LOL! Whoever dislikes my vids in the first minute, just know I love the shit out of you! You're the only one I know of that watches every single vid I make. Thanks for all of your support!
I like how you point out not knowing it doesn't make you stupid. in my opinion, the only stupid people are those that aggressively refuse to learn. Going along with that, in the north we just call the eye of the stove the element, or coil if its an electric.
I'm new to stropping, I like the way you take you're time covering things. The video helped me out a lot. I look forward to checking out more of you're videos.
@@jdavis882thanks for your informative video. I use compounds to polish stainless steel watch cases. So recently, I’m been rubbing white or green compound on a new A4 sheet of paper. I cut it to the size I want. And I this to achieve a high polish on parts of the watch case. Just thought I would share the paper trick. Best wishes from Singapore 🇸🇬
Also had a problem with the green compound. Had an idea, got a clothes iron as hot as it would go. Placed parchment paper on top of the leather and got it good and hot. Too hot to touch the leather. Rubbed the compound evenly all over the suede nap. Put fresh parchment paper on top of the leather and ironed it, frequently checking my progress. After a few slow passes with the iron, I was satisfied. Had an even thin coating all over! I was worried that the heat would harm the properties of the leather but it didn’t take too much contact time to do the job so I think I’m good. Time will tell.
I'm in the process of putting together a How-to video for how I make one of my own strops. I do an extra step to the leather when I essentially sand the surface with a disk sander to create a really fine, super effective knap of the surface of the leather that creates a surface that gets hair whittling edges, while accepting compounds extremely well. Nothing like a good strop :) Great vid.
Just wanted to say thanks , this video fixed my problems . Both my before & after strop photos would of mirrored yours to a Tee ! Now thanks to you I've went through my knives & I don't have a hair left on my arms . LOL Good thing they'll grow back .
You can also use a bit of honing oil or mineral oils (same thing I suppose) and put it on the strop and then load up the compound - it makes for a runny paste which can then be smoothed into the leather. It's a great way to load up lots of compound and get a nice smooth finish. The downside is waiting for the oil to dry - not a problem out here in AZ, where we have 115 degree days with 14% humidity.
wow u are really pumping these out today... thx for the great info .. this was a great help because i have not been exposed to strops and my stropman should be coming in by the end of this week... cant wait.
Cleaning out the old compound is a good idea ever so often, but I only do it like twice a year. Maintaining a strop is a whole other vid. I'll make that one soon. :)
Here in the heart of Original Yankeeland we call them "the burners". I never even considered that there might be any other term for them, LOL. Always learning something new. I tried your heat trick with my cheapo strop board and green compound, because the compound wouldn't spread smoothly, liked to form thick streaks and bumps when I tried to rub it on. When I heated the compound-plastered board, the green compound turned a whiter shade and transformed into a kind of chalky deposit that scrapes off as powder when you scrape it with a knife. So not perfect success, but it did allow me to level the layer down a bit, and it seems to be taking metal off a little. At least it darkens when I run the blade over it.
The TH-cam algorithm takes ratings into account, but not whether they are positive or negative, just that people ARE rating. Your hater is giving you more than just the views; he's helping push your videos further up lists of search results and spread it via suggested videos lists.
@@r.d.1056 noting what tools to use in a tutorial is a normal thing to do. It is easy to overlook a seemingly obvious solution when so many other options are available. If someone has a heat gun in the back of a drawer somewhere in their house it might not come to mind when the tutorial says to use the stove but they would be glad for the reminder because a heat gun is much easier to use.
Thanks so much for posting this. Heating the strop before applying the compound worked fantastic. Could never figure out why the strop wouldn't take the compound. I found using my heat gun works better, with more control.
Nice video. It would definitely help some one new to stropping. If you are new, don't forget to experiment. With somethings knowing what not to do isn't as important as why not to do it.
When are you going to make a video on how to strop the rigt way angles presure would be a great help to a lot of people i bought 3 of the strops one hd compact one reg. compact that came with pocket size strop i also got the red green and white found out the compound went on better going from side to side maybe because of the grain.
Generally a lot of what people buy are just buffing compounds so they are made with enough consistency to achieve a level of polish, they are not actually intended as sharpening agents. The diamond and CBN compounds are different though, they are pretty much what they are labeled. The big wax bars though are just whatever people want to jam in them, there is no real standard for white/black/green/red, etc. . aside from the fact they are white/black/green/red .
Note you can get the MSDS sheets on abrasives (or anything else basically) and if you do this on the compounds you will find that most of the chromium oxide buffing compounds only contain enough actual chromium oxide to make them green (its main use is as a pigment). They can be as little as 5-10% chromium oxide and the rest is aluminum oxide (which can be just as fine or finer).
