Strop question

Check in with Capid1. He's a fellow member of BF. He makes stropes and knows more about compounds and abrasives than you probably want to know. He also does sharpening. He does all my knives. He's a great stand up kind of guy. He works in the dlinic next door to mine. I'm sure he'd be glad to chat with you.
Cheers
Balding
 
Chromium Oxide (green) seems to be the most common used by knife sharpeners as it cuts steel well. Some people mistakenly use the red rouge, which doesn't cut steel. I know that a lot of custom makers finish with diamond compound (the white, crayon-like stuff).

If you want to make a strop as a challenge or for personal satisfaction, there are lots of guides online and it would make a cool project. But if you just want an effective loaded strop to finish your knives, could I recommend the KnivesPlus Strop-Block to you? I use it, and so do a lot of sharpeners, and it can't be praised enough. It costs $19 and will last for years--and never need to be reloaded by you--due to the way it is loaded with compound. They melt down green compound in olive oil and super saturate a leather strop under heat on particle board. The finished strop is nice and flat with the correct amount of give, roughly the size of a bench stone. As previously stated, you never have to reload it due to the way it was loaded. You just moisten your fingertips with olive oil and rub fresh compound to the surface (you can do this because the layer of compound is thick and saturated into the leather). It actually works, although I'm not sure how. The swarf just... disappears. I guess it gets worked down into the leather below the green compound wile your rubbing with the oil. But when you're done, you have a nice, clean, swarf-free strop.

IMHO one of the best investments for a knife enthusiast.
 
IMO any of them. They all work (aside from the red rouge aforementioned) but some cut faster than others.
The knivesplus stropblock is a great strop, although if you want to maintain convex edges a slack "barber's" strop like the Illinois Razor Strop Co #206 is better- just depends on what you want to do.
I use the aforementioned IRSC 206 with green compound and have actually convexed edges entirely with that.
 
thatotherguy said:
IMO any of them. They all work (aside from the red rouge aforementioned) but some cut faster than others.
The knivesplus stropblock is a great strop, although if you want to maintain convex edges a slack "barber's" strop like the Illinois Razor Strop Co #206 is better- just depends on what you want to do.
I use the aforementioned IRSC 206 with green compound and have actually convexed edges entirely with that.
Click to expand...

Agree. My favorite compound comes from Sears. I use black most of the time because it cuts a bit faster than green and leaves a "toothier" edge. I make my strops using scraps of chrome tanned leather from those Tandy scrap bags you get at Hobby Lobby (but veg. tanned works too). Here' my favorite packable strop. Chrome leather and black compound.

7623584704_f5de6c3e8b_b.jpg
 
^^

I just made a 6" strop with leather from Tandy. It's my first time stropping with anything other than heavy cardboard, and I'm definitely a convert. It does amazing even if I touch up a dull blade on the Norton economy crystolon I keep at work and then swipe it a few times. Ended up with Enkay compounds. It's worked like a charm, and I have enough leather left over to make a 12" double sided strop.

Debating between Bark river compounds or diamond for the larger strop.
 
Do you guys use the smooth or rough side for the compound? I've been playing with both and like how the rough side takes the compound a lot better, but haven't been able to tell if the rougher surface messes up the edge or not.
 
Smooth side. You can hear it cutting metal. Most people use way too much compound anyway. It only takes a little.
 
Smooth. The leather is a finisher for me, if I want to use a rougher strop I have the canvas one on the other side.
 
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