strop motion pushing down lightly while moving away from the edge. Keeping the bevel flat as possible while you strop. At the end of the motion stop and lift up don't flip it out and roll it up or you will eventually round off your edge.
Repeat this motion equal times on both sides.
Strops are for an edge that is already fine. Stropping is the best way to frequently maintain an edge on your knife. Doing this just a few times periodically can keep your edge sharp and ready for the next job.
It is far easier to do this light maintaining of the edge than to wait until you have really dulled it down and then try to sharpen it using a stone or diamond pad. This radical sharpening is more difficult but still necessary on occassion though when the time comes to reprofile. During the inbetween times a stropping regularly is all I've found to be necessary.
Using a stone or exfine diamond pad can actually dull and scratch up the edge unneccessarily after stropping it to a highly polished edge so once you start using a strop stick with it. You can learn more here on the motion but you are not going to need to convex it as this site discusses by stropping the full face of the blade. You are only concerned with the edge bevel on conventional knives. http://home.nycap.rr.com/sosak/convex.htm
Repeat this motion equal times on both sides.
Strops are for an edge that is already fine. Stropping is the best way to frequently maintain an edge on your knife. Doing this just a few times periodically can keep your edge sharp and ready for the next job.
It is far easier to do this light maintaining of the edge than to wait until you have really dulled it down and then try to sharpen it using a stone or diamond pad. This radical sharpening is more difficult but still necessary on occassion though when the time comes to reprofile. During the inbetween times a stropping regularly is all I've found to be necessary.
Using a stone or exfine diamond pad can actually dull and scratch up the edge unneccessarily after stropping it to a highly polished edge so once you start using a strop stick with it. You can learn more here on the motion but you are not going to need to convex it as this site discusses by stropping the full face of the blade. You are only concerned with the edge bevel on conventional knives. http://home.nycap.rr.com/sosak/convex.htm
STR,
If I understand you correctly, you are saying to lift the blade at an angle to match the bevel. So, if I have a double bevel edge at 15 and 20 degrees, I should try to hold the blade at approximately 20 degrees, or should I have it slightly flatter?
If I understand you correctly, you are saying to lift the blade at an angle to match the bevel. So, if I have a double bevel edge at 15 and 20 degrees, I should try to hold the blade at approximately 20 degrees, or should I have it slightly flatter?
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TedGamble said:
I use the method provided in the instructions that used to be on the HandAmerican website: starting with the blade almost flat, move the edge slightly forward while raising the back of the blade until it just starts to bite in to the leather. This has worked well for me.
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I'm not completely sure I follow you. But the idea when I said to lift the blade is when the motion back is complete on one side of the blade. Stop that motion and then lift the blade straight up off the pad, not back or forward as you flip it. The idea is so as to not flip the blade while it is still in contact with the pad but to do so in the air above the pad. The accumulation of flips as the edge is still on the pad whether it be cardboard, a pine board or leather can round off the edge sooner than if you do this.
If you have say a wider bevel angle on the back of the blade simply strop that flat and then do from the mid up to the tip at the other angle. The angle of the blade dictates how the blade should sit on the pad. Some recommend a marker line right above the bevel line so that you can see if you are too high and polishing the shoulder or polishing the edge. This can also round off the edge when you are polishing the shoulder. If the angle of the bevel is too high it will prematurely round off the shoulder so it is not so well defined a flat bevel anymore. If too low it will not properly abraid the edge.
Due to the softer nature of leather, each time you strop your knife it will eventually round off the edge no matter what you do. So, Geode is correct in his assessement. You can use a pine board with polish paste and not round the edge as much I have just always preferred leather personally. In truth I have both boards and leather strops here at my shop.
Over a long period of time your edge will become so rounded that it will not have as efficient a cutting angle as it once had. It is then that you need to use a sharpening stone or the sharpmaker or a diamond sharpener or an abrasive wheel to re-flatten the bevel back to its original angle or to whatever new edge profile you wish to have on it.
For many it is simply easier to use the new fangled sharpeners as some have pointed out. But, I doubt you will know truly sharp and I mean truly shaving sharp and not just your arm hairs sharp but where you could shave your facial hairs with your folder in the morning sharp, until you become proficient with a strop. I mean no disrespect to the new systems out there. But you don't see your barber using a sharpmaker and you aren't going to see many wood carvers using them either..
If you have say a wider bevel angle on the back of the blade simply strop that flat and then do from the mid up to the tip at the other angle. The angle of the blade dictates how the blade should sit on the pad. Some recommend a marker line right above the bevel line so that you can see if you are too high and polishing the shoulder or polishing the edge. This can also round off the edge when you are polishing the shoulder. If the angle of the bevel is too high it will prematurely round off the shoulder so it is not so well defined a flat bevel anymore. If too low it will not properly abraid the edge.
