advice on which leather for strop

[Trafalgar]

Here's the last word on dressings/polishes:

Monkey Jam Axle Polish:

Magnesium oxide (.05 micron) in a petroleum carrier.

 

[GazPal]

The last word is "if it works for you, use it"

Chamois leather glued to a flat plate (Timber or metal) serves well for stropping when partnered with stropping paste/crayon, or visit a saddler's/leather worker's shop and ask if they have any butt leather off-cuts. Thickness doesn't really matter and tool edges needn't match the quality you'd expect from a straight razor.

I'm only just into my second block of stropping paste by "Starkie & Starkie" in around 20 years and can't complain. It's pail blue in colour and I haven't a clue regarding the recipe they use, but it works just fine. Simply add a little to your strop if the final edge polish begins to take longer than usual.

I strop using the finer/face side of the leather, but what works for me may not work for you/others, so be prepared to experiment a little. Sharpening kit needn't cost much and you can achieve excellent - working edge - results from an inexpensive combination India stone and home made strop. Just remember to hone/whet edges on stones and keep grinding for the grinding wheel and when an edge has been damaged or you need to extend the primary bevel (If you use primary and secondary bevels).

 

[dann]

scary sharp to 8000 on glass, autosol on leather....

 

[bugbear]

Another thread where everybody wants the last word...

:lol: :lol: :lol:

BugBear

 

[dann]

Do you think?

 

[Peter Sefton]

So childish when that happens

 

[carlb40]

Scary sharp to white - 10,000 + on granite. Strop with razor strop fungus on home made oak paddle. :mrgreen:

 

[Peter Sefton]

That should do it

 

[carlb40]

It's working so far

All the lads at work can't believe how sharp i get my blades and chisels LOL

 

[Peter Sefton]

I am just so pleased this has turned into a sensible debate, it was becoming very tedious :wink:

 

[carlb40]

Indeed Peter

 

[Peter Sefton]

Doh
(some times less is more)

 

[carlb40]

More the merrier i say

 

[Peter Sefton]

:idea: You must have fallen asleep by now

 

[carlb40]

Indeed, but i am awake now

 

[Cheshirechappie]

Blimey - are you chaps still going? If you're not careful, the Mods will be throwing a strop.... :lol:

 

[carlb40]

Nothing will strop us now :mrgreen:

 

[bugbear]

I was thinking about this over the weekend, and realised that even if the postulated non-abrasive-stropping-action is applicable to removing the burr/rag left by stones of less than 8000 JIS grit, this only applies to the first strop after the stone.

Further edge maintaining "stropping", such as carvers find so useful, are obviously not removing something left by a stone. Since they obviously do something, it seems logical to infer a simple abrasive process.

BugBear

 

[Lons]

I was thinking about this over the weekend, BugBear

You need to get out more Bugbear :lol: :lol:

Bob

 

[RADCOM]

What a fantastic thread . I found this thread as I was looking for the optimum thickness of stropping leather.
As a sharpening noob I have learnt the difference between polishing and stropping....(I think :roll: ) as well as the existence of numerous compounds. Gentlemen it is an honour to have read such a challenging debate with no expletives =D> .