Strop.

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crosslandkelly

A somewhat settled
Jun 9, 2009
26,263
2,212
67
North West London
I haven't made anything for a while, but here is a copy of a Sloyd strop I made last week. A piece of18mm hardwood window board cut down to 8mm, and an offcut of 1.5mm furniture leather, finished with Walnut oil. Looks like it will work well for my crook knives too, once I load one side and the rounded edge with compound.
Dimensions are 350 x 40 x 8.
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boubindica

Forager
Mar 13, 2018
155
33
London
goodjob

Why are strops so narrow and why do you have a rounded edge (it looks rounded) and a naked edge on the opposite side? I tried to make a strop but it's very wide and both edges are naked. Should I have made it thinner and covered one edge? I have a blue coloured compound but it doesnt look anywhere near as creamy as the one you have applied here. What compound do you use?
 
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WealdenWoodsman

Forager
Oct 10, 2017
161
44
place
goodjob

Why are strops so narrow and why do you have a rounded edge (it looks rounded) and a naked edge on the opposite side? I tried to make a strop but it's very wide and both edges are naked. Should I have made it thinner and covered one edge? I have a blue coloured compound but it doesnt look anywhere near as creamy as the one you have applied here. What compound do you use?

The rounded edge is so that you can use it to strop crook knifes.:)
 

crosslandkelly

A somewhat settled
Jun 9, 2009
26,263
2,212
67
North West London
goodjob

Why are strops so narrow and why do you have a rounded edge (it looks rounded) and a naked edge on the opposite side? I tried to make a strop but it's very wide and both edges are naked. Should I have made it thinner and covered one edge? I have a blue coloured compound but it doesnt look anywhere near as creamy as the one you have applied here. What compound do you use?

Like yourself I use Smurf poo as well, but I haven't yet loaded this strop. As WealdenWoodsman says "The rounded edge is so that you can use it to strop crook knifes."
:)
I also mentioned that in my post.
The idea with this 3 sided strop is to load one flat side and the rounded edge with cutting compound, and leave the other flat side clean.
 
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boubindica

Forager
Mar 13, 2018
155
33
London
Aha! That makes sense. And oh, it looked loaded but thats just a very rich suede-side (sorry, don't know what that side of the leather is officially called). Apologies, i sometimes fail to see written words :rolleyes:

I've noticed that strops tend to be quite slim instead of wide. Why is that?
 
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Nice65

Brilliant!
Apr 16, 2009
6,438
2,859
W.Sussex
I've noticed that strops tend to be quite slim instead of wide. Why is that?

They vary, paddle strops are like a file rather than like a stone on a base. I have a large, long, wide strop on a hardwood base. I use it for longer blades and use it stationary on a surface, but the thinner ones are better on small blades with choils to get right into the handle area or tip by filing. It's being able to see what you're doing all the time with the fine work like crook knives. I get the best edges with the thinner strops.
 

mr dazzler

Native
Aug 28, 2004
1,722
83
uk
Nice job. It never ceases to amaze me just how effective strops are at refreshing a blade almost indefinately, just so long as you dont get a chipped edge that needs a stone or file.
 
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