Stropping on a leather block

[myrmecia]

I want to strop kitchen knives to a smooth edge on leather glued to a wooden block. I would use different grades of polishing compound.

Which side of the leather do I strop on - the rough inside or the smooth, tanned outside?

What sort of leather do I specify when I am ordering some?

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

With compound, pretty much any leather will do. Most 'natural' leather you find will be veg-tanned (vegetable-tanned), which is what you want. Just get it as smooth & uniform as you can.

Most people prefer to use the smooth side. I personally like to sand the smooth side a little bit, with some medium/fine grit sandpaper. That gives compound some extra 'nap' (sort of velvety) to embed into.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

For ordering online, most will list the leather by it's 'weight', in ounces. For reference, 1 oz. of 'weight' is approximately 1/64" thickness. So, if you see a listing for '8 oz.' leather, it should be about 8/64" = 1/8" thickness.