Strop

[Magic Bus]

I presume quite a few here have made themselves a strop by gluing a strip of leather to a block of wood, but to those who haven't I would definitely recommend it  It works wonders for me and puts a lovely polished edge on a blade. I use a little Solvol Autosol (metal polish) on the leather. Just don't raise the blade too far off the leather and it should work fine. I can now shave my fingerprints off with my Sebbie 

[Benner]

I have never really got into stropping.  Does it really make that much of a difference?

[Magic Bus]

I have never really got into stropping.  Does it really make that much of a difference?

Well it works for me, and I do like to see my face in the edge   I would think it's a pretty good way to maintain an edge while removing the minimum of material. Stropping works well with my F1. Try it    

[Benner]

I have never really got into stropping.  Does it really make that much of a difference?

Well it works for me, and I do like to see my face in the edge  I would think it's a pretty good way to maintain an edge while removing the minimum of material. Try it   

I will have to give it a go. 

[Magic Bus]

http://www.knivesshipfree.com/pages/Sharpening-Videos

http://www.barkriverknives.com/home.html

These are interesting    It's pretty important to keep the blade fairly flat to the strop.

[ringzero]

I have never really got into stropping.  Does it really make that much of a difference?

Guess that'd depend on what you're using the blade for and how "anal retentive" (an obsolete Freudian term still in common use) you are about your knife.

After sharpening on my Lansky, stropping on an old leather belt or even cardboard puts the finishing touch on a hair popping sharp edge for me.

Do I really need that hair popping sharp edge?  No, but I enjoy using it until it gets "dull" from daily use.

.

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

I use strops with black (emery) and green (chromium oxide) compounds.

Just built a new double-sided strop in a coffin a little while ago.

[LatinoHeat]

I have never really got into stropping.  Does it really make that much of a difference?

Well, Ben, the difference is in saving the steel of your blade.  With a strop, you are not sharpening.  You are not removing any metal from the edge of your knife.  When we use a knife, often times the edge will roll slightly, or small bends develop and we feel it as getting dull.  What do we do when we have a dull blade?  We sharpen it.  With a strop, you simply finish, or straighten out those bend or rolled edges, and the knife is once again sharp.  Like I said, if the knife really is dull, a strop really is of no use.  However, if you strop your knife every night, or after every use (as i do on the palm of my hand, back of my belt, or on my jeans), you'd be surprised at how long you go between sharpenings.

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

I will have to give it a go. 

Have you done it yet?

[Benner]

I will have to give it a go. 

Have you done it yet?

In a word, no.  Too busy decorating ATM. 

And no I am not painting the colour budgie yellow as one other member mentioned yesterday. 

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

I will have to give it a go. 

Have you done it yet?

In a word, no.  Too busy decorating ATM. 

And no I am not painting the colour budgie yellow as one other member mentioned yesterday. 

I would have chosen that color if you had put up a poll...

[Benner]

Polls have dramatically declined since Mike went on holiday haven't they.

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

Polls have dramatically declined since Mike went on holiday haven't they.

[tcolling]

I'm no expert but I think that stropping really helps "finish" the edge on my various straight edge knives.

I purchased this strop http://www.amazon.com/Flexcut-Tool-SLIPSTROP/dp/B0002IXW28/ref=pd_cp_hi_1_img and I really like it.  It's inexpensive, it's small enough to store easily, it comes with enough stropping compound to last for months, and it does the job.

Enjoy!

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

I've heard good things about the Flexcut Gold compound.

[Benner]

I'm no expert but I think that stropping really helps "finish" the edge on my various straight edge knives.

I purchased this strop http://www.amazon.com/Flexcut-Tool-SLIPSTROP/dp/B0002IXW28/ref=pd_cp_hi_1_img and I really like it.  It's inexpensive, it's small enough to store easily, it comes with enough stropping compound to last for months, and it does the job.

Enjoy!

Now that's what I'm talking about.    Ready made. 

[jzmtl]

Depends on what you want your knife to do, strop/polish it improve push cutting but that's not all I want in my knives.

Where it really shines thou is for cutting hooks where push cut is all it does. I polished the serrated line cutter on my powerlock and it's literally a night and day difference (was sharpened with sharpmaker white rod before).

[Gadget Guy]

Sometimes you need a "toothy" edge for your knives and a strop removes the toothy edge. 

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I used to strop, but since getting the sharp maker I've become lazy

I still strop my Sak's on the palm of my hand though between use

[Mike 56]

I have a Barbers strop but what i like to use is a mouse pad works great. In the field  i use my blue jeans then i run the blade though my hair for a light oiling.
Mike

[Tinnie]

I've been wanting to make a strop...but just haven't had the time or know a place where I could get leather

Nick stuff there Spork!

[Gareth]

I've been wanting to make a strop...but just haven't had the time or know a place where I could get leather

Nick stuff there Spork!

I just use a bit of old thick leather strapping mounted on a 1" square piece of wood.  An old belt will work just as well though.

[Neil]

I used to strop, but since getting the sharp maker I've become lazy

I still strop my Sak's on the palm of my hand though between use

Here's me thinking you did that to remove the hairs

[Spork, Lord of Lime Jello!]

I used to strop, but since getting the sharp maker I've become lazy

I still strop my Sak's on the palm of my hand though between use

Here's me thinking you did that to remove the hairs

Except in winter because it keeps his hands warm...

[Mike, Lord of the Spammers!]

I used to strop, but since getting the sharp maker I've become lazy

I still strop my Sak's on the palm of my hand though between use

Here's me thinking you did that to remove the hairs

Except in winter because it keeps his hands warm...

Hey, don't knock the palm pelt you two

[Magic Bus]

I have a Barbers strop but what i like to use is a mouse pad works great. In the field  i use my blue jeans then i run the blade though my hair for a light oiling.
Mike

Careful Mike, you could end with an unplanned haircut 

[Splat]

I had never stropped until about a month ago. Now I do it to all my knives. Yes, it really does make a difference. MOF, I made up two glass stropping plates for my Edgepro. One is used with chromium oxide(the "green stuff") and the other is used with Mothers Mag polish. I like to see myself in my edges. 


he type of edge you have will also dictate what type of leather to use. If you have convex edges then use a thicker leather belt. If you have non-convexed bevels then a stiffer leather is better because it won't round(convex) the edge, though it could over time. The main thing is to ensure your strop is flat!

The thing about stropping is you need no pressure. Just let the weight of the knife do the work, and be careful not to roll the edge off the strop by lifting the spine first. Lift the whole blade straight up or edge first. I always use the marker on the edge trick for every sharpening or stropping step to ensure I'm getting my angles consistent every time. Consistent angles is key when sharpening or stropping.