I feel that the best strop is one you make yourself knowing your own style, swing length and grip type. A strop mounted on wood is fine but don't forget that the one made from an old soft leather belt will travel with you wherever you go and last for years. Happy Stropping !!
The obvious difference i see in the first strops to the last is the side of the leather that is up. Looks like suede side up on all but the last. Slick side up. I made one myself like your first ones and put suede up and slick up on the other side. Seemed afer a little fine tuning i liked the slick side up. I made a second one where i gorilla glued the suede side down onto a piece of ceramic tile to ensure flatness and glued that to a wooden handle. Then sanded the leather down w 150 grit to ablolutely flat and roughen surface a little to hold compound. Then did the stove thing. Works well and surface looks just like the strop you like.
Thanks for sharing. This is a rather awesome deal. A good quality leather strop of this size that is not already prepped is typically $30+. Just ordered mine. Vid Liked.
Awesome video there jdavis882,Iam just getting more into sharpining my kitchen knives as I bbq a lot.I need sharp knives. gonna pick up some good whetstones as well to start it off. then the final polish with the strop..I have mostly German knives,but been buying some japanese knives as well lately. so yeah brother hook me up.cant cut meat on a dull blade.really liked your tried and true test and your honesty. I want that badass strop thanks, Cris
@fulie1 Oh I took no offense at all. Hard to judge tone on the internet. :) Sharpening is something that I believe varies from person to person. Everybody seems to have their own thing that works for them, and I like it that way. It gives almost endless tips and tricks to share. I learn new stuff every day!
Being new to stropping knives I have found this article to be very informative without being boring and I would like to get the information where the strap board came from in Amarillo Texasthank you so much I am a new subscriber to your channel
@jdavis882 Yeah definitely seems that way. you will have to let me know where to get that strop again, I forget what video we were talking about it on. For 30 bucks to have a great quality strop for the rest of your life seems worth it.
@jdavis882 haha im sorry about that i looked on your channel right after i made that comment and saw some vids on how sharp the knives were but heres my question: my knives are on the verge of razor sharp and just sharp and i cant get them any sharper on the stones and diamond stones with different grits ive got and will that strop get me from semi razor sharp to full hair-whittling sharp?
1 oz veg tan leather. You can get it anywhere leather is sold. Tandy carries it. Ya'll may not want that much leather. Veg tan belt blanks are like $39-$40 for a full length belt blank.
I made a strop but i am using the "hairy" side of the leather.... I dont know which side to use. I have thick cowhide, I just need to be sure what side to use. Can someone help please?
@fulie1 I'm not sure hard strops are necessarily "bad" for V edges, it may just be me. I just can't seem to get sharp edges unless the strop gives a little. It may be my technique. Honestly, there are so many variables that I'm not entirely sure the hardness of the leather is what caused my poor results. It could be other things like the nap of the leather, compound used, etc. But, I know what works.
@RoguePranks I don't know if the strop alone will bring you to hair whittling since I can't get a good idea of how refined your edge is, but I promise no matter how sharp it is the strop will make it a LOT sharper. I think if you used your diamond stones, then a ultra fine ceramic, then a strop you could get hair whittling edges. A mirror polish too. Look at my video "strop block tips" and also the 306UF stone review. :)
Awesome video, made me laugh a couple times. Your too kind with sending me the Manix 2. This is the strop you recommended to me when we previously talked I believe. Sounds well worth it, I will probably be ordering one soon. I always though "dont add too much compound" was crap too. If it was true why use compound at all? You would have an uneven strop. I am kinda surprised though that the very hard strop was bad for V edges. I would think that would act like a stone and be better for them.
Hey, If you can find some, try using synthetic cork. I salvaged a piece from work and it works good for me. It is soft and I can pinch it between my fingers. It holds the compound good. I am using red jewelers rue I got from an Ace Hardware Store. If you like experimenting, it's something to try.
+trooper2221 If it dulls your blades, it's your fault, not the strop or the compound. There is no such thing as a strop, or a kind of compound, that will dull any blade, unless the user simply doesn't know how to strop properly.
So from trial and error.. my homemade leather strop was rounding the edge. Conclusion: To much pressure was applied while using soft leather. The displacement of leather & angle of the blade was enough to round the edge.
I "touch up" my knives on a rod steel or ceramic. Honing a sharp knife keeps the edge maintained. I strop after sharpening a knife. The best leather to use is vegetable tanned( tooling leather) used to make belts, handbags or decorative tooled items. I only use the smooth side of 12 oz. Leather. Cheers.
