What length to make a strop?

Y

yam

Joined
Sep 17, 2003
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I found some good strop making leather (scrap) at my local leather shop. I have one piece that's 3" X 37" and another pice that's 2 3/16" X 18". Both are about 1/4" thick. What's a reasonable length for a strop?
 
I guess you are talking about a free hanging leather strop like the barbers use. What I did though was take a short little board about 1 in. by 2 in. and 24 in. long and fastened a part of a belt blank about 2 in. wide by using a little wood screw through the leather on both ends of the board. I pulled the leather as tight as I could get it. I then put the board and strop on a table or across my lap and strop my knife on it. Sooner or later the leather will get all cut up and I just take it off and replace it with another piece of leather. Works for me. Then the answer becomes how long is the board and how long is the piece of leather that you have to use.

Nolan
 
If you are going to glue them to a piece of wood, anything between 12" to 18" long should suffice. I prefer around 14".
 
I glued mine to a wooden paint stirrer. Rough on one side with paste, the otherside smooth, no paste. The handle on the paint stirrer is handy and this is big enough for any knife I have (I don't strop my machete but leave it rough sharpened).
 
I will be gluing it to a board of some kind. Sounds like 12" should get me there nicely. Since I have plenty of material I can make a few different widths too. Thanks again, folks here are great.
 
I glue (contact cement) a 2x12 inch strip of veg tanned leather to a backing of a 3/4" board. Wet the leather with a light oil such as 3 in 1 and impregnate the leather with jeweler's rouge by briskly rubbing over the oil which will layer the leather with rouge. It is ready to use when dry. ---Sandy---
 
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