One Pound Strop

[Hammock_man]

Start with qty 3 Wilco spatula £1.05 ( 0.35 each)
Add roll of double sided tape ( poundshop )
Finish with bit of leather bought at 2016 Moot for the grand sum of one pound.



place strips of tape on one side of ..... oh come on you get the idea !!!!



I have one rough side and one smooth .

The wood is thick enough to take the pressure of a blade and is machined flat and smooth. I may trim the handle length, see how it goes.
3 strops, 3 quid.. pound each. Works for me

 

[Toddy]

Tidy

I know someone who did much the same with sandpaper and used it on her feet. Hip surgery meant she can't bend enough now to use a pumice stone.
Useful things those cheap wooden spatulas.

 

[Broch]

Neat idea!

Here's a question: strop leather side up or suede side up? I've seen both used and I suppose the swede holds more compound but is there a performance difference?

 

[Nice65]

Neat idea!

Here's a question: strop leather side up or suede side up? I've seen both used and I suppose the swede holds more compound but is there a performance difference?

Much discussed is this. I use both and don’t see an appreciable difference. I’d tend to use suede side up for convex grinds, and shiny side up for finer bevels. Thickness of leather is probably more important. For something like a Spyderco bevel thinner leather is better as it doesn’t compress so much and wrap around the bevel causing it to convex over time. Denim is also a very good medium for holding compound.

 

[Muddypaws]

That's just the example of frugal inventiveness that typifies the talented members of this forum. Good job Sir!

 

[Robson Valley]

Smooth or suede face? The Wood Carving Illustrated Forum site had almost 15,000 pages of user names.
The leather strop discussion comes up again and again. Two schools of thought, there seems no clear advantage to either.
More and more are using box card or filing card or cereal/crisps box card = hard, flat, cheap.

 

[Janne]

My home made strop, I glued the smooth surface to the paddle. I do not use any compound, as I do not want to mess up inside the house and make wife more angry than usual.
But it seems to work well without it.

 

[Broch]

I just googled this and it seems to divide people like no other subject! I can see a value in both sides; I'll make my next strop double sided

 

[Robson Valley]

Suede or smooth is one issue, the brand of honing compound has many of different fiaths, as well!
I'm convinced the strop is the shape you need for the edges that you use.
That paddle spoon would have a lot of control and versatility.

Many honing compounds are suspended in a waxy carrier. Lee Vallley is excellent = # 05M08.01 as a 6 oz bar.
The material can be applied as you would scribble with a crayon or pencil. I can't see how it's possible to make any kind of a mess.
Warm the bar in a shirt pocket, it spreads more easily and uniformly.
Straight Aluminum Oxide suspended in acetic acid (0.25 micron) can be applied to leather or denim cloth glued to a flat support.
It never comes off.

Box card is very economical. Your strop is as fresh as you might ever need it to be.
I scrub the LV bar into the hair on a tennis ball to do the inside bevels of carving adzes.

 

[Hammock_man]

On the basis that there is one of each on each paddle i.e. one spatula with two bits of leather, my answer to suede or smooth is .......YES.

 

[Janne]

The main thing is the length, not the width/girth.

Short length = many movements to achieve desired result.
Proper length = few strokes achieves the expected result.

 

[Broch]

Maybe, but I've seen skilled men strop their knives on their boots before now.

 

[Janne]

If nothing better is available - works well.
A leather strap/ belt is even better.

Check out the leather straps for straight razors.
That is the design that has been tried and used for Centuries.

To be frank, you want a cheap strop?
Get a piece of used plank. Get an old leather belt. Glue.
Done!

Cost ?

 

[Broch]

We have barbers in the UK too Janne; we all ken how to strop!

 

[Billy-o]

That's great Hammock Man

I made one with a 3' piece of 50mm MDF with a belt glued to it. Suede side up, of course (I mean, really, would you put brown sauce on a pastie?). But it was an old belt, to the suede isn't very suedey. It is very good for putting a horrifying convex on something.

But, honest, I usually strop on my jeans when I am out.

 

[Hammock_man]

For just a quid (a buck) it seems to have kicked off a fair few replies. I would suggest for ten different needs there are 20 different solutions. I am working on the concept; something is better then nothing. 99% of the time my knife will just be used for battoning in any case.