Yeah, don't understand the dislikes... tools. This is a very helpful vid. I just bought the stropman. Did you see his website? He made some comments about you. I think you brought him a lot of business
I like loading with a bit with a heat gun on first load or after cleaning the strop out. After that I typically just rub some onto it and call it good. Good to know my methods are very similar.
I had a tough time with putting on my compound (both the compound and strop are pretty cheap) but I tried the stove burner trick and it finally worked. Good tip!
Is there any difference between stroping with .5 micron green compound and .5 diamond spray? Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Otherwise I wouldn't even know to ask this question.
Excellent video! I just got my first strop, with green, and brown compound...where does the brown fall into the mix, fine? or coarse? Let me know when you get a chance. Thanks much. JT.
We call it a stove, the oven is the lower enclosed portion where we bake or roast in. We don't know what an eye of the oven is but in Maryland (South-Mason Dixon line), we would say the burner on stove. Hope that helps. Great information regarding the grit difference between white and the green. I don't ever recall any manufacturer ever clearly indicating the difference between the two!
great vid man. i have the same strop with all 4 of his compounds. have you tried the red compound? supposedly it's even finer than his green, but i can tell the difference, than again i have the red on a belt so that's probably not as good as if it were on the strop.
Good informative video! My question, being a noobie, is regarding the leather. I have a strop that has a smooth side as well as a rough side. Can you provide which side is best and the purpose of using the smooth versus the rough side. Thanks in advance
I mimicked your knivesplus strop with my old one - loaded the BRKT compound on so thick it's kinda like stropping on the compound bar itself lol. The results were definitely a lot better than when I had light amounts of compound applied, got more polish. I just bought a new strop that has a very fine almost polished finish - I was thinking of getting some liquid green compound for it. Have you thought about trying the diamond pastes at all? That's another option I saw while browsing compounds.
I had never really considered heating it, I'll have to try that sometime tomorrow if that really makes much of a difference. It might allow me to get some use out of an old strop that ended up sitting in a dark closet since forever because the other two that I made myself somehow just work better for me. I'll probably do mine by leaving the strop on a central heating radiator for a while first to get the wood reasonably above room temperature (air coming out of the top tends to be 35-40 degrees celcius here). Then I think a gentle treatment with the wide nozzle from the hot air rework station to heat the strop surface and compound up locally would work pretty well since it has a reliable fully controllable temperature. I'm quite amazed how often I end up using the Metcal HCT-900-21 that I picked up second hand for relatively cheap for other things than my electronics hobby. Not sure how leather deals with extreme heat but I suspect careful use of those paint heating devices (don't know the english word, those things to warm it up before scraping it off) could be a good way to locally heat it up if you don't have an oven available. Wood and leather aren't the best heat conductors so you could probably get away with not gently preheating the surface but I guess its another habit from preheating PCBs to a reasonably high temperature before working on them with the hot air rework station.
10 years later..... in Australia we call it a hot plate, and that tricked worked perfectly for my new strop. The leather was quite hard and smooth so the heat was the right thing. I figure the hard flat leather to be an advantage for a very fine knife edge so I wanted to avoid anything that might soften it. Anyways, thank you.
The issue with a heavy layer comes into play if you press hard. If the loading layer is thick enough the edge can actually sink down into it and thus you are then grinding the sharpened edge at a perpendicular to the abrasive (i.e. basically the same as if you cut into the strop) as the abrasive actually folds up around the edge. This is why heavy pasted strops will tend to cause "over honing" very easily, but again it is only an issue if you press really hard.
So I’ve watched quite a few strip videos and no one has really answered this definitively, can you use compound on the smooth leather side or is that only meant to be used bare?
You can buy pure chromium (III) oxide as a powder with a 0.1 micron mesh size (all particles are smaller than that). Normally buffing compounds are not that fine because it is more expensive to produce finer particles sizes and if you go very fine you lose buffing ability unless you use an intermediate. As the regular grade (which is well above 0.5 micron usually) produces a mirror finish easily - there is no real demand (on a large scale).
Great video, thank you! I have a Stropman HD compact strop with white and green compound coming today in the mail because of your video. And this video REALLY helped! Because I had no idea how to do this lol.
I'm new to hand sharpening and have watched all your videos and wanted to say thank you. This is another great tip. I've also sent you a pm with questions.
