Looking to Get a Strop. Soo many questions

[Chipped Karambit]

Basically I am looking to get a strop to help the edge stay tip top. I know NOTHING about strops.
Can this be a general maintenance, use, where to buy, what to look for thread? I have no clue where to start

 

[vtvman]

Stropman strops are great strops for keeping an edge in tip top shape. Edges benefit more from a strop if theyre already fairly refined so dont expect to take a neglected dull edge to a strop and get it hair shaving sharp.

There isnt much maintenance needed for a strop other than applying compound whenever the strop becomes clogged from metal. Eventually the compound will form a layer on top of the leather and at that point youll want to take something flat, like a metal ruler, and scrap it off.

The compounds used to strop from most coarse to fine:
Black White Green Red

If you choose to buy a stropman strop, I'd go for the white and green compounds. From what I hear, the black compound cuts aggressively and will dull your edge if youre not careful and the red compound will only polish your edge and do nothing for sharpness.

 

[unit]

For starting, I would just go online somewhere and buy a strop and some compound. I would not get too wrapped up in details, colors, and grades of leather. I say this because, you may damage your strop during the learning curve...or you will likely decide at some point that you want more, or smaller, or larger strops.

After you have one and learn to use it, you will be better able to figure out what you really want.

Personally, I like a long wide strop made from hard leather mounted to a hard surface. I get great results and a buddy made most of my strops for me out of some hobby store leather, and some spare simulated granite countertop material he had left over from a job. I use several loaded with various grit sizes of diamonds (works best for high wear resistant steels).

 

[Chipped Karambit]

Stropman strops are great strops for keeping an edge in tip top shape. Edges benefit more from a strop if theyre already fairly refined so dont expect to take a neglected dull edge to a strop and get it hair shaving sharp.

There isnt much maintenance needed for a strop other than applying compound whenever the strop becomes clogged from metal. Eventually the compound will form a layer on top of the leather and at that point youll want to take something flat, like a metal ruler, and scrap it off.

The compounds used to strop from most coarse to fine:
Black White Green Red

If you choose to buy a stropman strop, I'd go for the white and green compounds. From what I hear, the black compound cuts aggressively and will dull your edge if youre not careful and the red compound will only polish your edge and do nothing for sharpness.

Ill look into that! White and Green and red as well (mirror polish is kind of a style thing i like because it feels good to see my ugly mug in the edge lol) after i use one compound and want to move to the next do I scrape it off or just apply it on top?
again im new to this

For starting, I would just go online somewhere and buy a strop and some compound. I would not get too wrapped up in details, colors, and grades of leather. I say this because, you may damage your strop during the learning curve...or you will likely decide at some point that you want more, or smaller, or larger strops.

After you have one and learn to use it, you will be better able to figure out what you really want.

Personally, I like a long wide strop made from hard leather mounted to a hard surface. I get great results and a buddy made most of my strops for me out of some hobby store leather, and some spare simulated granite countertop material he had left over from a job. I use several loaded with various grit sizes of diamonds (works best for high wear resistant steels).

what would be a good strop size to start out on ? http://www.stropman.com/TRIAD-Leather-Strop-TRIAD.htm or http://www.stropman.com/BILLY-Leather-Strop-BILLY.htm or http://www.stropman.com/Jumbo-Leather-Strop-Jumbo.htm
would any of these work? cheap (i think) and comes with different compounds (list of the compounds is on the website to so i understand the trade offs) I kind of just like that extra 10% on maximum edge that a strop gives

 

[stitchawl]

It's probably a good idea NOT to use the 'search' function at the top of the page. It's just there for decoration, and besides, the fact that there are hundreds of posts already listed giving you EVERY bit of information you could ever want about strops and stropping probably wouldn't help you anyway. After all, the forum keepers only save those posts because they need something to fill up their archives. What's the sense of having an archive if you don't fill it with something, right?


Stitchawl

 

[Chipped Karambit]

It's probably a good idea NOT to use the 'search' function at the top of the page. It's just there for decoration, and besides, the fact that there are hundreds of posts already listed giving you EVERY bit of information you could ever want about strops and stropping probably wouldn't help you anyway. After all, the forum keepers only save those posts because they need something to fill up their archives. What's the sense of having an archive if you don't fill it with something, right?


Stitchawl

but this is also an opinion thread. individual tips advice etc I am looking for everything

 

[hunter s thompson]

Ill look into that! White and Green and red as well (mirror polish is kind of a style thing i like because it feels good to see my ugly mug in the edge lol) after i use one compound and want to move to the next do I scrape it off or just apply it on top?
again im new to this

I'll field this one, each compound is loaded on a different side of the strop (for multiple sided strops) or on separate strops.

