Leather Strop

All you need for stropping is a wide leather belt from Goodwill and some Jewler's Rouge or Valve grinding compound. Stropping is about the only way to get an edge as sharp as physically possible. I've seen a old carbon steel straight razor that could catch fine hairs and it would "pop" off above the skin. I made the mistake off checking its sharpness with my thumb and did not know I was cut until 4-5 minutes later. The only problem with an edge this sharp is that it takes damage easily.
 
TedGamble said:
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?
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Hi Ted,

It is tough to say how many strokes because it depends on the condition of your edge, pressure on the blade, cutting ability of abrasives, etc. Try keeping a piece of paper near by and cut into it occasionally. When the blade is nice and sharp, it will slice paper easily.

Second thought - angle to hold blade to. It is tough to maintain an angle freehand, and it really depends on how much give there is in your stropping media. The more give, the flatter the angle. Pine board - not much, hard thin cardboard - a little more, leather - probably the most.

Best advice I can give you is to proceed with a couple strokes, then test cut. Then a couple more, etc.

You can actually dull an edge stropping if you hold it at too blunt (obtuse) of an angle. Too acute, and you won't affect the edge. Practice, practice, practice.
 
For those who know, should you try to clean the strop? I just made a leather on pine board one, and it is turning black. I'm guessing this is steel, so does this steel do any harm/make stropping less efficient?
If so, what is the best way to clean a strop?
Thanks,
---Tom
 
I like a build up on my strop and feel it works better after it gets that charcoal gray color to it. It seems to work faster to me and kind of grabs the blade better rather than being so slick that the knife almost gets away from you. I have two and one has never been cleaned. But many folks do clean them just by scraping with the back side of a blade but in my experience leaving it doesn't hurt anything at all and may in fact make it better. The polish paste is what is actually doing the cutting and smoothing of the edge so the medium you put it on is irrelevant to a large extent. A flat piece of cardboard or a pine board works just fine also.
 
Thanks for the info, STR. My strip-o-leather strop is black also, but it has been used many times since I made it. The new one is, well, new, so I started thinking about how the particles of steel would maybe make a less-smooth end result. I won't worry now :)
---Tom
 
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