Great info for someone just learning stropping. Any chance you can post links where you get your strops and compounds? Any other useful links would be helpful
I find it a LOT easier to use a hot-air gun or preferably a rework-station to heat the stop, apply the wax because it melts immediately and soaks in, then while its still warm, tap it upside down to remove the excess. I also do this to my cloth strap on my worksharp, heat up the strap, apply compound, spin at max speed while heating, the excess flings off
Once again, excellent video my friend. Both entertaining & educational. I'm curious, have you ever attempted to make a strop? If one were to make one, what leathers would work best? I know the surface is the nap. I have an old expensive leather jacket that's worn out. It's thick lamb leather & was gonna make one. Thoughts? Thanks.
which brand of compounds and color should i use i am thinking of buying the enkay pack of every color!! i really want a mirror finish on my edge i already have green and red which gets it pretty good but i am a perfectionist what do you suggest i try?
thanks for the video, i am just about to get my first strop. i heard allot about ovens and heating it up, but it didn't make since. i know detailing cars and bikes, so heating it up didn't make since. Good tips, i am about to buy my first strop from stropman (any advise).
I have some good organic tanned leather to make a strop out of. But, should I glue it to the wod batten with the raw side of the leather facing out or the smooth (fur side) out? I've heard people saying very contradictory things about this. What's your take?
No need to clean it every time. I just apply compound when needed. You can generally get a feel for when you need to add it, as the stropping becomes less effective and takes longer. Generally an application of compound will last a good while. From days to weeks depending on how often you strop. Hope this helps!
After reviewing this video I loaded up a strop with chromium oxide and heated it with a heat gun. Think of it as a hair dryer on steroids. Works like a champ. Thanks for all your efforts. Donald
Ive done the same. My compound got all crumbly and I ended up wasting more than I wanted to but I liked the results. Some of the leather I get can be a PITA as it doesnt want to load, so the heat gun helped that.
thought this was an excellent video and very informative .I've got a Tandy Leather store down the road, been wanting to try stropping my knives I'm sure I'll be impressed
You will have to apply a little bit of pressure, like you would with a crayon. But, the faster your strokes are when rubbing it on, the less pressure you will need. :)
Does using mineral oil help or is it more of a preference? Also can i use like a hair dryer to heat up the surface of the strop to help with the application of the compound?
@@No1ANTAGON1ST honestly, it doesn’t matter all that much. I generally put the coarser compound on the rougher side of the leather, and finer compounds on the smoother side. But I truly believe that it doesn’t make much of a difference one way or the other.
Great vid. Question: how often do you recommend stroping with Crom OX with every strop? How often do you replenish the application of chrom ox on the strop? Thanks
Either! Both sides will work, and sometimes either side is more suitable for certain types of compound. For stick type compound (like a big crayon almost) I tend to use the coarse side because it grabs onto the compound better. For spray on ultra fine compounds I like using the smooth side. Hope this helps!
@@jdavis882 great, thanks a lot. Since I am starting in leathercraft, I have piles of scrap pieces of leather sitting here that I am practicing with and using on projects, so no need in buying a pre-made strop when I already have the leather to use for one.
@@WH6FQE yeah man, definitely use that scrap! Maybe even make some small strops and sell them to burn through your scrap pile. If you have any more questions feel free to ask. Also if you really want to get into strop making look into getting some exotic leathers. I really love my kangaroo leather strops. Sounds gimmicky I know, but they are really special in regards to how they hold compound and how they perform. Anyway, have fun with it!
Sorry I am new to this but I have got a new strop and have used it without compound.. first time trying to sharpen a knife.. it came out ok but is compound a must..?
Did you make your own handles? Can you slice a leather strop down the middle to make a smooth and rough side? :-p or is that "cutting" it too close? Lol... (making it too thin)
Immediately after reloading the strop with the wax compound, can it be used immediately or should it be left to dry? And if it should be left to dry, for how long? Thank you.
Being from Canada I've never heard it being called the eye. We would call the eye the stove and the under part that you bake in, the oven. It's cool to see different words in different parts of the world.
Thanks for this. My strop problem is that the leather is so rough it seems to flake when I try to crayon or butter the compound in. Can't recall where I got the strop but it is probably 30 yrs old.
A burner on a range is referred to as an "eye"? Now I know where the expression "four eyes" comes from! I'm in the deepest south there is, south Florida, and I've never heard that expression before. I'll have to remember that, like a rock is an "Alabama hammer".
Thanks for the video. Just wanted to ask, on which side do you need to apply which compound? or it does not matter? And what is the difference between the white one and the green one? Thanks.
Should I remove the pre-existing compound that came on the strop paddle if I want to apply another compound brand? Black and Green are the compounds that came on a paddle... and I got a bright yellow compound (Flexcut gold polishing compound pw11)
Babble Licious once you have one type of compound on a strop, you shouldn't put another type one. Even if they are the same color. It's not likely they are exactly the same micron with exactly the same ingredients or particles. Usually people take some care not to cross contaminate compounds.
