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How to Charge a Leather Strop?

7K views 23 replies 7 participants last post by  Chris Curl 
#1 ·
What's a good way to load up a 3x8" leather strop? I did a quick Google search on this and found a range of ways, but... One way I found was just rub the compound stick on the strop but this appeared quite blotchy and I don't see how you'd get anywhere even polishing. Another way was to melt the compound 50/50% in animal fat to get a nice even coat on the strop. While that would give an even, but diluted, coat of compound, I don't really like the idea.

How do you do it?
 
#3 ·
I just keep rubbing the polishing compound on the leather until I have a nice coat, I haven't had problems with the compound being splotchy. Did you make your strop or buy it. I made mine and used the raw rougher side of the leather as it takes the compound easier.
 
#8 ·
I bought mine. The only leather scrap I ever come across are old belts. I was shopping online and a Trend 3x8" was on sale, so I got two of them in case I messed up one of them. I figured this smaller size would be easier to just toss in a drawer.
 
#4 ·
I use jewelers rouge and just rub it on the leather. I have the piece of leather stretched over a piece of 1x4. This may make it a little easier. I also run hot water over the leather first to soften it a bit before doing this and keep it wet when I strop a knife or chisels on it.
 
#10 ·
I'm just re-learning hand sharpening. I hadn't sharpened anything in years, and when I did way-back-when, I used a white wheel grinding machine from Sears. I discovered I didn't really like the concave, especially on pocket knives. So for Christmas I got a Trend 3x8" diamond stone and am slowing resharpening some knives and tools, as spare time allows. My first test was my steak knives, and boy-howdy, what a difference: every steak now seems tender they slice so easily, LOL :grin:
 
#19 ·
I think the idea is that the smoother the surface , the sharper the edge. Polishing makes for a smoother surface. So it is not so much polishing for the sake of polishing, but polishing for the sake of getting a Sharper Edge

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#20 · (Edited)
I thought of using good old McQuires #9 buffing compound..available at just about any auto parts store used for polishing paint finishes..
I've been through gallons of the stuff over the years..
Polishing compound comes in many different grits down to barely any abrasive to it.. And it's relatively inexpensive..
 
#23 ·
And for what its worth on the debate, on my edge tools that I want stupidly sharp, plane irons, chisel and the like, I use wet/dry paper up to 2500 grit before stropping on a piece of leather charged with green compound. That fine of paper already leaves a mirror surface pretty much, so the compound is really unnecessary for any sort of polishing, the strop just removes the burr. The compound doesn't hurt anything though, as a matter of fact it can really only help, so no harm in keeping it on.

Utility knives and the like I sharpen on a fine diamond stone, think its about 1200 grit, before stropping on the same piece of leather. There the compound will polish the edge to a mirror finish while getting rid of that burr, so it really does help. Makes a pretty noticeable difference in the quality of the edge
 
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