Stropping Compound Questions

[Vivi]

I got a block of green and blue stropping compound today. What are the best surfaces to use the compound on? I tried it on newspaper and it didn't seem to take the compound well, but it did help the edges of my knives. Any suggestions?

 

[Morrow]

I got a block of green and blue stropping compound today. What are the best surfaces to use the compound on? I tried it on newspaper and it didn't seem to take the compound well, but it did help the edges of my knives. Any suggestions?

I've used the green on the cardboard backing from a tablet. It worked great. I've also put some blue painters tape on a pieces of wood and loaded them up with green and white (green on one...white on the other). Both ways worked just fine. I was just goofing around as I have charged leather strops I use. I just wanted to see if it would work.

One thing I did do was use contact cement to glue tablet cardboard to a painters stick. I used the heck out of it until the cardboard started to wear. You can pull the cardboard right off and put on a new piece.

 

[Alberta Ed]

I use the green compound (chromium oxide) on a Lee Valley Tools strop, basically a thick strip of leather glued to a wooden baton. Works great, particularly on carbon steel blades, less so on stainless alloys.

 

[mhawg]

I shoot a little WD-40 on the leather and slide the green compound on. It also cleans it off of the strop when it gets too dirty.