# strop



## georgiaboy (Mar 2, 2015)

What are you guys using to strop?  Commercial or DIY?


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## Chief31794 (Mar 2, 2015)

I strop constantly in the shop all my leather knives and skivers, I make my own by gluing 8-10 oz leather to a board, then loading it with jeweler's rouge.  

Chief


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## Artfuldodger (Mar 2, 2015)

Chief31794 said:


> I strop constantly in the shop all my leather knives and skivers, I make my own by gluing 8-10 oz leather to a board, then loading it with jeweler's rouge.
> 
> Chief



Do you use oil on the strop with the rouge?


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## Chief31794 (Mar 2, 2015)

Artfuldodger said:


> Do you use oil on the strop with the rouge?



I oil the strop well (Not soggy) with Neatsfoot oil when it's new, then I don't ever apply oil again. Holds the rouge a little better, I've done it both ways and both work, I just like making the oil a little more pliant and the rouge a little better distributed.

Chief


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## georgiaboy (Mar 2, 2015)

Good tips Chief, thanks.  I generally use white polishing compound but may try some diamond paste or CBN spray.


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## Chief31794 (Mar 2, 2015)

georgiaboy said:


> Good tips Chief, thanks.  I generally use white polishing compound but may try some diamond paste or CBN spray.



On my edgers, I use Aluminum Oxide Powder, it is a little more aggressive and will sharpen, I have this on one side and White Jeweler's Rouge on the other of a board.  I sharpen on Diamond Super Fine stones or Very Fine Arkansas Stones when I need to sharpen, but for very light sharpening, the Aluminum Oxide works pretty well, I use Beeswax on the leather to hold the Aluminum Oxide.

Chief


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## Anvil Head (Mar 3, 2015)

I do something very similar to Chief for my leather and carving tools. I have a square block with a fine ark stone, very fine ark stone, leather with rouge, and leather with white. Sits right on my leather bench and is very handy for touchups.
I also have two old smooth wide belts (thrift store finds) on clips closer to my belt grinder loaded with rouge and white. These are handy slack strops for the bigger blades.
However most the time I just use slack belt set up on my KMG to pull and strop the final edge. Pull the final micro burr on a 19 micron then follow up with a felt belt lightly loaded with pink to pull the burr off. Sharp enough to slice free falling paper.


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## georgiaboy (Mar 3, 2015)

Thanks Carl.  I may need to try the felt belt.  I normally use the flat platen to sharpen a finished knife then pull the burr off on a paper wheel with white rouge.  That's for a new or maybe damaged blade. 

I was thinking about using a strop for touching up personal knives.  I'm also bad to use my jeans, top of my thigh while seated. I pull the blade down with edge facing me (sounds unsafe but I bet you know what I'm talking about).  A couple of guys where perplexed watching me until I showed them it worked.  I try to keep my personal knives sharp so all I do is routinely touch up.

I don't recommend using your jeans, wears them out quicker haha.


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## Anvil Head (Mar 4, 2015)

A dull knife is just a crappy screwdriver with a pretty handle!
Can't stand picking up a dull blade and there is no reason in a knifemaker's shop (at least that's what I keep telling myself!).
Yepper, done the blue jean thing, but it freaks Momma out too much.

Sort of stumbled on the felt belt thing. Have been pulling the final micro burr on the microns for years - just too easy not to. Got the belts in a buy out couple of 3 years back and decided to try it. Really scary fast! Set final bevel with 220, refine on 400, reverse slack belt to burr on 19 micron, and remove burr with felt. Takes longer to change belts than anything else. If I have 4 - 5 blades ready, I'm looking at less than 3 min. per blade avg.
Always thought about a paper wheel, but never got around to fabricating one and the felt is so quick.

Besides, my jeans are so worn and holey from forging they don't do a good job anymore.


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## georgiaboy (Mar 4, 2015)

What do you mean by reverse slack belt?  Running the grinder in reverse or did ou mean reversing the knife (edge up?).