This might be a stupid question, but do all strops need the conditioner? I just got a canvas/ leather double sided strop and was wondering if I could use it naked, so to speak.
That really totally depends on what you want to use it on. Sounds like you have a straight razor strop, which most people use bare to hone straight razors. Straight razors are generally made from pretty basic carbon steel so the plain leather is enough. If you plan to strop modern high alloy steels like s30v and others, then you need some compound to be able to cut into those carbides and actually get some meaningful sharpening going. Hope that helps!
They go in stages from coarse to fine. Typically from coarse to fine it ranges as follows- black, red, green, white, blue. Any should be ok for most applications. I use more white than anything.
Comparing Stropman green and white compound to Hand American Diamond Spray, which is better? Does the Stropman have enough bite for super steels like S30V?
It has for rex 121... lol... The abrasives in the compound are harder than all metals, even some ceramic blades.( For some reason my boker ceramic knives don't react to the compound) The thing with diamond sprays and cbns is that they are available in a wider range of grits, with diamond down to 0.025 micron and 0.1 for cbn
You really can set your watch to that guy, can't you? I almost wonder if it's a bot... What about cleaning strops? How and how often? I've heard WD40 works wonders, but was always hesitant to try it. Or do you generally just use the reconditioning method as described for the K+ strop block? Laslty, great tip with the stove heating. Sounds much more effective and efficient than the hair dryer and lighter methods I've tried in the past, because yea, BRKT's green is a PITA to adhere.
LOL! Whoever dislikes my vids in the first minute, just know I love the shit out of you! You're the only one I know of that watches every single vid I make. Thanks for all of your support!
jdavis882 well u start a video saying something like if u dont know this is not because u r stupid, that its not a very smart thing to say in a vid
Alessandro Firmani, listen that comment again... It's actually a very nice thing to say if you listen the entire comment.
Lol I love it
??? That makes no sense! That’s a perfectly logical thing to say
I like how you point out not knowing it doesn't make you stupid. in my opinion, the only stupid people are those that aggressively refuse to learn. Going along with that, in the north we just call the eye of the stove the element, or coil if its an electric.
I'm new to stropping, I like the way you take you're time covering things. The video helped me out a lot. I look forward to checking out more of you're videos.
Glad this was a help! Enjoy your sharpening journey!
@@jdavis882thanks for your informative video. I use compounds to polish stainless steel watch cases. So recently, I’m been rubbing white or green compound on a new A4 sheet of paper. I cut it to the size I want. And I this to achieve a high polish on parts of the watch case.
Just thought I would share the paper trick.
Best wishes from Singapore 🇸🇬
Also had a problem with the green compound. Had an idea, got a clothes iron as hot as it would go. Placed parchment paper on top of the leather and got it good and hot. Too hot to touch the leather. Rubbed the compound evenly all over the suede nap. Put fresh parchment paper on top of the leather and ironed it, frequently checking my progress. After a few slow passes with the iron, I was satisfied. Had an even thin coating all over! I was worried that the heat would harm the properties of the leather but it didn’t take too much contact time to do the job so I think I’m good. Time will tell.
I'm in the process of putting together a How-to video for how I make one of my own strops. I do an extra step to the leather when I essentially sand the surface with a disk sander to create a really fine, super effective knap of the surface of the leather that creates a surface that gets hair whittling edges, while accepting compounds extremely well. Nothing like a good strop :) Great vid.
Just wanted to say thanks , this video fixed my problems . Both my before & after strop photos would of mirrored yours to a Tee ! Now thanks to you I've went through my knives & I don't have a hair left on my arms . LOL Good thing they'll grow back .
You can also use a bit of honing oil or mineral oils (same thing I suppose) and put it on the strop and then load up the compound - it makes for a runny paste which can then be smoothed into the leather. It's a great way to load up lots of compound and get a nice smooth finish. The downside is waiting for the oil to dry - not a problem out here in AZ, where we have 115 degree days with 14% humidity.
This was all I need to hear. Thanks! From AZ, Josh
7:40. One can also just use a hair dryer to melt the aggregate into the leather.
wow u are really pumping these out today... thx for the great info .. this was a great help because i have not been exposed to strops and my stropman should be coming in by the end of this week... cant wait.
Cleaning out the old compound is a good idea ever so often, but I only do it like twice a year. Maintaining a strop is a whole other vid. I'll make that one soon. :)
You've helped me with sharpening so much it's honestly ridiculous. You are still my favorite knife channel.
Vextos awesome man, I’m very glad to hear that!
Thanks for the reply, please come back!!
Here in the heart of Original Yankeeland we call them "the burners". I never even considered that there might be any other term for them, LOL. Always learning something new.
