strop compound

1 more strop question so i need not create a new thread. which side should be facing up and which side should be glued?

yes, my first time stropping.

15qc8zd.jpg

smooth
105r19w.jpg

rough
 
That looks like the WRONG type of leather.
 
I think it looks wrong too.Get the thicker brown cow hide 10-12oz..Glue it smooth side out.DM
 
The Harbor Freight Green polishing compound is actually better (in my experience) than the Sears Green.
Cuts faster, with a better polished surface.
Also, the Dico Stainless white polish (also at Harb. Fr.) cuts even faster.
(Both about $4 per tube.)
 
Everyone always says get the vegetable tanned leather. Vegetable tanned leather is flexible but harder and not as stretchable as chemical tanned leather. You also don't want a leather that has a pattern pressed into it like the one you have there. There are other factors determining the qualities of the finished leather. I think most commercial strop leather uses the flesh side of the leather but is sanded and processed so smooth you think it is the grain (skin) side. There is quite a bit of work that goes into a commercial leather strop, at least like the razor folks use. The razor folks may take it to the extreme but have nice strops. They are obviously working with some finer, more delicate tools then most of us. It shows that you can modify a leather that is close to what you want and make it better.

Regardless, you want a fairly smooth hard leather without scars and raised areas or a pressed pattern if you can get it.
 
flashlife said:
The Harbor Freight Green polishing compound is actually better (in my experience) than the Sears Green.
Cuts faster, with a better polished surface.
Also, the Dico Stainless white polish (also at Harb. Fr.) cuts even faster.
(Both about $4 per tube.)
Click to expand...
Picked up some HF last week as all their compounds were on sale for $2.50
Not bad at that price!
 
rpttrsn said:
Picked up some HF last week as all their compounds were on sale for $2.50
Not bad at that price!
Click to expand...

Yeah, I use the HF Black, Dico SCR (white), and HF Green...in that order.
Just dampen some 3X6" pieces of manila folder cardboard with lighter fluid, smear on the compound, let dry, and strop away...
Does a good job.
 
Thanks, guess I got the wrong one then. Now another week of waiting before I can use my new strop...:o
 
5370H55V said:
Thanks, guess I got the wrong one then. Now another week of waiting before I can use my new strop...:o
Click to expand...


You could use the stuff you have now and when you get the other you could compare to see what one does better.
 
gary jp4 said:
Everyone always says get the vegetable tanned leather. Vegetable tanned leather is flexible but harder and not as stretchable as chemical tanned leather.
Click to expand...

Gary, there is a really important reason to use vegetable tanned leather rather than chemical or oil tanned. Perhaps more important when stropping with a bare strop than when using compound though. And that is, the natural silicates in the leather. This is why you usually don't see barbers using stropping compound!

The natural silicates in the leather will give the absolute finest edge, far better than any added compound. But you only get these natural silicates remaining in veggie tanned leather! Chrome tanning and oil tanning tend to remove them. Then, starting with a good quality smooth veggie tanned leather and 'boning' it for several hours (sort of like compressing it, but with a tool shaped like the pestle from a mortar and pestle,) rubbing and pressing down the leather for several hours, working it down. Wetting the leather and using a heavy marble rolling pin is a close second, but really... it isn't all that close!

Putting any sort of compound on something like this is like bronzing your gold medal. This isn't to say that green compound or .25 diamond spray doesn't work. The bare, well boned strop would be the next step after the compound or spray.

Regardless, you want a fairly smooth hard leather without scars and raised areas or a pressed pattern if you can get it.
Click to expand...

That's a fact! But if you're going to add compound to it, any smooth leather will do, as will MDF board, smooth hardwood board, or even thick cardboard! Being really nuttso, I will only use veggi tanned leather for my strops, both smooth for stropping bevels and rough-out for stropping convex edges, even though I will use different compounds on them. But I don't need to take my knife edges to what I'd bring a straight razor to. I just want it sharp enough to cut the mustard! :rolleyes:

Stitchawl
 
nc527 said:
im using a bar from hf 4 piece buffing kit that i got for 3.99
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If you only hand strop, that bar should last you the rest of your life. I'll probably put mine in my will to my son. He can give it to his son. It doesn't take much on a strop to do the job. If you can see green, it's still working.

Stitchawl
 
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