Your Knife Strop?

[Zig the Pirate]

I didn't think this would go in the Strops sub-forum, as that seems dedicated to razor strops.
But your knives need stropping too, right? What do you use?

I normally use a strip of leather, about 2" wide and 9" long. The first strip is treated with green polishing compound; the second strip is just oiled lightly.

If I'm in a hurry, I have a few diamond-impregnated silicone "strops" made by Gerber. It's actually a silicone block about 1" wide and 6" long. Kind of like a big pencil eraser.

 

[Legion]

I don't often strop knives, but if I do I just use my razor strop. It's a 3" wide linen/kangaroo leather job.

 

[freebird0064]

For my EDC, I use an old leather belt. It's been doing a good job, same belt for 15 years or so.

 

[Sinnbad11]

I use linen strops only. I don't use leather on my knives.
I also use the linen component of whatever strop I'm using currently, so right now it's fire hose.

 

[ouchyfoot]

I use leather mounted on a block of wood. The block of wood is the same size as my standard whetstones and DMTs so it fits in a standard sharpening stone holder.
I treat the leather with red oxide (jewellers rouge) first as it is oilier and makes a better base for the green oxide to adhere to. I heat the red oxide with a hairdryer to melt it into the leather. I scrape it with the back of a knife to force it in deeply while heating the leather. I may add some olive oil.
Once I have deep treated the leather with red oxide I repeat the process with green oxide.
you will never have to retreat this strop again.

 

[Bhugo]

I use leather mounted on a block of wood. The block of wood is the same size as my standard whetstones and DMTs so it fits in a standard sharpening stone holder.
I treat the leather with red oxide (jewellers rouge) first as it is oilier and makes a better base for the green oxide to adhere to. I heat the red oxide with a hairdryer to melt it into the leather. I scrape it with the back of a knife to force it in deeply while heating the leather. I may add some olive oil.
Once I have deep treated the leather with red oxide I repeat the process with green oxide.
you will never have to retreat this strop again.

Similar here. I use it for knives, chisels and all my wood plane cutters. I have just used the green oxide in the past. I’ll try the iron first next time.

 

[Tanuki]

Bump!

I just made an @ouchyfoot Christmas (red&green) charged leather strop. I had been planning to embark on charged strops beyond my diamond pasted balsa, so I had a nice 3x14" piece of leather ready to go. I decided to mount it on a well seasoned (lying around forever) piece of 4x4 from the scrap pile.

>Chop sawed the 4x4 to a pleasing base shape.
>Lightly sanded the 4x4 on the bench sander to round the edges and eliminate splinters.
>Glued on the leather using wood glue (close at hand). Piled on 40 pounds of dumbells and dried overnight.
>Followed the ouchyfoot directions but substituting a carefully used heat gun and food grade mineral oil. I worked each coat in very evenly with the spine of a pointlessly large Corrado Cutlery/Solingen fixed blade I bought at a boat show knife booth when I was somewhere in the 12 to 14 year old age range. No questions asked, no parent required. Hey, I had my Totin' Chip! After working in the polishing compounds the spine of this knife is the shiniest it has ever been.
>I was so pleased with the result, I applied a little walnut oil to a 4x4!

This new toy tool will probably see a razor experiment as well as knives. Portland Razor Company is a believer in green pasted SR stropping, so I will give that a whirl, a little more old school than my balsa.

 

[old_school]

The cereal box carboard with green polishing compound from Harbor Freight.

My nephew took pity on me and passed along a nice piece of leather. Tried and like it, but need to make a proper mounting for it.

 

[Legion]

I made a bench strop for knives to keep with my hones recently.

 

[Zig the Pirate]

I made a bench strop for knives to keep with my hones recently.

View attachment 1408362

Nice!

 

[Whilliam]

Just received this one the other day.

Made in Ukraine, it's of a handy size and nicely crafted. Rubbed one side down with green polishing compound (included); left the other side untouched, though I may dress it with Ballistol.

Used it successfully on several knives. Makes for a nice final touch. Also useful to keep blades dressed between sharpenings.

Landed these handy gadgets, too, to help me develop a feel for proper stropping angles. They were too cheap not to try.