I tried your heat trick with my cheapo strop board and green compound, because the compound wouldn't spread smoothly, liked to form thick streaks and bumps when I tried to rub it on. When I heated the compound-plastered board, the green compound turned a whiter shade and transformed into a kind of chalky deposit that scrapes off as powder when you scrape it with a knife. So not perfect success, but it did allow me to level the layer down a bit, and it seems to be taking metal off a little. At least it darkens when I run the blade over it.
Oh good! Glad to hear it worked, if even a little.
Thanks for the video mate! I'm a knife noob and just made my own strop but wasn't sure exactly how to apply compound, so thank you!
we call the "eye" of the stove a burner.
The TH-cam algorithm takes ratings into account, but not whether they are positive or negative, just that people ARE rating. Your hater is giving you more than just the views; he's helping push your videos further up lists of search results and spread it via suggested videos lists.
I heard that using a paint removal heat gun will work for getting the green to adsorb into the leather better..
A lighter or hairdryer work fine. If you have women in your house, the hairdryer is free. If not a lighter cost $2
No need to purchase a heat gun.
@@r.d.1056 I imagine this advice is helpful for people who already own a heat gun
@Keeper movin’ people with heat guns already know this.
@@r.d.1056 noting what tools to use in a tutorial is a normal thing to do. It is easy to overlook a seemingly obvious solution when so many other options are available. If someone has a heat gun in the back of a drawer somewhere in their house it might not come to mind when the tutorial says to use the stove but they would be glad for the reminder because a heat gun is much easier to use.
hence my lighter & hair dryer recommendation
Thanks so much for posting this. Heating the strop before applying the compound worked fantastic. Could never figure out why the strop wouldn't take the compound. I found using my heat gun works better, with more control.
Who is the guy who takes his time to dislike all your videos he must really like them if he waits for them every day. Nice videos by the way :).
Nice video. It would definitely help some one new to stropping. If you are new, don't forget to experiment. With somethings knowing what not to do isn't as important as why not to do it.
Great video! Does one need to clean the loaded compound off before applying fresh compound or not? How do I maintain a strop?
When are you going to make a video on how to strop the rigt way angles presure would be a great help to a lot of people i bought 3 of the strops one hd compact one reg. compact that came with pocket size strop i also got the red green and white found out the compound went on better going from side to side maybe because of the grain.
Generally a lot of what people buy are just buffing compounds so they are made with enough consistency to achieve a level of polish, they are not actually intended as sharpening agents. The diamond and CBN compounds are different though, they are pretty much what they are labeled. The big wax bars though are just whatever people want to jam in them, there is no real standard for white/black/green/red, etc. . aside from the fact they are white/black/green/red .
Note you can get the MSDS sheets on abrasives (or anything else basically) and if you do this on the compounds you will find that most of the chromium oxide buffing compounds only contain enough actual chromium oxide to make them green (its main use is as a pigment). They can be as little as 5-10% chromium oxide and the rest is aluminum oxide (which can be just as fine or finer).
I have an old strop and made myself a few but cannot wait to get stropman order here. Have all colored compounds to play with and see what I like
Hey man I reckon you got the stropman by now, how is it?
Yeah, don't understand the dislikes... tools. This is a very helpful vid. I just bought the stropman. Did you see his website? He made some comments about you. I think you brought him a lot of business
I like loading with a bit with a heat gun on first load or after cleaning the strop out. After that I typically just rub some onto it and call it good. Good to know my methods are very similar.
I had a tough time with putting on my compound (both the compound and strop are pretty cheap) but I tried the stove burner trick and it finally worked. Good tip!
The low pressure high speed application might get me better edges than i do now. Great tips.
I appreciate this video very much -- very helpful for me as I learn to stop my wood carving knives!
Is there any difference between stroping with .5 micron green compound and .5 diamond spray? Thanks for sharing your knowledge. Otherwise I wouldn't even know to ask this question.
0:20 Words of encouragement.
Excellent video! I just got my first strop, with green, and brown compound...where does the brown fall into the mix, fine? or coarse? Let me know when you get a chance. Thanks much. JT.
wafflepack brown is more coarse
We call it a stove, the oven is the lower enclosed portion where we bake or roast in. We don't know what an eye of the oven is but in Maryland (South-Mason Dixon line), we would say the burner on stove. Hope that helps.
Great information regarding the grit difference between white and the green. I don't ever recall any manufacturer ever clearly indicating the difference between the two!
great vid man. i have the same strop with all 4 of his compounds. have you tried the red compound? supposedly it's even finer than his green, but i can tell the difference, than again i have the red on a belt so that's probably not as good as if it were on the strop.