Due to the softer nature of leather, each time you strop your knife it will eventually round off the edge no matter what you do. So, Geode is correct in his assessement. You can use a pine board with polish paste and not round the edge as much I have just always preferred leather personally. In truth I have both boards and leather strops here at my shop.
Over a long period of time your edge will become so rounded that it will not have as efficient a cutting angle as it once had. It is then that you need to use a sharpening stone or the sharpmaker or a diamond sharpener or an abrasive wheel to re-flatten the bevel back to its original angle or to whatever new edge profile you wish to have on it.
For many it is simply easier to use the new fangled sharpeners as some have pointed out. But, I doubt you will know truly sharp and I mean truly shaving sharp and not just your arm hairs sharp but where you could shave your facial hairs with your folder in the morning sharp, until you become proficient with a strop. I mean no disrespect to the new systems out there. But you don't see your barber using a sharpmaker and you aren't going to see many wood carvers using them either..
I'm considering a strop (yes, I already know the reasons FOR stropping), but can you tell me how long to strop.
For example, let's say that I have an Old Timer pocketknife (with 1095 steel blades) and the clip point is about 3 1/2" long. I have sharpened it to a double bevel 15/20 edge, and polished the edge with a 1200 grit diamond stone.
How many strokes per side would you expect to go on a leather strop?
If you were not using a leather strop, but instead, using 2000 grit Aluminum Oxide sandpaper on a mousepad, how many strokes per side would you expect?
Will either of the stropping methods (leather or sandpaper) improve the edge that much over the 1200 grit stone finish?
For example, let's say that I have an Old Timer pocketknife (with 1095 steel blades) and the clip point is about 3 1/2" long. I have sharpened it to a double bevel 15/20 edge, and polished the edge with a 1200 grit diamond stone.
How many strokes per side would you expect to go on a leather strop?
If you were not using a leather strop, but instead, using 2000 grit Aluminum Oxide sandpaper on a mousepad, how many strokes per side would you expect?
Will either of the stropping methods (leather or sandpaper) improve the edge that much over the 1200 grit stone finish?
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A fine polish crayon application type bar like I mentioned from Flex-Cut or an aluminum oxide powder bar in a wax matrix or even the Aluminum oxide powder will be finer still than the grit you mention so yes these things can step up the polished edge even more for you believe it or not. Many don't find the need to go any farther though as the edge you are talking about will suffice for most everything most people are going to need it for.
In my experience with a fine edge already achieved such as you describe just a few strops per side with some attention to making sure the bevel is sitting as flat as possible for each motion or strop and some light pressure is all that is needed to set the edge. On my 1095 carving knife I can carve with it for say 15 or so minutes and then three strops per side, sometimes four or five as I don't always count, is all that is needed to bring it back to where the blade is not dragging during the cut anymore.
Each time you maintain the edge after use such as like I described earlier for myself when carving, well, each time you do this you continue to polish the entire bevel area all the way to the apex or cutting edge. After time you will eventually realize more and more that the fine lines that were once visible on the bevel before you began stropping have since disappeared. They are in fact still there but so fine that they can no longer be seen easily with the naked eye.
Don't feel that it is necessary to remove all the lines at once. In fact you'll get more life out of the cutting edge and the knife by polishing to set the edge, use it, polish to maintain the edge and let the lines disappear gradually over use. Trying to remove all those fine lines all at once will most likely take away some of the flatness of the bevel and round it off which can actually take away cutting efficientcy. So just strop it from where you are now and continue on to using it and that will be about as good as it gets for you. You will probably notice as you use it that it is starting to really get into it's groove and then you'll be there at that truly sharp advantage that only stropping can achieve.
In my experience with a fine edge already achieved such as you describe just a few strops per side with some attention to making sure the bevel is sitting as flat as possible for each motion or strop and some light pressure is all that is needed to set the edge. On my 1095 carving knife I can carve with it for say 15 or so minutes and then three strops per side, sometimes four or five as I don't always count, is all that is needed to bring it back to where the blade is not dragging during the cut anymore.
Each time you maintain the edge after use such as like I described earlier for myself when carving, well, each time you do this you continue to polish the entire bevel area all the way to the apex or cutting edge. After time you will eventually realize more and more that the fine lines that were once visible on the bevel before you began stropping have since disappeared. They are in fact still there but so fine that they can no longer be seen easily with the naked eye.
Don't feel that it is necessary to remove all the lines at once. In fact you'll get more life out of the cutting edge and the knife by polishing to set the edge, use it, polish to maintain the edge and let the lines disappear gradually over use. Trying to remove all those fine lines all at once will most likely take away some of the flatness of the bevel and round it off which can actually take away cutting efficientcy. So just strop it from where you are now and continue on to using it and that will be about as good as it gets for you. You will probably notice as you use it that it is starting to really get into it's groove and then you'll be there at that truly sharp advantage that only stropping can achieve.