Need help with a new leather strop...

[Nietzsche1985]

Hey all,

This is my first post on this forum, but I was visiting threads here many, many times when I was looking for a solution regarding shaprening systems, knife choice and so on. Unfortunately, this time I was not able to find an answer for a specific leather strop that I purchased, so I am going to ask you guys for a help.

Since I live in Austria and we don't have a variety of stropes that would suit my needs, like you guys have in USA, I bought the only one available in the local knife/sharpening store in Vienna. Here is the link of how it exactly looks:

http://www.shavemac.com/products/St...trops/Razor-Strop-with-Wooden-Handle-Red.html

There is leather on the both sides (one slate side... what does it mean?), but there is aslo pre-applied red polishing compound (paste) on the other side as you can see on the picture. I have been told that red one is fine and that I can use it to polish my blades after sharpening with Lansky, DMT magna guide, or japanese water stones that I also have. Is there any way to remove this red paste from the leather and apply something else, and what should I use instead, as well as on the other side which is untreated? I wanted to use this strop especially for my Fallkniven F1 after sharpening it with sandpaper, Gränsfors small forest axe (I use 1000/3000 waterstone for sharpening) and Mora Bushcraft carbon steel knife (using DMT diamond stones on this one). Those 3 tools are essential for me and I would like to have razor sharp edges on all of them which is very difficult without stropping.

So, should I leave red compound on the strop and buy a red paste that they are offering (http://www.shavemac.com/products/St...zor-Strops/Red-Paste-for-Razor-Strop-602.html) and continue using it, or can I use some sandpaper to remove this compound and apply something else? What would you recommend?

Thank you in advance! I will appreciate your hepl!

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

The first strop I ever bought was of the same 'Streich-Riemen' labelling. Mine was a 4-sided version, in a box/sleeve looking exactly as pictured in your link. Whatever compounds were used with mine (which was black, red, and bare leather, with the 4th side being a slate/stone-like surface), weren't very aggressive on the steels I was trying to strop on it.

The red side is likely compounded with iron oxide (a.k.a. 'red rouge') compound. It's not very hard or aggressive on many steels, though it'd likely be OK for finishing touches on a very fine-edged straight razor (I think these strops were made for that anyway). I'd also be inclined to use something different for compound, especially considering the steels you want to strop on it (I think the Fallkniven is VG-10?). Some 'white rouge' compound (aluminum oxide) would work better, or you could use something like 1µ diamond compound, or even Flitz/Simichrome paste or Mother's Mag Wheel Polish paste also work well on such steels.

Removing the red compound from yours might take some wipedown with something like WD-40 on a rag/paper towel, or mineral spirits/lighter fluid or isopropyl alcohol. If doing it this way, don't spray the solvent directly onto the leather; just moisten the rag/towel with it, and wipe the leather with it. Ordinarily, it's usually not good to leave traces of multiple compounds on one strop; but I don't think any red compound leftover on yours would interfere too much, if at all, with a compound that's more appropriate to the steels you're stropping (like the white rouge or diamond compound). If using some kind of solvent (which dries the leather), re-conditioning the leather with some appropriate leather conditioner would be a good idea, before applying new compound. Looks like the vendor you linked may also have a paste for leather conditioning (no abrasives in it).

The leather can also be sanded; but you might try the WD-40 wipedown first. If the leather was surface-prepped to any great degree, before the factory red compound was applied, you might lose that in sanding it (you will, in fact). For a strop used with compound, it's not as much a big deal anyway. It would be a bigger consideration if the strop was to be used bare.


David

 

[Nietzsche1985]

Thank you very much for the quick and detailed reply! Yes, F1 blade that I have is made of VG10 and I am using sandpaper/mousepad technique to sharpen it with a great success for the most tasks, but it is not razor sharp. That's why I bought this leather strop, but I didn't want to use it before someone expirienced answer my question. And here it is now. I will give it a try tomorrow because it is 11PM in Vienna. If the stropping with red compound doesn't give me edge to, at least, cut a paper, I will remove it as you instructed and apply diamond paste for better results. Thank you very much for your time and answer, I really appreciate it!

 

[Nietzsche1985]

David, you were right.

Red compound that was pre-applied on the strop is not aggressive at all. It is about the same as the side with leather that is not treated. The problem in my opinion is that both surfaces are factory finished and I am not able to remove any more metal from F1 after sharpening it with 2000 grit sandpaper. Ruged leather side is glued to the wood and "fine-finish" surface is ment for pollishing already razor sharp non-convex knife edges in my opinion. I am also not sure if I will have any success with using for example Bark River white compound or 1 micrometer diamond paste on surface like that? So both surfaces are quite hard (not soft at all) and higly polished.

I might need to buy a good quality thick cow leather and make a strop by myself, with ruged side facing me and any of compounds you suggested, for F1 end-sharpening after 2000 grit sandpaper? Strop I just bought can be used without any compounds only for polishing? What would you suggest?

Thanks!

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

David, you were right.

Red compound that was pre-applied on the strop is not aggressive at all. It is about the same as the side with leather that is not treated. The problem in my opinion is that both surfaces are factory finished and I am not able to remove any more metal from F1 after sharpening it with 2000 grit sandpaper. Ruged leather side is glued to the wood and "fine-finish" surface is ment for pollishing already razor sharp non-convex knife edges in my opinion. I am also not sure if I will have any success with using for example Bark River white compound or 1 micrometer diamond paste on surface like that? So both surfaces are quite hard (not soft at all) and higly polished.

I might need to buy a good quality thick cow leather and make a strop by myself, with ruged side facing me and any of compounds you suggested, for F1 end-sharpening after 2000 grit sandpaper? Strop I just bought can be used without any compounds only for polishing? What would you suggest?

Thanks!

OK, it's good you pointed that out. For the time being, you might do well to make another strop, on which you can test other compounds. The hard/smooth/polished leather on this strop is likely a good thing in it's own right, and hints it might've been better-prepped & finished; it could also work well with other compounds, but you might save it 'as is' for use AFTER using a different strop with the white or diamond compounds. No point in applying a new compound on it now, until you decide if you like how a particular compound works.

If making a new strop, I'd also suggest giving a denim strop a try (same construction; just substitute denim for the leather). With the white rouge and other similar AlOx compounds in particular, hard-backed denim works really well on a very wide range of steels, including VG-10.


David

 

[Nietzsche1985]

OK, it's good you pointed that out. For the time being, you might do well to make another strop, on which you can test other compounds. The hard/smooth/polished leather on this strop is likely a good thing in it's own right, and hints it might've been better-prepped & finished; it could also work well with other compounds, but you might save it 'as is' for use AFTER using a different strop with the white or diamond compounds. No point in applying a new compound on it now, until you decide if you like how a particular compound works.

If making a new strop, I'd also suggest giving a denim strop a try (same construction; just substitute denim for the leather). With the white rouge and other similar AlOx compounds in particular, hard-backed denim works really well on a very wide range of steels, including VG-10.


David

Cheers David... you helped me a lot with with your advice.
I will buy good cow leather and make two double-sided strops in order to test different compounds before polishing the blade with current one. I didn't know that an old jeans can serve as material for stropping, but sure... I will try that as well!
I am pretty much sure that 2000 grit sandpaper is leaving some chops on the edge, but they are not visible with a naked eye, so some kind of compound on those strops that I am going to make as finisher should serve me well. If nothing, I can use them for cheaper/kitchen knives.
Convex edge sharpening is, I must admit, not so easy... at least, not for me. I still need to practice, but I didn't want to ruin F1's convex edge by experimenting with something I don't have experience with.
A huge thank you for your time and effort!!!