leather strops

[hedgerowpete]

ok so at the moment i have all my sharps sat at home all as blunt as can be. when i have finished reading the forum for the whys and where to's in sharpening, i would like to think i "might" be able to justify a strop on the knife blades, but the questions are now.

what length should it be, ebay sellers go from a foot to two or more and any thing from 2" wide to 6". I have only seen the longer thinner versions on you tube. what are other sizes used for and what to use on a mora

what needs to be done to prepare the strop before first use and during storage, does the opposite side of the strop face need leather conditioner to prevent drying out and cracking.

so realy what sort of strop and how does one look after it.

also is there any leather workers out there with an off cut i could buy off them suitable for a strop piece?

 

[Elines]

I'm sure you will get a more complete answer from others but here is my bit ......

Length - I thought I would need a strop about 2' long - ie like a barber's strop in the films - but one about 6" - 7" londg gets a really sharp edge if used properly - and that is the key

Width - for a bushcraft knife (like a Mora = same as mine) about 1.5" works for me

These dimensions work for me because I don't use the strop like the proverbial barber, I slowly and deliberately draw the knife along the leather, which also has grinding paste on it

Preparation before use - as it is a Mora it presumabliy has a Skandi grind, so stick it to a pice of plywood/mdf and apply grinding paste

opposite side of the strop face - not an issue if you stick it to something

....... any leather workers ........buy ....suitable for a strop piece - if you really want to minimise costs/get on with it you could use an old belt or buy a cheap one from the market. One thing I would like to try - unless someone else already has - is to use a piece of leather from a free leather sample book which you can get from a furniture warehouse

 

[hedgerowpete]

cheers dude i will get there in the end one day

 

[Jimmy Bojangles]

I just use a belt from the pound shop and some autosol. I put about a third of the belt on a piece of wood and use the rest as a free strop. Works a treat with a bit of practice.

Cheers

Mat

 

[mrcairney]

Hey Pete, check out this extremely informative video from TBL on here:

http://www.bushcraftuk.com/forum/showthread.php?t=81306&p=985860#post985860

 

[Chiseller]

I use a piece of leather sole from the cobblers . Works for me .

.

The Mighty Oak Is Merely A Nut Who Stood His Ground

 

[hedgerowpete]

thanks for the tips i will try to watch the video later, pete

 

[tartanferret]

I cut a birch polypore fungus and let it dry out, does that need any form of lubrication in order to use as a strop?

Was i right in drying it out?

 

[the interceptor boy]

give longstrider a bell, a member on here and British blades, very nice long strops and a pleasure to deal with no affiliation with the maker, just a very happy customer, cheers the interceptor boy.

 

[mikey.elefant]

Another one for longstrider, I have one of his strops and it has made a very big difference with my carving knives. im waiting for him to come out with some travelers kit. Hes great to deal with, and great value for what you get.