Which strop to get?

D

dniice87

Joined
Jul 19, 2005
Messages
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I'm looking to buy a leather strop. I know there are a bunch of online stores that carry strops. Are there any particular strops that you recommend or dislike? Should i get a compound for the strop? Which one?

Also, I have a general idea of what to do when it comes to stropping but being more of a visual learner, i was wondering if anyone has "how to" pictures of stropping they could post.

Thanks
 
dniice87 said:
I'm looking to buy a leather strop. I know there are a bunch of online stores that carry strops. Are there any particular strops that you recommend or dislike? Should i get a compound for the strop? Which one?
Thanks
Click to expand...

I use (and like) the wooden-backed double-sided leather strop available from Lee Valley Tools. I use their Veritas green chromium oxide honing compound. Together they work great for removing the wire edge/burr and finishing off the sharpening process.

David
 
I use the paddle strop with a curved and an angled side that was designed by wood carver Rick Butz. I use the green stuff with it. I also use Flexcut gold on occasion.
 
I like the free strops known as notepads from work.

Charge up a page with your paste of choice and strop away. Then you can chuck the page and voila--brand-new strop.
 
I made one from a piece of leather scrap from a shoe maker/repairer and a wooden paint stirrer. It is two sided with the rough side of the leather glued on one side of the paint stirrer and smooth on the other. I bought some paste and it seems to work well. Just about the right size for all my knives.

I really don't use it for grinding just BURR removal and edge polishing.
 
Thanks for the info guys. I'll have to pick up the Lee Valley double sided strop with the green compound.
TedGamble, thanks for the instruction links they were just was i was looking for.
 
dniice87 said:
TedGamble, thanks for the instruction links they were just was i was looking for.
Click to expand...

I agree :thumbup: Great info in those links.

David
 
dniice87 said:
Thanks for the info guys. I'll have to pick up the Lee Valley double sided strop with the green compound.
TedGamble, thanks for the instruction links they were just was i was looking for.
Click to expand...

Lee Valley is good, I keep one in my tool bag at work.

HandAmerica is also good, I have that at home.

HA used to have a link to a guy that was making new barber strops with I think HA stropping leather. Haven't seen that in a bit.

If you look on Ebay you should be able to find a good condition old barber strop for ~$30 or so. I did. Have to look and stay away from collectables, but find a decent horse leather strop, that's a user.

Rob
 
I believe you are referring to Tony Miller. His website is
www.thewellshavedgentleman.com. He has many different types of strops.

Randy Tuttle


wetdog1911 said:
Lee Valley is good, I keep one in my tool bag at work.

HandAmerica is also good, I have that at home.

HA used to have a link to a guy that was making new barber strops with I think HA stropping leather. Haven't seen that in a bit.

If you look on Ebay you should be able to find a good condition old barber strop for ~$30 or so. I did. Have to look and stay away from collectables, but find a decent horse leather strop, that's a user.

Rob
Click to expand...
 
I personally like the Busse Air Bleeder Strop. Has worked excellent on my BRKT Northstar quite well in brining it back to scary sharp after some loctus batoning.
 
randydance062449 said:
I believe you are referring to Tony Miller. His website is
www.thewellshavedgentleman.com. He has many different types of strops.

Randy Tuttle
Click to expand...

Randy

Thanyk You SO much! I had never bookmarked that site and when I couldn't find it in the HandAmerican site, I was really bummed.

Get more than one, but the Lee Valley one is a good place to start, but see the link above for cleaning/recharging.

I use the green stuff or HandAmerica's different grit powders pretty much at will, or what's needed.

Tony's info makes it easy to change grits, and the Lee Valley strop is perfect for it.

A large, hanging, uncharged Barber strop is nice also.

So is the Busse Air Bleeder strop, with it's variable tension.

Lot's of good choices. I'd start with the Lee Valley double sided and go from there.

Rob
 
I have some scrap leather belt pieces I'm thinking of using for stropping. Should I use the unfinished, rough and grainy side, or the smooth side thats been applied with dye and the finishing agents, etc. or whatever?

Also, is it better to strop a portion of the blade straight across, like the tip, middle and bottom of the blade in separate passes, or do the full length of blade in a diagonal motion? Thanks alot
 
I got a bag of leather scraps from Hobby Lobby and cut some (7-8 oz) 3" x 11". Then I glued those to a flat board the same size. One side smooth...one side rough.

I use the smooth side for stropping. When I strop a blade, how I do it depends on the blade size. If the blade is long (say 5" or more), I'll strop in two series. One series is to do the long, flat portion from belly to hilt. The second series is to do from belly to tip.
 
Question: do you have to prepare the leather belt before applying the compound? I have some buffing compound from Sears, and heard the red and white are the way to go, but they seem pretty difficult to rub into the leather. Maybe I should get some paste? And do I have to mount it to a board, or can I let it hang from a hook on the wall, and use it like a barber strop?
 
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