WHERE DO I GET ONE? Great vid and awesome amount of knowledge, that I know to be correct. If it's good enough for you, it's good enough for me. Thank you!!!
@datsomedimsum Well of course it's the KnivesPlus strop block. I did tell it right away. It's annotated in within the first 15 seconds of the video....
funny how he has changed his stropping mind from not liking hard leather, so his new favorite which has hard leather. The stropman strop. I ordered a strop man strop as well, but I love my knives plus and my Starshaving strops, can't wait to try stropman.
Just watched another knife sharping expert that swears on the DLT strop and also said the Bark River compound was the best he used. Hmmm Well anyway can't locate your miracle strop you speak of. You should have had a link in the description. Anybody have the link?
Just got my first razor...It came with a leather strop and a fabric one....do I need to put it to a stone first to get it sharp ?..hope you can help..cheers from Oxford, UK.
Hi, Horses for courses. I have two strops for leather knives that are softer and thicker as I want to create a convex polished edge that will slide through the leather. I also have two for woodworking that are hard and have very little give as I do not want to round the edge at all. The next thing is 0.5 chrom oxide is for FINAL FINISHING, maybe 3 or 4 strops in each direction to finish. That is AFTER you have restored the edge shape with a coarser compound like Flexcut gold or veritas. Thanks.
Have you or anyone else who reads this heard of sanding the rough side of the leather smooth on a strop block? I just purchased the four-sided leader strop from Garos Goods (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ERCV16E?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00) and it looks like they incorrectly glued the smooth side of the leather outward on all four sides. When I contacted Garos about what I see as a mistake, they indicated that they sand the outside of the leather smooth and suggested I go ahead and apply the rouge. Every CZcams I've seen on stropping clearly indicates that I need a rough piece of leather to strop. My BS klaxon is blaring, but thought I'd ask someone with more experience how critical rough leather is to the stropping process and overall life of the strop? Has anyone heard of sanding the rough side of strop leather smooth?! For perspective, I found this reference on sanding strops: straightrazorplace.com/stropping/27363-sanding-my-strops.html
hey could you put up a video on how sharp the edge is that you get with that thing because id like to see how sharp of an edge it puts on the knife before i order that
@jdavis882 I'm sure you do, and I didnt mean to imply you were wrong at all, just found it curious. Everyone has what works for them and you sure as hell found something that works incredible for you. I'm sure your right about quality of the strops.
I know u been away for a bit..not sure if you recieve these messages. but for what's it's worth I don't pay much mind to all the rumors going around..I'm sure there's another side to the story we aren't hearing.. I truly have learned volumes watching ur vids.. do you still use the stropman strop over all others?? he makes functional works of art..I have his Billy strop..4 sided and it gives me scary sharp edges.. wish you the best
hey man, I know this is an old video and all, but do you think you could make a video on using the stropman strops and compounds? I'm having trouble getting a nice looking edge with the white and green compounds... :(
Not to contradict your results, what works for you obviously works for you, but seems to go contrary to what one would expect. Thin hard leather should work best for flat, V edges as there is no give to deform the leather and have it round the edge, thicker leather with give would normally give a bit more and be more likely to create a convex, both exactly the opposite of what you seem to experience.
Hey great video and info. I have an old strop from the 40's or so. It's got some cracking and seems dried out. Im wondering if you could reccomend wether or not I can use it or no? Also is there a way or product to bring it back to life? Thanks!
@RoguePranks I have many videos showing how sharp I can get a knife. Look around my channel I have plenty of sharpness vids. All of those edges were done with that strop. :)
Bob, this video is years old. It is likely that if I had posted a link, the URL wouldn’t even be valid today. I will post links to my recommendations shortly.
Google KnivesPlus Strop Block
I feel that the best strop is one you make yourself knowing your own style, swing length and grip type. A strop mounted on wood is fine but don't forget that the one made from an old soft leather belt will travel with you wherever you go and last for years. Happy Stropping !!
The obvious difference i see in the first strops to the last is the side of the leather that is up. Looks like suede side up on all but the last. Slick side up. I made one myself like your first ones and put suede up and slick up on the other side. Seemed afer a little fine tuning i liked the slick side up. I made a second one where i gorilla glued the suede side down onto a piece of ceramic tile to ensure flatness and glued that to a wooden handle. Then sanded the leather down w 150 grit to ablolutely flat and roughen surface a little to hold compound. Then did the stove thing. Works well and surface looks just like the strop you like.