The paper wheel works very well but if it's late I try not to turn it on and wake up the household.  A grinder is also a little big to put in a pack or leave in the truck!


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## Anvil Head (Mar 5, 2015)

Could do it either way I suppose. The configuration of my KMG is such that the top horizontal run to the contact wheel is all slack belt (no under support). With proper lighting you can actually see the micro burr develop. Couple of passes each side to make sure the burr is even is all it takes. Switch over to felt and do a pass or two to remove the burr. This is all done with the edge going same direction as the belt, just like you would normally strop a blade. The KMG also allows removal of the flat platen leaving a 10-12 inch slack area between the rollers if so desired, which I do with the larger blades like bowies and dirks for better control of the longer blades.
Mostly it's a matter of practice attained feel same as freehand grinding.

Found it simpler to sharpen knives before needed so they are ready to go. Yeah that's plural, gotta have a "throw down" handy all the time.
Back side of your belt will make a better emergency strop than your blue jeans. Just stand on the buckle and hold the tab end.


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## georgiaboy (Mar 5, 2015)

Anvil Head said:


> Could do it either way I suppose. The configuration of my KMG is such that the top horizontal run to the contact wheel is all slack belt (no under support). With proper lighting you can actually see the micro burr develop. Couple of passes each side to make sure the burr is even is all it takes. Switch over to felt and do a pass or two to remove the burr. This is all done with the edge going same direction as the belt, just like you would normally strop a blade. The KMG also allows removal of the flat platen leaving a 10-12 inch slack area between the rollers if so desired, which I do with the larger blades like bowies and dirks for better control of the longer blades.
> Mostly it's a matter of practice attained feel same as freehand grinding.
> 
> Found it simpler to sharpen knives before needed so they are ready to go. Yeah that's plural, gotta have a "throw down" handy all the time.
> Back side of your belt will make a better emergency strop than your blue jeans. Just stand on the buckle and hold the tab end.



Good tips, thanks Carl.  I've got the slack belt area between the idler and contact wheel or platen on the Bader so I know what you mean there.


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## Anvil Head (Mar 6, 2015)

Believe it or not, I got the idea to use my belt from my Mom's dad. He was Scotch/Irish (frugal extremist extradinare), used to resharpen his used razor blades in fruit jar/glass. He'd take his belt off and stick the buckle between boards in the side of the barn pull on the tab end and strop away when needed.....he was extremely quick with that belt in a lot of ways!
He used to let me carry his big ol' elephant's toenail Case in my pocket walking around the farm. Thought I'd never get big enough to be able to open that thing, but even having to hold my pants up with one hand I felt like king carrying it. Great times.


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## georgiaboy (Mar 6, 2015)

No telling how much practical knowledge has been lost over the years!


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## Anvil Head (Mar 7, 2015)

I suffer from that (just between my ears alone).


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## SemperFiDawg (Mar 10, 2015)

Glad someone asked this question and great flu for the comments.


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## Smokey (Mar 11, 2015)

A lot of good information there.


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## georgiaboy (Jan 11, 2016)

I'm bumping this back up.  I didn't get around to trying any diamond or CBN spray.  Can anyone comment on either, especially with brands you've had success with?

I've pretty well gone to slack belt on my edges.  For final I'm going 30 to 15 to 9 micron then to a paper wheel with white rouge.  This results in an extremely sharp polished edge.  As its time to replace the white rouge I'm considering a different compound.  

Note that the paper wheel is essentially just mechanical stropping. I take care to make quick and light passes to avoid heat build up.


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## John I. Shore (Jan 11, 2016)

GB, If you are going to change up on the white rouge I recommend the White (Green Chrome).  It's what I use, I sharpen on a slack belt then polish/buff the wire edge off with a sewn buff and the White green chrome.

John I.


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## georgiaboy (Jan 11, 2016)

Thanks John.  I use sewn wheels to polish and buff sometimes too.  White rouge works great but wanting to keep trying for more/better.

Any specific brand or source?


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