Good informative video! My question, being a noobie, is regarding the leather. I have a strop that has a smooth side as well as a rough side. Can you provide which side is best and the purpose of using the smooth versus the rough side.
Thanks in advance
Smooth for razors and straight blades of the such for super fine edges and rough for knives and axes etc
I mimicked your knivesplus strop with my old one - loaded the BRKT compound on so thick it's kinda like stropping on the compound bar itself lol. The results were definitely a lot better than when I had light amounts of compound applied, got more polish.
I just bought a new strop that has a very fine almost polished finish - I was thinking of getting some liquid green compound for it.
Have you thought about trying the diamond pastes at all? That's another option I saw while browsing compounds.
when i use a heat source it sort of recedes and then crusts up and comes off anyway. any tips?
I had never really considered heating it, I'll have to try that sometime tomorrow if that really makes much of a difference. It might allow me to get some use out of an old strop that ended up sitting in a dark closet since forever because the other two that I made myself somehow just work better for me.
I'll probably do mine by leaving the strop on a central heating radiator for a while first to get the wood reasonably above room temperature (air coming out of the top tends to be 35-40 degrees celcius here). Then I think a gentle treatment with the wide nozzle from the hot air rework station to heat the strop surface and compound up locally would work pretty well since it has a reliable fully controllable temperature. I'm quite amazed how often I end up using the Metcal HCT-900-21 that I picked up second hand for relatively cheap for other things than my electronics hobby.
Not sure how leather deals with extreme heat but I suspect careful use of those paint heating devices (don't know the english word, those things to warm it up before scraping it off) could be a good way to locally heat it up if you don't have an oven available. Wood and leather aren't the best heat conductors so you could probably get away with not gently preheating the surface but I guess its another habit from preheating PCBs to a reasonably high temperature before working on them with the hot air rework station.
Could you use a hair dryer to heat up the compound?
10 years later..... in Australia we call it a hot plate, and that tricked worked perfectly for my new strop. The leather was quite hard and smooth so the heat was the right thing. I figure the hard flat leather to be an advantage for a very fine knife edge so I wanted to avoid anything that might soften it. Anyways, thank you.
Awesome, glad it worked for you! I’m jealous of you aussies because it’s nice and warm down there this time of year!
@@jdavis882 I'm in Queensland, its been a cool start to spring and it's nearly summer, still cool. I think 31°c is the highest so far. I love it 😄
The issue with a heavy layer comes into play if you press hard. If the loading layer is thick enough the edge can actually sink down into it and thus you are then grinding the sharpened edge at a perpendicular to the abrasive (i.e. basically the same as if you cut into the strop) as the abrasive actually folds up around the edge. This is why heavy pasted strops will tend to cause "over honing" very easily, but again it is only an issue if you press really hard.
So I’ve watched quite a few strip videos and no one has really answered this definitively, can you use compound on the smooth leather side or is that only meant to be used bare?
I do. But only with diamond sprays.
You can buy pure chromium (III) oxide as a powder with a 0.1 micron mesh size (all particles are smaller than that). Normally buffing compounds are not that fine because it is more expensive to produce finer particles sizes and if you go very fine you lose buffing ability unless you use an intermediate. As the regular grade (which is well above 0.5 micron usually) produces a mirror finish easily - there is no real demand (on a large scale).
Great video, thank you! I have a Stropman HD compact strop with white and green compound coming today in the mail because of your video. And this video REALLY helped! Because I had no idea how to do this lol.
I'm new to hand sharpening and have watched all your videos and wanted to say thank you. This is another great tip. I've also sent you a pm with questions.
Great info for someone just learning stropping. Any chance you can post links where you get your strops and compounds? Any other useful links would be helpful
Chefknivestogo for the compounds. Stropman or knivesplus for the strops.
I find it a LOT easier to use a hot-air gun or preferably a rework-station to heat the stop, apply the wax because it melts immediately and soaks in, then while its still warm, tap it upside down to remove the excess.
I also do this to my cloth strap on my worksharp, heat up the strap, apply compound, spin at max speed while heating, the excess flings off
Hey man thanks for this video I've been curious about compounds for a while now and you've cleared things up for me.
I found putting the stick of compound in hot water for a bit helps softens it so it applies easier.
@CliffStamp So pretty much we have no consistency in the compounds we buy? That sucks.
Once again, excellent video my friend. Both entertaining & educational. I'm curious, have you ever attempted to make a strop? If one were to make one, what leathers would work best? I know the surface is the nap. I have an old expensive leather jacket that's worn out. It's thick lamb leather & was gonna make one. Thoughts? Thanks.
which brand of compounds and color should i use i am thinking of buying the enkay pack of every color!! i really want a mirror finish on my edge i already have green and red which gets it pretty good but i am a perfectionist what do you suggest i try?