Thanks! I actually tripped over a different video of yours where you mention the Block Strop so I just ordered one.
Thanks again!
Great videos, going to make my own stroph this weekend.... thanks for your time and knowledge...
I have owned one of these strops for a year now. Probably the best gift I have ever gotten! And they are made close to where I live.
i got this one awhile back. they work great and if you use waterstones like i do the mirror shine is insane. great product.
Best stropping video I've seen yet. Time to start over with mine. Thanks
if you still have the name of the company to purchase this strop from I would love to have it. Thank you so much.
Thanks for sharing. This is a rather awesome deal. A good quality leather strop of this size that is not already prepped is typically $30+. Just ordered mine. Vid Liked.
Hey jdavis, good video. Informative esp. about the heat and olive oil steps. Trying it today. Thanks, bob
"If you can use a fork to eat and not stab your face with it.. " love that comment!
It shows up, just looks like its for your first home made one the way it points at it.
Just got one my self thanks to you.
Awesome video there jdavis882,Iam just getting more into sharpining my kitchen knives as I bbq a lot.I need sharp knives. gonna pick up some good whetstones as well to start it off. then the final polish with the strop..I have mostly German knives,but been buying some japanese knives as well lately. so yeah brother hook me up.cant cut meat on a dull blade.really liked your tried and true test and your honesty. I want that badass strop thanks, Cris
@fulie1 Oh I took no offense at all. Hard to judge tone on the internet. :)
Sharpening is something that I believe varies from person to person. Everybody seems to have their own thing that works for them, and I like it that way. It gives almost endless tips and tricks to share. I learn new stuff every day!
Being new to stropping knives I have found this article to be very informative without being boring and I would like to get the information where the strap board came from in Amarillo Texasthank you so much I am a new subscriber to your channel
@jdavis882 Yeah definitely seems that way. you will have to let me know where to get that strop again, I forget what video we were talking about it on. For 30 bucks to have a great quality strop for the rest of your life seems worth it.
I can´t find the link to your source for the strop! What good is the video, good as it is, without the key information?
@jdavis882 haha im sorry about that i looked on your channel right after i made that comment and saw some vids on how sharp the knives were but heres my question: my knives are on the verge of razor sharp and just sharp and i cant get them any sharper on the stones and diamond stones with different grits ive got and will that strop get me from semi razor sharp to full hair-whittling sharp?
Does that strop have the smooth side of the leather showing? Or is it just loaded with compound as you described?
1 oz veg tan leather. You can get it anywhere leather is sold. Tandy carries it. Ya'll may not want that much leather. Veg tan belt blanks are like $39-$40 for a full length belt blank.
I made a strop but i am using the "hairy" side of the leather.... I dont know which side to use. I have thick cowhide, I just need to be sure what side to use. Can someone help please?
@fulie1 I'm not sure hard strops are necessarily "bad" for V edges, it may just be me. I just can't seem to get sharp edges unless the strop gives a little. It may be my technique.
Honestly, there are so many variables that I'm not entirely sure the hardness of the leather is what caused my poor results. It could be other things like the nap of the leather, compound used, etc. But, I know what works.
Thanks so much for the heads up. I just ordered one.
@RoguePranks I don't know if the strop alone will bring you to hair whittling since I can't get a good idea of how refined your edge is, but I promise no matter how sharp it is the strop will make it a LOT sharper.
I think if you used your diamond stones, then a ultra fine ceramic, then a strop you could get hair whittling edges. A mirror polish too. Look at my video "strop block tips" and also the 306UF stone review. :)
Just placed my order, can't wait to try it out!
Have you tried this stuff ( Herb's Yellowstone Honing and Stropping Compound ) I love it and get crazy scary sharp edges with it!
Hi jdavis882, would you please tell me where to get the be all end all strop? Thank you!!!!
Awesome video, made me laugh a couple times. Your too kind with sending me the Manix 2.
This is the strop you recommended to me when we previously talked I believe. Sounds well worth it, I will probably be ordering one soon. I always though "dont add too much compound" was crap too. If it was true why use compound at all? You would have an uneven strop.
I am kinda surprised though that the very hard strop was bad for V edges. I would think that would act like a stone and be better for them.
