Stroping Compound

E

EWhiteBK7

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Nov 18, 2015
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I do not have a designated strop for my blade sharpening. I just use the back of my leather belt and all my knives can shave and slice phone book paper without any issues. So, my question is, would it be worth my time to have a designated strop to use honing/stropping compound on? How much of a difference would it make and what is the best compound to use if it does make a difference? Any help would be much appreciated.
 
WELCOME!

Sounds like your leather belt works just fine for your application.

Using plain leather is not uncommon. Some use paper, cardboard, even bare hardwood. And there are several grades of compounds from 'cutters' to 'polishers' depending on grit and their use depends on the task at hand. Just like sandpaper and metal rubbing compounds and polishes.
 
After I posted this thread I did some research of my own. I read that plain/bare leather works fine, but using compound make the process faster. Is this true? It takes little time for me to strop to a razor with bare leather, so this alone would not make me start using compound. I am most interested in the difference it makes to the edge, even though, as is my blades are plenty sharp.
 
Stropping is more for refining an edge than sharpening.

The grit in the compound cuts the steel just like a high grit stone. The compounds are higher grits than you'd normally find in stones. Green chromium compound is typically less than 1 micron, higher than 15,000 grit. Going higher becomes more 'polishing' than 'sharpening'. This is how mirror edges are created.

Again, if your plain leather stropping works for you, there's no need to change.
 
EWhiteBK7 said:
I do not have a designated strop for my blade sharpening. I just use the back of my leather belt and all my knives can shave and slice phone book paper without any issues. So, my question is, would it be worth my time to have a designated strop to use honing/stropping compound on? How much of a difference would it make and what is the best compound to use if it does make a difference? Any help would be much appreciated.
Click to expand...

so what does stropping do for you, what do you use it for, what do you notice? remove the burr?

I cut the burr off with a high angle pass, i microbevel, this gets me shaving arm hair easily ... if take a little care I can shave hair off face as well, not a close shave (face more sensitive) ;
no tree-topping or hair-whittling , no push cutting paper, but I can slice dang near anything

I just read this yesterday Sharpening Forum: Mother's Mag & Aluminum Polish?! (1/1)
electron microscope before/after pictures at scienceofsharp burr-removal-part-1/
Basically, if you use mothers mag aluminum polish,
apply it to denim/jeans and strop,
it will polish your edge so much you should be able to go push cut paper and shave anything :)
 
use a strop with a good leather on it rough side up and ether green or black compound on it,amazing what a edge you can get!with little effort and time stropping your knife.
 
If what you're now doing works to your satisfaction, why change? If you just want to experiment with polishing compound, try out the Knives Plus Strop Block. It's nice leather glued to an 8" block of wood with green compound impregnated into the leather. I've been using one for about two years or so and I prefer it to my old method of using a recycled leather belt. I'm not sure what they cost right now although I've seen them for sale on the big river site. Knives Plus probably sells them for less if ordered from their website.
 
I use a leather strop belt with medium white compound on an inexpensive 1x30 Delta belt sander. Works wonders for my needs.
 
I would only suggest that if you do use compound, don't put it on your walking around belt. Chromium oxide is a known mutagen, and the other stuff is probably stuff you don't really want to be stuck to your skin.
 
Take an old belt and glue it nap side up to a piece of wood. Stropping block.

Zieg
 
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