Strop

C

cbbase34

Joined
Feb 7, 2008
Messages
7
I just went out and bought a Razor Strop 23" Long Red Russian Leather, i got this to touch up my knifes after i have sharpen them. I have had people to tell me to buy and use the red oxide powder on my strop, i have also seen this green bar chromium oxide powder and the white bar aluminum oxide powder and on this other site i seen Strop Abrasive Powder, can anyone tell me what i need for my strop to use on touching up on my knifes. thank you
 
I've used alot of the compounds and keep coming back to the standard chromium oxide green bars. Goes on easy, cuts well, lasts, inexpensive and lasts a long time in the bar size they sell them in.

NJ
 
Let’s see if we can find the right forum …
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Since getting some diamond paste in various grits, I find I rarely use CrO2 alone for knives - I find the diamond paste much more aggressive, which I like. Mix it with mineral oil. Also, I much prefer a backed strop (leather glued to flat wood or other). good luck!
 
Now when i get my strop do i put the paste or wax right on the smooth side of the leather or what? thank you
 
Yes, right on the smooth side (and rough side if both are available to you). I mostly use the smooth side for all my stropping. I also use the green chromium oxide (CrO2), though I have never used diamond paste...yet.
 
If you have a regular barber's strop, lay it flat on a table of bench and use it plain before trying compounds.

I use leather from Hand American cut 2 inches wide and 12 inches long glued to oak for the compounds, and when the blade will split hair, I "finish" with the plain leather barbers strop laying flat on the workbench.

I also use .5 micron diamond paste instead of Chromium oxide, since it cuts much faster.

Lately, i.e., the last 9 months, I've been using a leather belt on a belt sander, but that's another story for another thread. :D
 
I personally wouldn't use an abrasive on a $60 barber strop. You could, of course, but you can use much cheaper leather for making strops to be used with abrasives.

Your barber uses it plain! :D Don't hang it, rather lay it flat on your bench, and strop LIGHTLY to final polish a sharp blade.

Go back to some of the long 4-5 page threads on stropping on this forum. Lot of good info here. :)
 
Im going to be buying me a smaller and a stop around 20 dollars to use the green compound on. Now on the strop i just got today should my knife be flat on the leather when i sharpen it or should it be at a angle? thanks you all for the help and the replys
 
Lay the blade flat on the leather. Slightly raise the spine until the edge is barely touching the leather, and lightly strop away from the edge. Do not use any more pressure than the weight of the blade.

At the end of the stroke, raise the blade straight up, turn it over, lay the other side flat, and repeat.

Sounds complicated, but after 20-30 strokes, it will becpme automatic.

It's important to lift the blade straight up from the leather at the end of the stroke to keep from rounding the edge.

Like anything else, you get better and better with practice.
 
I tryed it today on one of my hunting knifes, after doing my hunting knife on a dmt stone and then doing it on the strop, could not tell much difference inless im doing it wrong, maybe just practice i will get it right one of these days. thanks for the help
 
I used to think a strop was pretty much a strop...until I tried one of these strops...

http://www.thewellshavedgentleman.com/default.html

Man, this guy has the science of crafting uncompromisingly excellent strops *down*. If I get the steel sharp on stones, I don't even bother with compounds on Tony's strops. :eek:


And wow...do they ever make a straight razor sing.
 
I just purchased the leather paddle strop from Knife Art. I've never used one before but I have stropped my knives on the fabric covered padded portion of my cheap dining room chairs.
 
cbbase34 said:
I tryed it today on one of my hunting knifes, after doing my hunting knife on a dmt stone and then doing it on the strop, could not tell much difference inless im doing it wrong, maybe just practice i will get it right one of these days. thanks for the help
Click to expand...

No skill is perfected without practice. The strop will make a BIG difference when you've had enough practice to get the most out of it.

Don't give up. It's not hard to learn how to strop. It just takes a bit of effort, and time. :)
 
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