Favorite Strop

[hambone56rx]

Alright gentlemen, I have a basic 2 sided strop with some Green and Black polishing compound. I think I’m leaving a lot on the table regarding a great edge. The strop is beginning to wear out, and would like y’all’s recommendation on a new strop. It seems like the best stropping compound will be a diamond emulsion (Venev, Gunny’s Juice in 1 micron seems to be most popular). Ideally something made in the states. I typically don’t get the most expensive, spare no expense product, but don’t want something cheap either. High quality , upper/mid tier price. TIA!

Hamilton

[weeping minora]

Hello Hamilton,

I find a smooth, firm leather is best for stropping. The dual-sided Sharpening Supplies XL 12"x3" strop works best for me. I never use the suede/flesh side. I'd prefer that they used a dual side of smooth leather, but I digress. The leather is long enough to split my emulsion on the same side of strop, roughly 5.5" of one micron and 5.5" of an additional micron. If you plan on stropping larger knives (say 8"+), I'd use the whole side of leather for one micron sizing. The strop is adequately priced and provides me a wealth of life in my multi-weekly usage.

For my stropping compound, I've had excellent results with Stroppy Stuff 4 and 1 micron diamond suspensions. Made in England, though not as expensive as Gunny Juice (I suppose depending on where you buy Gunny). I've actually been so chuff with the Stuff, that I haven't gotten around to my supply of Gunny Juice yet.

These would both be in that high quality, upper-mid tier price point that you are looking for, IMO.

[Wandering_About]

I'll second using smooth leather. And I always use diamond compound now. 1 micron is my preferred abrasive size but it's good to experiment and see what works best for you.

[hambone56rx]

Hello Hamilton,

I find a smooth, firm leather is best for stropping. The dual-sided Sharpening Supplies XL 12"x3" strop works best for me. I never use the suede/flesh side. I'd prefer that they used a dual side of smooth leather, but I digress. The leather is long enough to split my emulsion on the same side of strop, roughly 5.5" of one micron and 5.5" of an additional micron. If you plan on stropping larger knives (say 8"+), I'd use the whole side of leather for one micron sizing. The strop is adequately priced and provides me a wealth of life in my multi-weekly usage.

For my stropping compound, I've had excellent results with Stroppy Stuff 4 and 1 micron diamond suspensions. Made in England, though not as expensive as Gunny Juice (I suppose depending on where you buy Gunny). I've actually been so chuff with the Stuff, that I haven't gotten around to my supply of Gunny Juice yet.

These would both be in that high quality, upper-mid tier price point that you are looking for, IMO.

Thank you! Checking it out now!

Hamilton

[HolySteel]

......

[vivi]

I don't strop these days but when I did I was a fan of these 6"x1" strops from gritomatic

https://www.gritomatic.com/products/cow ... eab3&_ss=r

I liked 7 micron venev compound better than 1 or 0.1 micron. I have a 40 micron compound that's pretty interesting too.

[kennethsime]

I dunno man, if I strop a knife thoroughly with black and green compound it cuts like a laser. Sure, it could be better, but I don’t think it’s the compound that’s holding me back.

[RustyIron]

but don’t want something cheap either.
High quality , upper/mid tier price.

Sorry man, I can't help. Despite having a variety of expensive materials and strops, my favorite is a piece of "stir-stick" that you get for free from the paint store. I suppose if you bought a few gallons of paint, the lowly stick would be elevated to "mid tier" status.

Cut it to whatever dimensions you like. I occasionally slop a little 1.0 micron diamond paste onto mine. Sometimes I'll break out the expensive strops. After using them, I always ask myself, "Why?"

[Paul Ardbeg]

I use a smooth leather combined with Jende 1 micron poly diamond emulsion. This combo works great for me and get's to a reasonable mirror edge, but more important it get's your knive super sharp!

[kobold]

I always buy the BRKT two sided XL strop. Load it with DMT diapaste and with the BRKT white compound. I also use the sides, loaded or unloaded wood as the very last step.

[WilliamMunny]

I just use an old leather belt and some blue compound that I had laying around. Probably not the best setup but it works well for me, sharp knives.

[ImHereForTheMilitary2]

I found a decent strop on Amazon for about 20 bucks. I got two of them. On one I use the green polish bar and diamond emulsion, then I use the other ones suede side for cleaning the polish, and the flat side bare leather for final strop

[Guts]

I make my own these days. Leather on a 3D printed backing with gunny juice. Also like basswood with gunny juice but it's a little less forgiving if I had to describe it.

[Erion929]

I had been using a dual sided leather strop with green compound…but was inconsistent with pressures.

Recently changed to diamond pastes and went to a wood strop,…bought a 2.5” x 24” piece of POPLAR from Home Depot for about $4. It is a very smooth, flat wood and I even lightly sanded it with 2500 grit sandpaper to make it baby’s butt smooth. The 24” long piece can be cut, but I just leave it whole and it gives me several areas I can use….including the other side.

I think I strop more correctly now, with the diamond pastes and only very light pressure….less worries on rolling edges.
.

[hambone56rx]

I don't strop these days but when I did I was a fan of these 6"x1" strops from gritomatic

https://www.gritomatic.com/products/cow ... eab3&_ss=r

I liked 7 micron venev compound better than 1 or 0.1 micron. I have a 40 micron compound that's pretty interesting too.

Thank you Vivi! Can you tell me why you liked the 7 Micron better? I would have assumed that you have wanted a more Coarse edge? Wouldn’t the 40 micron be finer??

