What do you all use to strop?

[Deadeye008]

I've got the Sharpmaker and really love it. I'm just wanting to take my edges that extra step. So, what do you all use to strop? Thanks.

[clovisc]

i use my leather belt.

ed schempp recently said he uses the back of his boot. :D

[MLR]

back of a legal pad

[Deadeye008]

i use my leather belt.

ed schempp recently said he uses the back of his boot. :D

LOL. So I'm guessing you don't use any kind of compound...

[vampyrewolf]

14" hanging strop at the bottom of the stairs, loaded with veritas green on the smooth side... or the case for my 303mf loaded with 2.0 and 0.5 micron on the long edges.

but your jeans, toe of your boot, rubber sole on your boot, edge of a table, edge of a book, the cardboard backing on a notepad or notebook... ****, even the top edge of your window or your coffee mug will clean an edge up.

It's more the process and the angle than the surface.

[aebfroman]

The thing located under the fake UKPK.

[Jeremy McCullen]

The September 2009 issue Blade magazine has a very good article on strops. The article talks about different types of strops, materials and a how to.

[araneae]

A hunk of priority mail box loaded with metal polish.

[jzmtl]

Piece of leather glued to a block of maple wood smooth side up, then rubbed with jeweler's rouge.

[buckthorn]

I use one micron DMT diamond paste rubbed sparingly with a fingertip into the face (3" x 12" in my case but there's nothing sacred about those dimensions) of a block of MDF. I've initially prepared the surface of that block by rubbing it against P2000 grit silicon carbide "wet or dry"abrasive paper (P1200 or P1500 would work too) placed face up on a granite surface plate or a piece of quarter inch glass.

I strop carefully being sure not to "raise" (rotate along its major axis) the blade at the end of the stroke. Doing this procedure regularly on VG-10 or ZDP-189 blades keeps them shaving sharp while prolonging blade life by removing very little material and lengthening the period between conventional sharpening sessions. The diamond paste also goes a long way.

[gunmike1]

I use 3M lapping film in 1 micron, .3 micron, and .05 micron over glass to finish my edges. 1 microm is just stupid sharp, and the other 2 leave edges that were well formed prior to sharpening at a pretty impressive level of sharpness. M4 or ZDP-189 finished at .05 microns are some great edges for showing off with, as they are so sharp it is hard to whittle hair because the hair just pops into two pieces when it touches the blade when you try to whittle the hair. Fine grit sprays and pastes on leather should yield similar results.

Mike

[clovisc]

LOL. So I'm guessing you don't use any kind of compound...

nope. my stropping isn't quite that sophisticated, i'm afraid. :D

vampyrewolf turned me on to using leather bootlaces to strop serrations, back a couple years ago...

[Billy]

I use this one http://www.knifeart.com/leatherstrop.html . Also, if you don't have them already, get the UF stones for the Sharpmaker. They make a big difference.

[ryan28801]

[img][IMG]http://i88.photobucket.com/albums/k198/ ... CF9733.jpg[/img][/IMG]

This is what I use, it is a Zeepk with rawhide on one side and smooth leather on the other. Finishing up with the cotton strop really seems to give it that "pop" I've tried compound but it doesn't seem to make a big difference as far as I can tell. I hook that loop at the top on my big toe and get to stroppin'. Haven't lost a toe yet, and it really puts a poppin' edge on a blade. This one has lasted me 4 years so far and I think I paid about $5 for it on the web, and it seems to have several years left in it.

[vito72]

I use this one http://www.knifeart.com/leatherstrop.html . Also, if you don't have them already, get the UF stones for the Sharpmaker. They make a big difference.

Honestly its a little bit im using UF stones.

[Kev-Man]

Bought this setup from Japanese Knife Sharpening. It's from left to right

Scrubed Bull Leather
Hard Felt
Smooth Bovine
Metal Base
.5 Micron Dry CrO
.5 Micron Liquid CrO
.25 Micron Diamond Spray

Everything but the Scrubbed Bull and Diamond spray as a kit I think it was like $70. Unfortunatly Hands America is taking a break from making the products.

Kev.

[dalefuller]

I usually use a strop block loaded with green compound that I got from Knives Plus. Sometimes I'll use the double sided strop from Bark River since it's got a bit more aggressive comnpound on the grey side. I can do a bit more sharpening wth it without having to go to the stones or rods.