Hey, If you can find some, try using synthetic cork. I salvaged a piece from work and it works good for me. It is soft and I can pinch it between my fingers. It holds the compound good. I am using red jewelers rue I got from an Ace Hardware Store. If you like experimenting, it's something to try.
I ordered and wished I hadn't. The knives plus strop with green compound dulls my blades, sticking with white compound and paper wheels.
Maybe it's not the compound and strop making your knives dull..
haha u r probably right, its the user, but the paper wheels on grinder r almost idiot proof lol
+trooper2221 If it dulls your blades, it's your fault, not the strop or the compound. There is no such thing as a strop, or a kind of compound, that will dull any blade, unless the user simply doesn't know how to strop properly.
So from trial and error.. my homemade leather strop was rounding the edge.
Conclusion: To much pressure was applied while using soft leather. The displacement of leather & angle of the blade was enough to round the edge.
So, where did you get it? I've been looking for a good strop.
I "touch up" my knives on a rod steel or ceramic. Honing a sharp knife keeps the edge maintained. I strop after sharpening a knife. The best leather to use is vegetable tanned( tooling leather) used to make belts, handbags or decorative tooled items. I only use the smooth side of 12 oz. Leather. Cheers.
WHERE DO I GET ONE? Great vid and awesome amount of knowledge, that I know to be correct. If it's good enough for you, it's good enough for me. Thank you!!!
google strop block
I have watched several of your videos and they are all excellent. Can you please send the info for the Texas made strop?
Thanks
@datsomedimsum Well of course it's the KnivesPlus strop block. I did tell it right away. It's annotated in within the first 15 seconds of the video....
@edhead35 For some reason the annotation wasn't working. It's up now. :) 6 seconds in.
love ur vid
this is the most useful information about stropping !
Man I just ordered my first strop last week. Wish I saw this first. Now I have this one on the way too.
Thanks for the link. Stay sharp bro.
Why didn't you just say where you got it in the video or post a link in the descrip?!?!
I'm kind of late to the party. Could you post a link of the place you bought that strop? Great info. Thanks!
what kind of strop are those? flexx strop? what kind should I purchase? I'm torn about it. what brand is good
Jdavis...when are you coming back?!? Miss you dude.
+ilivinahouse what do u mean after the con? I'm out of the loop
funny how he has changed his stropping mind from not liking hard leather, so his new favorite which has hard leather. The stropman strop. I ordered a strop man strop as well, but I love my knives plus and my Starshaving strops, can't wait to try stropman.
Just watched another knife sharping expert that swears on the DLT strop and also said the Bark River compound was the best he used. Hmmm Well anyway can't locate your miracle strop you speak of. You should have had a link in the description. Anybody have the link?
i just got a new strop and have never used one so your vid helped me alot thanks i liked and subd
thanks for the good advice on buying strops were did you buy your new strop
great video, thanks for the info. I would appreciate the link too.
Just got my first razor...It came with a leather strop and a fabric one....do I need to put it to a stone first to get it sharp ?..hope you can help..cheers from Oxford, UK.
Hi, Horses for courses. I have two strops for leather knives that are softer and thicker as I want to create a convex polished edge that will slide through the leather. I also have two for woodworking that are hard and have very little give as I do not want to round the edge at all. The next thing is 0.5 chrom oxide is for FINAL FINISHING, maybe 3 or 4 strops in each direction to finish. That is AFTER you have restored the edge shape with a coarser compound like Flexcut gold or veritas. Thanks.
Good one.
Have you or anyone else who reads this heard of sanding the rough side of the leather smooth on a strop block? I just purchased the four-sided leader strop from Garos Goods (www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00ERCV16E?psc=1&redirect=true&ref_=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s00) and it looks like they incorrectly glued the smooth side of the leather outward on all four sides. When I contacted Garos about what I see as a mistake, they indicated that they sand the outside of the leather smooth and suggested I go ahead and apply the rouge. Every CZcams I've seen on stropping clearly indicates that I need a rough piece of leather to strop. My BS klaxon is blaring, but thought I'd ask someone with more experience how critical rough leather is to the stropping process and overall life of the strop? Has anyone heard of sanding the rough side of strop leather smooth?!
For perspective, I found this reference on sanding strops: straightrazorplace.com/stropping/27363-sanding-my-strops.html
hey could you put up a video on how sharp the edge is that you get with that thing because id like to see how sharp of an edge it puts on the knife before i order that
Looks like my knifes ship free strop exactly the same hmm
i like the green coated shit block strop on the far left.
