Strops - what do you reckon?

[Kerne]

Just finished making a couple of strops - one for me and one for my knife-making mate. I used "scrap" leather off the ends of a couple of belts that I made (I'll post these once I've taken the pics) and some oak I had lying around after I made SWMBO a coffee table. The hangy uppy bits are 2mm round thong.

The leather bits are about 8" long - the same as my sharpening stones. (I've used the black one - hence the marks!)

 

[rancid badger]

Very impressive! lovely looking bits of kit
well done mate
cheers
Steve

 

[SkogKniv]

Looks great mate! Belt has always worked best for me.

 

[Eric_Methven]

Very nice. How about sticking a second bit of leather on the other side then you could use one with stropping paste and the other just plain leather.

Eric

 

[Kerne]

Eric_Methven said
How about sticking a second bit of leather on the other side then you could use one with stropping paste and the other just plain leather.

Good idea.

Doh! Why didn't I think of that!

 

[Gill]

very neat kerne, i think i,ll make one cheers

 

[mick miller]

Hmmm, another winter eve project methinks. Did you use epoxy to glue the strop to the board Kerne?

 

[Kerne]

mick miller wrote:
Did you use epoxy to glue the strop to the board Kerne?

I used Evostick impact adhesive - the same as I use to stick the bits of leather together prior to stitching. I waxed the timber with Briwax AFTER glueing the leather down. (Otherwise it would form a barrier to the impact adhesive.)

 

[mick miller]

Thanks for that, I'm currently using an old belt to strop my knives, but I like the professional barber's shop appearance of these.

 

[SOAR]

Nice strops fella, nice wood choice aswell.

 

[Kerne]

I'm currently using an old belt to strop my knives

I used to use a belt but I felt it had a tendency to round the edge of the blade.

 

[mick miller]

That's what I'm finding too, hence the interest in making one for myself... possibly more down to technique as others don't seem to have the same problems.

 

[gloomhound]

May seem a silly question but. What is the purpose behind a strop?

 

[Kerne]

gloomhound wrote:
May seem a silly question but. What is the purpose behind a strop?

Stropping a blade after sharpening removes the "wire" edge that comes from sharpening on the stone and, thus, makes the blade sharper - though, interestingly, it can feel less sharp after sharpening as the wire edge can give a false impression of sharpness.

 

[Dougster]

I do something very simliar but less pretty, I've done it on MDF with 3000 grit micromesh on one side and leather on the other for my scandi's - they work a treat.

 

[Toddy]

Very neat indeed

Warthog1981 made one for me and one for Trishbo, and taught us how to use them too; the difference in our knives is really remarkable, they are just really good bits of kit.

cheers,
Toddy

 

[gloomhound]

Stropping a blade after sharpening removes the "wire" edge that comes from sharpening on the stone and, thus, makes the blade sharper - though, interestingly, it can feel less sharp after sharpening as the wire edge can give a false impression of sharpness.

Oh I just work in over. Learn something new every day, thanks!

 

[john scrivy]

If you want to go native with stropping -- razor strop fungus cut thinly and stuck to a board is also good BIRCH POLIPORE correct me if Im wrong