Stropping On Leather Belt?

[Billy12241]

Hi all,
I recently decided to try stropping knives after sharpening, and found an old leather belt to hopefully do it with. Here lately I've been using the fuzzy side of it, but heard it's better to use the smooth side, my question is can I use the smooth side, even it's black on that side? Also, what is the best compound/rouge to use to get a sharp edge?

Thanks in advance for the help.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

IF the smooth (black) side isn't coated with plastic or wax-type stuff, like many belts are these days, it should be fine to strop on that side. A 'leather' belt that feels like plastic on the smooth side won't make the best strop. It should still feel like real leather. If you're going to use compound on the belt, the quality of the leather isn't quite as important, so long as it's still smooth.

If you're stropping modern steels, either diamond or green compound works for most. Some also like to use silicon carbide powder, and I've gotten good/excellent results using a metal polish made for steels, like Simichrome (Flitz should work well, also). I'd avoid red compound (rouge); it's iron oxide, which is relatively soft, and will likely be ineffective on many of the newer steels. On simpler carbon steels, like 1095, it might be OK.