I appreciate your feedback! Checking out the strops now!

Hamilton

[hambone56rx]

but don’t want something cheap either.
High quality , upper/mid tier price.

Sorry man, I can't help. Despite having a variety of expensive materials and strops, my favorite is a piece of "stir-stick" that you get for free from the paint store. I suppose if you bought a few gallons of paint, the lowly stick would be elevated to "mid tier" status.

Cut it to whatever dimensions you like. I occasionally slop a little 1.0 micron diamond paste onto mine. Sometimes I'll break out the expensive strops. After using them, I always ask myself, "Why?"

Fascinating! I have seen Michael Cristy on YoutTube talk about Balsa Strops, is that roughly the same idea???

Hamilton

[hambone56rx]

I don't strop these days but when I did I was a fan of these 6"x1" strops from gritomatic

https://www.gritomatic.com/products/cow ... eab3&_ss=r

I liked 7 micron venev compound better than 1 or 0.1 micron. I have a 40 micron compound that's pretty interesting too.

While I’ve got the GOAT here, what’s your experience with sprays compared to compound? Gritomatic is out of Gunny Juice. I think I remember hearing that the diamond sprays are the most ideal. Would the Venev compound in either the jar or the chapstick type tube be “good enough for county road work?”

At the price of these strops, should I get a couple and have some different grits for the compounds?

For context, I just have a SM to sharpen. I haven’t mastered the art of free handing like
You have… yet!

Thank you Vivi!

Hamilton

[vivi]

I don't strop these days but when I did I was a fan of these 6"x1" strops from gritomatic

https://www.gritomatic.com/products/cow ... eab3&_ss=r

I liked 7 micron venev compound better than 1 or 0.1 micron. I have a 40 micron compound that's pretty interesting too.

Thank you Vivi! Can you tell me why you liked the 7 Micron better? I would have assumed that you have wanted a more Coarse edge? Wouldn’t the 40 micron be finer??

I appreciate your feedback! Checking out the strops now!

Hamilton

Larger grit = more coarse.



I've never heard of anyone besides me using larger than 10 micron.

Like with stones, coarser abrasives cut faster than finer ones, and diamond / CBN cuts faster than more old school compounds

https://benchmarkabrasives.com/blogs/ne ... their-uses

7 microns is roughly around 3,000 grit, so that's a very high level of polish for a utility knife. This makes it a nice finishing step after using the spyderco fine or ultrafine ceramics, as its finer than either of those stones.

1 micron, and 0.1 micron, simply work too slow for my tastes. I also can't say I notice a big difference in how sharp I get a polished edge stropped on 7 micron vs these finer compounds.

40 Micron is cool because it works stupid fast for a strop and helps leave a more toothy edge. I thought it might be something I end up using a lot as I prefer edges sharpened to 180-300 grit and 40 micron is close to that ballpark.

Over time, I found that just like with a polished edge, I prefer the apex I get right off my stones with toothy edges too.

Strops are fun to mess around with but like I said I never use them anymore.

For a toothy edge I use the 4 sided harbor freight stones, either the 200 or 300 grit plate, no follow up steps. I can get an edge that'll shave arm hair and keep slicing aggression for a minimum of 2 months on steels like 420 and PE H1, and half a year to a year on steels like K390.

With polished edges, mostly my japanese kitchen knives I use at work, I'm more inclined to strop. I keep a 7 micron strop in a zip lock bag along with a Spyderco fine bench stone in my knife roll. I'd say I only strop those knives 25% of the time. Most the time I don't bother, because I'm satisfied with the edge I get right off the fine stones.

Play around with different ones and see what you think. Some people swear by them. Maybe you will too. I found for my standards and uses, it's faster using just the stones and I get a crisper edge than I do from strops.

BTW I use venev chapstick style tubes of compounds. I haven't bought any since the war with Ukraine began so availability may have been affected.

[vivi]

I don't strop these days but when I did I was a fan of these 6"x1" strops from gritomatic

https://www.gritomatic.com/products/cow ... eab3&_ss=r

I liked 7 micron venev compound better than 1 or 0.1 micron. I have a 40 micron compound that's pretty interesting too.

While I’ve got the GOAT here, what’s your experience with sprays compared to compound? Gritomatic is out of Gunny Juice. I think I remember hearing that the diamond sprays are the most ideal. Would the Venev compound in either the jar or the chapstick type tube be “good enough for county road work?”

At the price of these strops, should I get a couple and have some different grits for the compounds?

For context, I just have a SM to sharpen. I haven’t mastered the art of free handing like
You have… yet!

Thank you Vivi!

Hamilton

I'd recommend only using 1 compound per strop, so yes grab a few different cheap strops to try different compounds and see which give you the best results.

Believe it or not I've never tried any sprays. There's a lot of sharpening stuff I've never messed with. When I linked the gritomatic site I glanced at their sharpening systems they sell now. Never tried any of em.

I found what works for me and I'm happy with the performance I get from those tools (harbor freight diamond stone for reprofiling and toothy edges, sharpmaker for handling serrated edges, recurves and hawkbills, spyderco fine benchstone for polished edges on culinary knives, harbor freight 1x30 belt sander for reprofiling axes, machetes, etc.....that's about it these days....)

[RustyIron]

Fascinating! I have seen Michael Cristy on YoutTube talk about Balsa Strops, is that roughly the same idea???

I can't really say what Christy has in mind. My thoughts are that a harder material is less likely to deform under pressure from the blade, and will have less of a tendency to round the edge.