Using Leather Strops

[RonJ]

I like these new forums. Makes finding specific interests a lot easier.

My question is about leather strops. Do I need any type of dressing or abrasive on the strop. One person recommended jewelers rouge? I want to touch up knives, not razors.

 

[nuguy]

I have been using the same strop for a good number of years. When I touch up a blade and I think it is as good as it is going to get on the stones I take it on the strop to rub the burr off the cutting edge. I have never added anything to the strop. Sharpening blades is like everything else, everyone has a different idea.
Not sure but like you said, if you look there probably is a forum dedicated to sharpening.

 

[WhitleyStu]

RonJ,
The advice you received on using white jeweler's white rouge is good information, but make sure it is white jeweler's rouge and not just white rouge. I use a power strop then lightly charge it with white jeweler's rouge every 20 or so knives to achieve a mirror finish on the sides of the edge. Here is a pic of my inexpensive setup. Harbor Freight 1" x 30" belt sander mounted on its back so the belt is moving away from the user. I use a 1" x 30" leather belt from Lee Valley. The key is to use very little pressure and go very slow.

 

[eveled]

I use Jewlers rouge too on my strop. I have a small hand crank grinder, that I took the stone off, and put on a wheel made of pieces of leather sandwiched together, with Jewlers rouge impregnated into it. Works great, nice and slow. Ed.

 

[DoubleAdobe]

While mechanization is the way of mankind, it is not needed on the occasional knife or razor either. Just a piece of semi stiff leather, I use scrap skirting leather, a dab of rouge, if you have it, and back stroke your blade, a few strokes on both sides. It is not at all complicated, old outdoorsmen and cowboys just used their boot arch or chaps leg, as noted, it just kind of super-straightens the burr raised in honing, or whatever may have happened when the blade was just used. PM if you need guidance, I am no expert but understand the basics of leather stropping.

 

[old&slow]

I use white rouge and a scrap strip of leather about 6 " by 1.5 " on a flat surface for my knives and leather working tools. I have a real barber horse hide leather strop. But, most of the time don't use it. It just hangs around for looks.

 

[snubbyfan]

I use white rouge and a scrap strip of leather about 6 " by 1.5 " on a flat surface for my knives and leather working tools. I have a real barber horse hide leather strop. But, most of the time don't use it. It just hangs around for looks.

Same here, a 6 "piece of scrap cut off a 1 1/2" wide 9 ounce leather strip used to make a belt and some white rouge works for me.

 

[Mule Packer]

You can buy commercial strops, but as Snubby and old&slow have said, commercial strops aren't "magical." You can make your own.

Personally, I like them between at least 12 inches and 15 inches in length and two to three inches wide. The reason, that with the shorter strops, you have to strop your knife more times, thereby increasing chance of error as to proper angle. But, that's just me.

You can rub just about any type of compound into the strop for increased abrasion, i.e. jewelers rouge, rubbing compound, chromium oxide...they all work. Or...as DoubleAdobe pointed out, you really don't even need to add anything. It seems that nine times out of ten, I just strop my blade a few times on my chaps leg and call it good.

 

[Mike Grasso]

You certainly can build everything you want yourself.

Or you can skip the Saturday run a round, of buying a piece of leather, sanding it down to microns, then affixing it to a backer...

You can buy a good backed strop here for a whole $20 Leather Bench Strop

And yes a good compound can be had also.
Bark River 1 Bar Compound Green

And you can go here for some outstanding videos...
Knife Sharpening Videos

A few years ago I was introduced to this when I designed my first big commercial knife ( Review: Grasso Bolo II )

Just be prepared to ask a lot of questions and get a big box for all your stuff!

 

[ol' geeser]

my dad used my butt for the occasional dusting of his strop.... my, how times have changed

 

[Engieman]

Get a bar of green Chromium Oxide and a strap of leather. Glue that to a good piece of flat hardwood. Get a hair dryer and heat the leather/oxide and impregnate the leather. Will be like a melted crayon.....just kind of rub all over the leather surface area. Scrap off the excess compound and you are good to go. One bar will last you forever.....gently strop the knife edge with minimum pressure; let the strop do the work. Leather has a bit of a cushion to it, so make sure you don't press too hard. That will actually curl the strop onto the edge (you won't see it) and dull your efforts. Stropping is my last step and will polish the edge and get you the sharpness you're looking for. Draw the blade in a consistent, uniform angle opposite the edge. When the strop get 'dirty' or grey (metal), just reheat the strop and freshen the compound.

 

[Rule3]

Leather?
OH, I forget this is not the Lounge and thought this was about something else!