Wanting to buy strop and compound?

C

chococrazy

Joined
Jul 1, 2009
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Hey, everyone thanks for the knife recomendation in my earlier threads. Ended up getting a Vantage Pro can't wait till it comes got it from yourcornerstore.
Now, my current problem is stropping. I got sharpening taken care of with my lansky diamond. Now I'm looking for a strop (preferably double sided) and some compound (what ever is good I heard red green and black or any .5micron are the best please confirm or deny). The reason Why I'm not making my own strop is I'm not sure if my belts are the right leather they are treated REAL leather, but I'm not sure if they'll work since they are extreme smooth (possibly lacquered) and polished. If these works then all I really need is the compound.
Oh yah under $20 if possible.
 
Another option is from Knives Plus an already loaded (with green compound) strop. It's a great strop and works very well. LINK. It falls well within your price range also.
 
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I bought scrap leather from Tandy. I got enough for several strops for $2.00.

For compound I use white and red stick polishing compound. I apply it like a crayon.

It refines the edge beyond what I get after the finishing hone on the GATCO. It also works for maintenance.
 
Hard H2O said:
I bought scrap leather from Tandy. I got enough for several strops for $2.00.

For compound I use white and red stick polishing compound. I apply it like a crayon.

It refines the edge beyond what I get after the finishing hone on the GATCO. It also works for maintenance.
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Which leather from tandy should I buy.
 
This is the only strop you want:

http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/M...egory_Code=THO .... and only costs $22

Which is a horse hide leather that won't compress and roll up over the edge of your blade and dull it while you're stropping it (i.e. the horse hide is not sensitive to the knife pressure you apply because it's a very hard leather). Put's a superb edge on with most compounds. My favorite is White Gold honing compound or .25 micron Diamond spray from Hand American. If you can afford both, White Gold followed by the Diamond, simply amazing edges.

Check it out.
 
chococrazy said:
Which leather from tandy should I buy.
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If this is your only choice, then buy thickest, hardest leather they have. Bull hide, horse hide, etc. Barring that, buy the leather they sell for belts (pick one in the length you want, then cut it to fit for multiple strops with multiple compounds).

While your there, ask them if you can raid the scrap pile for sheaths, etc. (typically free if you don't go too nuts snarfing up everything in the box(es)).

For compound, either the White Gold compound or contact Hand American and get their liquid paste and dry powder chromium oxide compounds. Both are really, really good stuff. Stay away from the Sears stuff if you value your time unless it's a last resort.

Good luck.
 
I have never had much luck with stropping. I also hear conflicting reports on what you want in a strop.

In the knives plus link they say you want a softer leather with a little bit of give. Yet someone else said you wanted the hardest leather possible. It seems like if you wanted a hard backing you would just skip the leather and put the compound on a piece of MDF board or something similar.

I am starting to think I just can't freehand and I need to purchase an Edgepro to hold the angle for me.

I get sharp edges now with my paper wheels but I want to step it up and get into the stupid scary sharp range.
 
FlaMtnBkr said:
I have never had much luck with stropping. I also hear conflicting reports on what you want in a strop.

In the knives plus link they say you want a softer leather with a little bit of give. Yet someone else said you wanted the hardest leather possible. It seems like if you wanted a hard backing you would just skip the leather and put the compound on a piece of MDF board or something similar.

I am starting to think I just can't freehand and I need to purchase an Edgepro to hold the angle for me.

I get sharp edges now with my paper wheels but I want to step it up and get into the stupid scary sharp range.
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Hand sharpening is all about feel and stropping is the same way. The leather I linked is thin and is of medium hardness, this gives you the right amount of "give" in the leather while preventing excessive roll from being overly thick. Diamond compound on MDF actually works extremely well, it polishes with amazing speed but you must also keep a very stright angle. I like to keep my sharpening methods a little more traditional and this is why I like to use my leather strops. It takes some time to master a leather strop but the results are worth the wait.
 
So you can actually feel when the angle is too high or low?

How many passes per side would you say is average when stropping a knife?

Is the Sears green CrO really that bad?

Thanks and sorry for the hijack!

Edit: So I just got out my home made strop and tried my hand at it again. I was holding what I thought would be almost too low of an angle and very light pressure. The knife would tree top hairs (or at least grab them and whittle a piece off) and now it won't. Quite frustrating!
 
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When edge contact is perfect there is a drag or pull on the blade but it is very smooth. If the angle is off and you are to low it will usually feel rough if you are hitting the shoulder of the bevel, and if you are too high it will sound like you are scrapping the edge and feel the same way too.

It sounds like you had a good angle going then either used too much pressure or too much angle and rounded the edge. Its easy to fix by making a few passes on you finishing stone then restropping.

I don't know how good or bad the sears stuff is but I have never been a fan of bar compounds, they just don't compare to high quality strop compounds. I personally like diamond compounds because they don't break down, polish better and longer, make no mess, cut any steel and produce a very sharp edge. The stone you finish with also plays a big part in how effective you stropping will be.
 
Thanks For all the info guys I went to the hardware store with my parents, and I walked around the store and spent a lot of time at the bench grinders right next to it I saw COMPOUND! only 3 bucks for a huge a stick and they have 1-5 grits i get 4&5 AND I FINALLY GOT THIS KERSHAW BLUR RESCUE (found it on the floor :O while walking) TO SHAVE!
I used my hard belt, but I took it and heated it up and beat on it a little to soften the leather works great! The colors of the 2 are white (4) green (5).
 
Native Justice said:
Stay away from the Sears stuff if you value your time unless it's a last resort.

Good luck.
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I have never had a problem with it.

I go from the finishing hone on the GATCO and then test if needed.

I then go to my el-cheapo strop and about 5 strokes per side or so with white polishing compound and test if I feel like it.

Then on to the red on a different strop for 5 or so strokes per side if I am feeling froggy.

At each step I notice a definite refinement in the edge. I notice a better polish.

I am usually looking for cheap, inexpensive, and local options. Tandy and Sears are about 5 minutes from me. I can walk in, get what i want and walk out.

That is my experience. YMMV.
 
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