"Power Strop" leather wheel + compound for sharpening, anyone use it?

[manowar669]

http://www.thewoodcraftshop.com/store/p/67-POWER-STROP-3-1-2-X-3-4-.html

Only $16.95, just curious if anybody has used this. Would you use this in a drill (clamped to a bench)?

 

[Jason B.]

Its shown used in a drill press, I use mine on a mini Bench grinder at a low speed. I have the power "V" and use it for serrated blades, it works good but I still like to finish on a hand strop for best results.

 

[manowar669]

Is the leather soft/spongy, or hard like a paper wheel or wood? Would paper wheels be better?

 

[Gotsouthern]

Ive used one for years and it will put a great finish on the edge. Though as knifenut stated, its not quite up to hand-finished standards. Works very fast too. Its worth having. I use mine in a variable speed hand drill clamped to the bench.

The leather is pretty darn hard.

 

[manowar669]

Thanks for the info. Is the white rouge that comes with the wheel OK, or is there something else I should look for?

 

[manowar669]

So, I bought one, and I gotta say, it's great. The white rouge that comes with it goes on kinda spotty, but it works ok. I cleaned that off with a wire brush, and applied Flitz. WOW! I just sharpened two Opinels, one carbon, the other stainless. Easily splits hairs. I can just touch an arm hair, and the edge will catch the hair, and I can lift the hairs and slice shavings off of the sides of a single hair. Very cool. Very fast too, only took a minute.