It's probably a good idea NOT to use the 'search' function at the top of the page. It's just there for decoration, and besides, the fact that there are hundreds of posts already listed giving you EVERY bit of information you could ever want about strops and stropping probably wouldn't help you anyway. After all, the forum keepers only save those posts because they need something to fill up their archives. What's the sense of having an archive if you don't fill it with something, right?
Stitchawl

I was going to let this go but it was bugging me so here it goes, I understand that some questions get beat to death, and people should probably use the search function more, but if it annoys you so bad that the same questions get asked over and over wouldn't it be better just too ignore the question or if you have too read the question just keep the little tidbits of your "wisdom" to yourself? In fact your little gem quoted here while not actually trolling is at least on the verge of ego masturbation. I now remember why I had you on ignore. Thank you for reminding me that there were still a few that haven't been banned yet that make the ignore function so valuable.

 

[Chipped Karambit]

I'll field this one, each compound is loaded on a different side of the strop (for multiple sided strops) or on separate strops.

Sweet! thanks for that info man! I found
http://www.stropman.com/TRIAD-Leather-Strop-TRIAD.htm
http://www.stropman.com/BILLY-Leather-Strop-BILLY.htm
http://www.stropman.com/Jumbo-Leather-Strop-Jumbo.htm
I am looking at white green and red.and someone mentioned this maker. What would be best for for a beginner who is primarily going to touch up M390 PM2 a CTS XHP techno an Umnumzaan, a few aus8 blade and the occasional 440 for a friend

 

[hunter s thompson]

Sweet! thanks for that info man! I found
http://www.stropman.com/TRIAD-Leather-Strop-TRIAD.htm
http://www.stropman.com/BILLY-Leather-Strop-BILLY.htm
http://www.stropman.com/Jumbo-Leather-Strop-Jumbo.htm
I am looking at white green and red.and someone mentioned this maker. What would be best for for a beginner who is primarily going to touch up M390 PM2 a CTS XHP techno an Umnumzaan, a few aus8 blade and the occasional 440 for a friend

I have 0 experience with any of the Stropman products. That being said I do have a 4 sided strop bat by JRE industries that I have loaded with their Black, Green, Pink and one side is just leather. I keep it hung up and use it when my knives need a tune up, and it, but I usually carry a 1095 slip joint or Case stainless steel one.

 

[Chipped Karambit]

I have 0 experience with any of the Stropman products. That being said I do have a 4 sided strop bat by JRE industries that I have loaded with their Black, Green, Pink and one side is just leather. I keep it hung up and use it when my knives need a tune up, and it, but I usually carry a 1095 slip joint or Case stainless steel one.

what does the pure leather side do?

 

[hunter s thompson]

I use it last as a final polish. Most of the steels you are talking about are a lot more wear resistant than what I am using so I don't know if it would benefit you are not!

 

[Chipped Karambit]

I use it last as a final polish. Most of the steels you are talking about are a lot more wear resistant than what I am using so I don't know if it would benefit you are not!

i would sharpen then touch up black to green to red then finally leather right?? Just a bit extra because when I use the whetstone it just is borderline hairpopping, stropping on a friends white belt strop gave an amazing result.

http://www.jreindustries.com/strops.htm is that the one you have?? How long does it last?

any advice on it?

 

[hunter s thompson]

I have no ideal how long a strop will last, once it becomes too loaded you just clean the strop and reload with compound, that is the strop I have and have been using it for several years. If you were using the Stropman compounds that would be the progression, the JRE strop bat comes preloaded with Black Green and Pink you use them in that order and then the bare leather. The Stropman Billy looks very similar in function to the strop bat.

 

[Chipped Karambit]

I have no ideal how long a strop will last, once it becomes too loaded you just clean the strop and reload with compound, that is the strop I have and have been using it for several years. If you were using the Stropman compounds that would be the progression, the JRE strop bat comes preloaded with Black Green and Pink you use them in that order and then the bare leather. The Stropman Billy looks very similar in function to the strop bat.

ya I may pick one up. Ty man you were amazingly helpful. Any advice on technique? i think i make pick up the JRE

 

[stitchawl]

I was going to let this go but it was bugging me so here it goes, I understand that some questions get beat to death, and people should probably use the search function more, but if it annoys you so bad that the same questions get asked over and over wouldn't it be better just too ignore the question

No, it wouldn't be better. It would be better if people learned to use the search function, and used it before posting. Otherwise the majority of people who actually have solid information and have posted it several times before and don't feel like wasting time doing so again remain silent. Instead, you find mostly (but not only) people with limited experience posting a lot of incorrect information leaving the Original Poster with the wrong impression and doing him no great service.