@jdavis882 I'm sure you do, and I didnt mean to imply you were wrong at all, just found it curious. Everyone has what works for them and you sure as hell found something that works incredible for you. I'm sure your right about quality of the strops.
Where did you get the Strop in Texas?
you can sand down that clogged up strop and use a new compound.
i put some olive oil in the microwave and put it over the compound that is already on the strop. it works pretty good
I just bought a stropman instead of knives plus but I may pick one up.
I know u been away for a bit..not sure if you recieve these messages. but for what's it's worth I don't pay much mind to all the rumors going around..I'm sure there's another side to the story we aren't hearing..
I truly have learned volumes watching ur vids..
do you still use the stropman strop over all others??
he makes functional works of art..I have his Billy strop..4 sided and it gives me scary sharp edges..
wish you the best
I just got a new strop and I don't think it is loaded with compound what kind should use
Would like the address of the company in Texas that made the straup you
demonstrated.
Where can I get one of the these strops? Do you have a link or whatever? I enjoy your videos. thanks
I would appreciate the name, address, Telephone number of the company you bought your last Strop from. Thank you.
Richard
Hey Richard. I don’t have all that info, but you can google “strop brothers” and you’ll find it right away.
Cool.. So what's the web site to order one from? I used to live I. Amarillo
noticed knivesplus doesn't ship outside US at all. sucks because I'd really like to try them!
hey man, I know this is an old video and all, but do you think you could make a video on using the stropman strops and compounds? I'm having trouble getting a nice looking edge with the white and green compounds... :(
Not to contradict your results, what works for you obviously works for you, but seems to go contrary to what one would expect. Thin hard leather should work best for flat, V edges as there is no give to deform the leather and have it round the edge, thicker leather with give would normally give a bit more and be more likely to create a convex, both exactly the opposite of what you seem to experience.
I'm looking for a really good strop and would like to know where to get one. Thanks mate.
Larry
Thanks for the video. Can you please forward me the link to the strop (pls and thank you)
Hey great video and info. I have an old strop from the 40's or so. It's got some cracking and seems dried out. Im wondering if you could reccomend wether or not I can use it or no? Also is there a way or product to bring it back to life? Thanks!
Hi jd please drop me a line as to where you found your strop. Thanks for the great videos.
Ed
nice strops! i still need to get some compound....
Badass Video, i'm trying to get my sharpening skills down and that strop i need the info to get me one! thanks bro!!!
Great video! I'd like the name of your strop maker in Texas, Please...
i own a dlt strop its a good strop i can get mine hair poping sharp, i own like maybe strop
Can you post the link to the manufacturer as well as the model number?
Knives plus I mean my bad I get these knife companies mixed up sometimes I order from all of them lol
Please tell me where to get this!!! I have a knife sharpening business and I could really use this!!!
Great vid. Please drop me the link to this green beauty . Thanks
Please put a link to the website where you bought this amazing strop. Thanks!!!
Where did you get the compoung
@SpydieFan Very welcome.
Hey. I know it was a long time ago but can you still tell me where you got that strip you love so much?
Thanks
And thanks for the great video
They are now called “strop bros”. Just google it. But I recommend the knivesplus strop block even more.
Since he is not around anymore, the strop he is talking about the knives plus strop block , it is a good strop
Please let me know where you bought the Texas strop. Thx.
great vid. could you please send me the link for the strop? Thanks
Hey jdavis, thx for the vid. Do you think you can send me the link to the online store to purchase this strop thanks.
@RoguePranks I have many videos showing how sharp I can get a knife. Look around my channel I have plenty of sharpness vids. All of those edges were done with that strop. :)
Hi, I really like that strop. I'm very interested. If u can plz let me know where u bought that strop it would help me on my straight razor. Thnks
Where do you get the best strop?
Great. Would you share the name of the company in Texas?
Formerly “strop man.” I think it’s stropbros now.
wish we could get this in the uk but not international shipping :(
FIRST! There you go jdavis882. You got losers like me doing that on your vids you know you're going places.
Googling Strop Block is not the link and comes up with several options, why don't you just post the exact link?
Bob, this video is years old. It is likely that if I had posted a link, the URL wouldn’t even be valid today. I will post links to my recommendations shortly.
Please let me know were to order one of the straps thanks 🙏.
Do you recommend this product for a high polish convex edge like on a Sebenza?
Please, where did you get it. Good info.