Leather strop maintenance

[H82bogey]

I am having a difficult time getting my strop to stay clean for more than bout 10 swipes. And I am talking about the green compound side that is just for polishing.

I have searched youtube and the net and have seen multiple different ways. I haven't tried them all, but the few I have tried only work for about one knife. Once I get more than about 10 swipes, the sheen comes back and I need to clean again.

What do you guys use to clean your strop that lasts for awhile?

 

[Retired Educator]

Have to admit that I've never used one. Before I was too young to shave I remember watching the local barber using one before he gave a shave to a customer. Do barbers even do that anymore?

Those of you who use a strop, what do you use them for? Looking for more than "sharpening a knife or razor". More interested in what type of knife or razor.

 

[Vollmers]

no help here, I'm a "dollar shave club" guy.

 

[RustyTackleBox]

i use a strop to finish all of my knives when sharpening... i can usually, gut, skin, and debone 3 deer with my buck knife before i have to sharpen it again, I usually do it right before deer season every year and get it razorblade sharp... as to the original question, I don't know the fix for it either

 

[H82bogey]

I should have clarified it's for knife sharpening and not for razors, but I guess maybe it doesn't matter.

 

[PrairieGhost]

i use a strop to finish all of my knives when sharpening... i can usually, gut, skin, and debone 3 deer with my buck knife before i have to sharpen it again, I usually do it right before deer season every year and get it razorblade sharp... as to the original question, I don't know the fix for it either

Same here Rusty. I don't clean mine, I rub it down hard with a paper towel and add new compound. I have looked at my knives under a microscope and the edge is cleaner than the Havalon or the scalpels I used for work. I know my knife shaves cleaner than the scalpel blade.

 

[Retired Educator]

Do those of you who use them think they do a better job than a steel? I'm guessing I already know the answer to that question.

 

[eyexer]

man was I confused, thought this was some post on bondage or something.

 

[SDMF]

no help here, I'm a "dollar shave club" guy.

The idea behind the dollar shave club is that you buy and use more than 1 blade/yr ya grizzly bastard.

 

[RustyTackleBox]

Do those of you who use them think they do a better job than a steel? I'm guessing I already know the answer to that question.

the only knives I put a steel to are my kitchen knives and fillet just to get a quick hone while boning or cleaning fish... I still sharpen them on the regular too

 

[PrairieGhost]

Do those of you who use them think they do a better job than a steel? I'm guessing I already know the answer to that question.

OK, let me tell you how to get your knives and broadheads sharper than factory. I do have a razor strap that supposedly my grandfather gave to my uncle when he opened a barber shop in something like 1920, but that's not what I use. If you know someone with a planer have them do an oak board 18 inches long and 2.25 inches wide. I don't know the best place to get leather I had a bunch on hand from Tandy. Next contact cement a 12 X 2.25 inch piece of full grain leather to the oak board. Shape the other six inches for your hand. Rub in Semichrome or some other fine jewelry polish into the leather. Do not use Flitz it's more of a chemical reaction than an mild abrasive. J B Bore Polish will work too. Strop your knife, or individual blades from your broadhead. It will beat anything you can buy for that final finish.

Edit: The tough part of using a strap is the tension you put on the strap controls the angle of contact with the blade. A ridged strap doesn't have that problem. You control the blade and not the strap tension.

Edit again: https://www.razoredgesystems.com/products/kits/product/18-deluxe-professional-kit-w-6-hones
The finishing stone in this kit is 3000 or 4000 grit. Maybe finer, it feels like glass. I used an entire tube of stones on my Dremel to cut a piece of that stone and glued it to jig for my Lansky. It comes with a knife and a broadhead jig that also works very well. This is my finish before the strap.

 

[eyexer]

for fine wood working tools we use a buffing wheel in either a bench top grinder or on a lathe. turn it on and hit the wheel with some jewelers rouge and then take the blade to it.

 

[PrairieGhost]

I bought one of those leather strop wheels from Rockler. I use it for turning tools and wood chisels. I have a white compound and a red. It's been so long since I have used it I can't remember the difference. You see guys at county fair's and such with the leather wheels and they always want to sharpen your knife. No way would I let them touch my knife.

 

[Davy Crockett]

I use a buffing wheel and compound like eyexer mentioned on some things but especially on my old spoon auger that wouldn't cut butter for many years. I remembered how nice it cut when we first got it and the buffing wheel was the only way I could bring it back to life. wouldn't want to drill a bunch of holes or ice thicker than 8-12'' with it but I Can drill through early clear ice faster easier and than starting the jiffy and lugging it around.