Stropping

[ericrescue]

I have just started getting in to the knife collecting thing. Over Christmas I got the worksharp. I practiced with old knives that were laying around, so I have managed not to screw up any tips. I have been watching a lot of videos on stropping and want to try it out to take the sharpness to the next level. I have the compounds already (Black brown green white). I going to order a strop online but until then I found these two peices of leather at michael's on Clarence for 50 cents. I know it may be hard to tell from the pictures but is it worth putting these down on a peice of wood with some compound and start to practice or am I wasting my time, and should just wait until I get a good peice of leather. Also out of the compound colors I have, black brown green white which if any should I use. . Thanks for baring with me like I said I am new to this by getting addicted very quickly. Thanks

 

[DeadboxHero]

It's never a waste of time bro, its a awesome opportunity to learn and try different things on a budget.

I think those pieces while do fine with a bit of ingenuity.

Also, not all compounds are equal.



Some of the random hardware store compounds don't have the cutting power of some known knife stroping compounds.

 

[ericrescue]

It's never a waste of time bro, its a awesome opportunity to learn and try different things on a budget.

I think those pieces while do fine with a bit of ingenuity.

Also, not all compounds are equal.



Some of the random hardware store compounds don't have the cutting lower of some known knife stroping compounds.

My favorite is the Bark River White compound.

Thanks for the info.. Didn't think of the compounds being that different in quality, sounds like common sense but didn't think until you said something... Lol. I have heard that brand recommend before. I have some porter cable compound I grabbed when I was finishing playing around with putting a mirror finish on a cheap blade. Again thanks for the advice

 

[banksy]

The finishing belt on the WS is 6000 grit, so you would want your stropping compound to have a finer grit. The Bark River white is approx 12,000 grit and works well.

I've also had good results with Mothers Mag on denim.

 

[Obsessed with Edges]

If it were me, knowing what I know now, I'd first try out the compounds on bare, smooth & tight-grained wood (no leather). Balsa & basswood are a couple examples that work well for strops. That gives a clearer indication of what the compounds can do individually. AFTER doing that, you might try each on leather, to see how that affects the compound's performance. As previously mentioned, some inexpensive compounds don't always work so efficiently/aggressively, especially when used on softish substrates like leather. This is often true with more expensive compounds as well; the difference in aggressiveness of diamond compound, for example, is night & day if compared between use on leather and on wood.

Some simpler steels do respond well to green compound on leather, IF the edge is pretty refined (easily slicing paper, maybe taking a few hairs off the forearm) beforehand. For cleaning up light burrs on such edges, green + leather can work pretty/very well for steels like 1095, CV and 420HC. That combo is likely where I'd start first, on the leather.

I've never much liked using some 'black' compounds on leather, as it's often too aggressive and can easily overpolish & round off an edge very fast, if not careful.


David

 

[ericrescue]

If it were me, knowing what I know now, I'd first try out the compounds on bare, smooth & tight-grained wood (no leather). Balsa & basswood are a couple examples that work well for strops. That gives a clearer indication of what the compounds can do individually. AFTER doing that, you might try each on leather, to see how that affects the compound's performance. As previously mentioned, some inexpensive compounds don't always work so efficiently/aggressively, especially when used on softish substrates like leather. This is often true with more expensive compounds as well; the difference in aggressiveness of diamond compound, for example, is night & day if compared between use on leather and on wood.

Some simpler steels do respond well to green compound on leather, IF the edge is pretty refined (easily slicing paper, maybe taking a few hairs off the forearm) beforehand. For cleaning up light burrs on such edges, green + leather can work pretty/very well for steels like 1095, CV and 420HC. That combo is likely where I'd start first, on the leather.

I've never much liked using some 'black' compounds on leather, as it's often too aggressive and can easily overpolish & round off an edge very fast, if not careful.


David

Balsa and basswood, never heard of using that, great info I am going to try it out. Thanks

 

[fsatsil]

Denim from an old pair of jeans glued to a block of wood also makes an excellent strop.

 

[collim1]

I use pieces of scrap leather and green compound, followed by plain leather. I have never used any compound other than green. It worked well enough I never felt the need to try any others.

 

[Ratman79]

explore different compounds and substrates to see what you like... the leather there looks okay. clean it 1st by sanding it w some 120 grit or so sandpaper.

then fix it to a hard backing like a piece of 2x4 cut to size for example

then depending on who makes the compound sometimes the leather should be warmed over a stove (gently) to help it adhere.

1st though, just sand the leather and apply a thin coat of compound coloring lengthwise like u would with a crayon. if it flakes and doesnt apply well try heating the leather. have fun and experiment till u see what u like

 

[WuGod]

I use the fuzzy side of a leather belt I bought at an ARC store and Herbs Yellowstone compound to good effect to freshen edges, and Yellowstone and an old leather belton the shiny side from ARC glued to a 2x2 on freshly honed ones.