In fact your little gem quoted here while not actually trolling is at least on the verge of ego masturbation.

Attacking people rather than the post is rather shallow, don't you think?

To the original poster: Please do a search of this sub-forum for stropping. There are dozens of people who have contributed valuable information that will help you to:
A. Save a LOT of money on your strop
B. Choose the 'type' of strop that will best suit your needs (a 4-sided paddle with 1" strips of leather probably isn't it...)
C. Choose the type of compound that will provide you with the results you are looking for
D. Describe in detail 'how' to best strop the types of blades you have.
The archives are an encyclopedia of valuable information posted to different threads about stropping, some of which have been turned into 'stickies' at the top of this page. That was done for very good reasons...


Stitchawl

 

[JSMcustoms]

Stropman strops are great strops for keeping an edge in tip top shape. Edges benefit more from a strop if theyre already fairly refined so dont expect to take a neglected dull edge to a strop and get it hair shaving sharp.

There isnt much maintenance needed for a strop other than applying compound whenever the strop becomes clogged from metal. Eventually the compound will form a layer on top of the leather and at that point youll want to take something flat, like a metal ruler, and scrap it off.

The compounds used to strop from most coarse to fine:
Black White Green Red

If you choose to buy a stropman strop, I'd go for the white and green compounds. From what I hear, the black compound cuts aggressively and will dull your edge if youre not careful and the red compound will only polish your edge and do nothing for sharpness.

The black compound does dull your edge at first, but it will create a convex edge if you work with it long enough. Also, the edge polish does somewhat effect the knife's overall cutting performance. I have actually tested this with my two Spyderco Paramilitary 2s. Both have a micro convex on the edge, but the mirror polished one seems to cut just a little better than the one that isn't mirror polished.

 

[Chipped Karambit]

The black compound does dull your edge at first, but it will create a convex edge if you work with it long enough. Also, the edge polish does somewhat effect the knife's overall cutting performance. I have actually tested this with my two Spyderco Paramilitary 2s. Both have a micro convex on the edge, but the mirror polished one seems to cut just a little better than the one that isn't mirror polished.

sounds good. Black then Green then Red then leather is what i have to remember. I will order one when I come back from vietnam

 

[vtvman]

The black compound does dull your edge at first, but it will create a convex edge if you work with it long enough. Also, the edge polish does somewhat effect the knife's overall cutting performance. I have actually tested this with my two Spyderco Paramilitary 2s. Both have a micro convex on the edge, but the mirror polished one seems to cut just a little better than the one that isn't mirror polished.

I have not personally tried red stopping compound but the general consensus about it on bladeforums is that its all polish and too light of an abrasive to do anything to higher end steels such as s30v and up. I started a thread a while ago asking the purpose of red compound and received answers saying that it was used for jewelry polishing on softer metals like gold and silver.

To the op: What method do you use to sharpen your knives? (free hand, sharpmaker, etc) Sharpening and then stropping on black compound is not necessary. I would only use it if you want to A) convex your edge like customs said or B) bring an already refined edge back to shaving sharp. You can easily strop out ~5000ish grit scratch marks out and have a very mirrored bevel with white compound and then progressing to the green. I like mirror polishes a lot myself and this method is what I use on my knives.

 

[Chipped Karambit]

I have not personally tried red stopping compound but the general consensus about it on bladeforums is that its all polish and too light of an abrasive to do anything to higher end steels such as s30v and up. I started a thread a while ago asking the purpose of red compound and received answers saying that it was used for jewelry polishing on softer metals like gold and silver.

To the op: What method do you use to sharpen your knives? (free hand, sharpmaker, etc) Sharpening and then stropping on black compound is not necessary. I would only use it if you want to A) convex your edge like customs said or B) bring an already refined edge back to shaving sharp. You can easily strop out ~5000ish grit scratch marks out and have a very mirrored bevel with white compound and then progressing to the green. I like mirror polishes a lot myself and this method is what I use on my knives.

I do a double sided whetstone .I can get a good angle on it but that extra 10% stropping gets really makes the best of steels like CTSXHP and M390 and I want to convex my umnumzaan

 

[BARBARIAN-X]

I'm soon going to pick up a Hand American balsa strop with their 1 & .5 micron paste.
http://www.chefknivestogo.com/handamerican.html