Thank you. This video and comments have helped me.
thanks for the video, i am just about to get my first strop. i heard allot about ovens and heating it up, but it didn't make since. i know detailing cars and bikes, so heating it up didn't make since. Good tips, i am about to buy my first strop from stropman (any advise).
Thank you for your wisdom. What brand of compounds do you use?
I have some good organic tanned leather to make a strop out of. But, should I glue it to the wod batten with the raw side of the leather facing out or the smooth (fur side) out? I've heard people saying very contradictory things about this. What's your take?
Silly question: Next time you want to use it, do you clean the previous green compound or just add a fresh layer on top? Thanks! :)
No need to clean it every time. I just apply compound when needed. You can generally get a feel for when you need to add it, as the stropping becomes less effective and takes longer. Generally an application of compound will last a good while. From days to weeks depending on how often you strop. Hope this helps!
just a great job . thank you so much.
Are your strops made with the swede side up or down?
@NBKnives Doesn't work nearly as well. The low heat from the hair dryer is mostly overcome by the breeze is makes.
Thank you - fantastic explanation - what was the name of the larger strop - the one loaded with green?
Its called the Strop Block by Knives Plus
dremel polishing compound works great as well. they also sell it in past form.
Very helpful, trying to get hair popping sharp but not there yet.
Stropping compound and polishing ompound is there a difference?
After reviewing this video I loaded up a strop with chromium oxide and heated it with a heat gun. Think of it as a hair dryer on steroids.
Works like a champ.
Thanks for all your efforts.
Donald
Ive done the same. My compound got all crumbly and I ended up wasting more than I wanted to but I liked the results. Some of the leather I get can be a PITA as it doesnt want to load, so the heat gun helped that.
@CliffStamp That makes a lot of sense. Just another reason not to use tons of pressure.
thought this was an excellent video and very informative .I've got a Tandy Leather store down the road, been wanting to try stropping my knives I'm sure I'll be impressed
+Vincent Foti he`s the wizard of sharpening
Tempe?
You will have to apply a little bit of pressure, like you would with a crayon. But, the faster your strokes are when rubbing it on, the less pressure you will need. :)
Does using mineral oil help or is it more of a preference? Also can i use like a hair dryer to heat up the surface of the strop to help with the application of the compound?
So the rougher side of the strop, i should apply the green hutsul compound, and the smoother side, i should apply the white?
@@No1ANTAGON1ST honestly, it doesn’t matter all that much. I generally put the coarser compound on the rougher side of the leather, and finer compounds on the smoother side. But I truly believe that it doesn’t make much of a difference one way or the other.
Great vid. Question: how often do you recommend stroping with Crom OX with every strop? How often do you replenish the application of chrom ox on the strop? Thanks
Which side of the leather should you be loading with the compound? The face side or the back side?
Either! Both sides will work, and sometimes either side is more suitable for certain types of compound. For stick type compound (like a big crayon almost) I tend to use the coarse side because it grabs onto the compound better. For spray on ultra fine compounds I like using the smooth side. Hope this helps!
@@jdavis882 great, thanks a lot. Since I am starting in leathercraft, I have piles of scrap pieces of leather sitting here that I am practicing with and using on projects, so no need in buying a pre-made strop when I already have the leather to use for one.
@@WH6FQE yeah man, definitely use that scrap! Maybe even make some small strops and sell them to burn through your scrap pile. If you have any more questions feel free to ask. Also if you really want to get into strop making look into getting some exotic leathers. I really love my kangaroo leather strops. Sounds gimmicky I know, but they are really special in regards to how they hold compound and how they perform. Anyway, have fun with it!
Thanks for the video! Heating the leather up worked GREAT!
Part of question answered (on replenishment) but how often to strop with compound vs. Non compound strop?
the eye is a stove and a oven is often combined with a stove on top lol things are so different in the south lol love the vids bro
Oboy! Dialects all over the place!!
Wayne from tucson top burner
couldn't you just use a heat gun to heat it instead of your stove?
I have a gas stove I'm worried it will just burn haha
Is the green compound supposed to feel waxy and have some resistance when stropping the knife after you have loaded it
Yep. A little. But make sure you’re not using too much. It shouldn’t be built up on the leather. Just worked into the leather and not a layer on top.
Sorry I am new to this but I have got a new strop and have used it without compound.. first time trying to sharpen a knife.. it came out ok but is compound a must..?
Thank you so much for passing on your knowledge
Did you make your own handles? Can you slice a leather strop down the middle to make a smooth and rough side? :-p or is that "cutting" it too close? Lol... (making it too thin)
I guess you could, but it might be more trouble than it’s worth.
Immediately after reloading the strop with the wax compound, can it be used immediately or should it be left to dry? And if it should be left to dry, for how long? Thank you.
Use it right away if you’d like.
I’m new to this so this question may seem odd. Which side of the leather do you put the white compound, the rough side or the smooth side? Thank you.
There’s really no wrong answer, but almost everyone uses the rough side of the leather because it holds the compound much better. Hope this helps!
Don’t alter the smooth side. It is to remain smooth.
Being from Canada I've never heard it being called the eye. We would call the eye the stove and the under part that you bake in, the oven. It's cool to see different words in different parts of the world.
therealeightabove I'm from Kentucky and I don't think I have ever heard it called an "eye".
+therealeightabove I've lived in the south and never heard of it called an eye either. Like everywhere else, it's called a burner.
Out west we call the "eye of the stove" the burners. Great tip.
Everybody but hillbillies refer to them as burners, their proper name.
Aussie leather conditioner works too
Thanks for this. My strop problem is that the leather is so rough it seems to flake when I try to crayon or butter the compound in. Can't recall where I got the strop but it is probably 30 yrs old.
Silicon Oxide, is the green... You are correct with the white being Aluminum Oxide.
if your strop has a a smooth side, and a rough side, which color (white or green) would you apply to which side?
A burner on a range is referred to as an "eye"? Now I know where the expression "four eyes" comes from!
I'm in the deepest south there is, south Florida, and I've never heard that expression before.
I'll have to remember that, like a rock is an "Alabama hammer".
The reason you've never heard it in south Florida is because it's all yankees down there now!
@@Hisslave1 Seminoles and Miccosukees are not yankees.
Thanks for the video.
Just wanted to ask, on which side do you need to apply which compound? or it does not matter?
And what is the difference between the white one and the green one?
Thanks.
Ziv V. Doesn't matter. Both sides of the strop have the exact same leather. (Most of the time at least, unless otherwise specified$
No link for the preloaded strop??
Should I remove the pre-existing compound that came on the strop paddle if I want to apply another compound brand? Black and Green are the compounds that came on a paddle... and I got a bright yellow compound (Flexcut gold polishing compound pw11)
Babble Licious once you have one type of compound on a strop, you shouldn't put another type one. Even if they are the same color. It's not likely they are exactly the same micron with exactly the same ingredients or particles. Usually people take some care not to cross contaminate compounds.
This might be a stupid question, but do all strops need the conditioner? I just got a canvas/ leather double sided strop and was wondering if I could use it naked, so to speak.
That really totally depends on what you want to use it on. Sounds like you have a straight razor strop, which most people use bare to hone straight razors. Straight razors are generally made from pretty basic carbon steel so the plain leather is enough. If you plan to strop modern high alloy steels like s30v and others, then you need some compound to be able to cut into those carbides and actually get some meaningful sharpening going. Hope that helps!
Hi. In my country there is no Compund, what can I use instead of Compund?
Go to any jewelry store and ask them for some polishing rouge. Essentially the same thing.
@@jdavis882
Thank you for your honest answer
Apply the compound in diagonal stripes about two inches apart down the length of the strop. That is all you need.
Is the green compound that comes with the stropman the same compound as the strop block from knives plus?
I'm a complete newbie to stropping. I've just bought a leather/canvas strop and some RED compound. Should I have bought green/ white? Thanks.
They go in stages from coarse to fine. Typically from coarse to fine it ranges as follows- black, red, green, white, blue. Any should be ok for most applications. I use more white than anything.
+Prisonguard88 thanks
What is the name of the pre-loaded green strop, please? I'm not familiar with it and I didn't hear clearly what you called it. Thank you.
Knivesplus strop block.
Comparing Stropman green and white compound to Hand American Diamond Spray, which is better? Does the Stropman have enough bite for super steels like S30V?
It has for rex 121... lol...
The abrasives in the compound are harder than all metals, even some ceramic blades.( For some reason my boker ceramic knives don't react to the compound)
The thing with diamond sprays and cbns is that they are available in a wider range of grits, with diamond down to 0.025 micron and 0.1 for cbn
I suppose you could use a heat gun or hair dryer instead of a stove burner when melting your compound into the strop.
You really can set your watch to that guy, can't you? I almost wonder if it's a bot...
What about cleaning strops? How and how often? I've heard WD40 works wonders, but was always hesitant to try it. Or do you generally just use the reconditioning method as described for the K+ strop block?
Laslty, great tip with the stove heating. Sounds much more effective and efficient than the hair dryer and lighter methods I've tried in the past, because yea, BRKT's green is a PITA to adhere.