@@Burrfection Another easy way is to put a hair dryer over the strop till it warms then a little on the compound edge and it glides on smooth and even.
Old time stropper here. Use wd-40 to smooth out the coumpound and let it dry. The wd-40 will evaporate off and you should be good.To cut compound bars into smaller chunks, use a survival wire saw , and you can use the dust from cutting it to load a strop also ( store dust in a baggie) and use the wd-40.The reason I want a smaller chunk is to take it in the bush with me and it's easier to use than a brick of compound. Hope that can help someone.
Thanks for your info hiwa. I took an old timers advice and tried putting MK white on a 1' X 2' piece of granite and on a flat piece of maple. He says anything flat will do as you really don't need leather. That's an argument for the forums. Anyway, I found as you load the compound (Jewelers rouge MK 1) on the granite you really get a good idea how uneven the compound lays or piles itself on the medium. Same with the wood. I also got a good idea what a little workout it is once you have some coverage applied. I had to stop twice to catch my breath. Tiny spritz of WD40 and then level it out. Anybody who has done a decent amount of drywall mudding (especially final coat) would be good at this phase as you just level it out as evenly as possible. I let it dry overnight and it really did do a nice job. I will warn anybody that tries this not to go over the apex of the blade when honing/poloishing. Meaning, don't ever make your angle of attack of your bevel more obtuse than the apex. It was a fun experiment. And I spend a lot of time in the outdoors guiding in the Rockies and it's nice to be able to get a proper edge back on my carving tools if I forgot my strop. Certain clay/mud and a flat piece of wood will work also. What have I learned, don't leave your strop at home and quit giving away my strops. And No, I've never pulled my belt off to strop like Bear G. My guiding company has a strict anti-douche policy.
This is the firdt of your videos I've seen. I like that its long. Cause it doesn't give the illusion that it only takes 5 minutes to do everything like other videos. Thank you for your thorough explanation.
Hey Ryky, I have a couple leather stropps myself. I've found that if you heat the leather up itself with a hairdryer the compound goes on with no problem. I don't need to use oil to get it too spread and it will not flake.
Thank you!!! I just got my strop today and was trying to load the compound. I was so frustrated, then you said get mineral oil and I'm like oh great, now I have to go out and buy mineral oil, then I remembered the oil for my oilstones is mineral oil. It worked great!
Makes me laugh that he says dont buy expensive strops and that he wouldn't mess with equine... I just purchaced a equine strop that was more expensive than any other strop I've purchaced... I bought it for Burrfection!!! Happy to support the channel as he has taught me quite a bit. I just found it funny.
Hair dryer the clutch tool!!! From heating up leather knife handles to applying compound to strop leather to removing smartphone screens to looking Fierce at the Players Ball... You gotta own one
I don’t have an enormous interest in kitchen knives, but am learning to sharpen, but I have to say your channel is awesome. You do a great job making the video good and inclusive
I use a hairdryer to warm the compound 👍.First I oil,then I apply the compound,then I gently warm the stroping board with a hairdryer. You get the exact same effect in a fraction of the time. I collect Japanese folding knives (only😂) and I find your videos extremely informative and refreshing. Keep up the great work 👍
Sorry I missed this when you did it. You have some fantastic videos. I learned to sharpen knives and blades as part of my father's woodworking shop. He always encouraged that I should learn to sharpen strictly by feel. Your suggestions remind me of the things I learned back then and since, in the years I've sharpened blades. Thank you so much for sharing your time and information.
I think it would be an amazing idea! I think people would be happy to be able to talk to you about knife related and non related things! Just want to say thank you! I have a few Tojiros, Dalstrongs, Ensos, Kumas because of you! I love all these knives and I hope that you continue to do what you are doing! Some of my favorite meals are not quite the typical sit down meal. I'm Vietnamese and I love eating pho, but one of the best moments of pho is actually the process of making it. When I was a little kid, my mom would be done making the pho and would strain the broth. After straining the broth, all the bones, marrow, and meat are left in the pot. She would always call me to come help her and we'd sit and eat some of the most flavorful meat and marrow from the pot dipping it in her homemade sauces or something as simple as lime salt and pepper. Getting a strop block is something I would love to give my mother for all the good memories of making food for my brothers and me. Even though we are older now, she still shows that motherly love by sending us food. With that said, hands down even though pho is my legitimate meal/dish, it's the meaning behind that makes it more special to me. Thanks Ryky! Keep doing what you're doing! You're the best!
Thanks very much. Before watching this video my knifes were getting almost duller after stropping. After applying all info you shared, like the mineral oil, spreading the compound evenly, the stropping knife posture and weight, I finally had a pleasant stropping experience. After prepping the block again, it took less than one or two minutes per knife to strop lightly used 3k edges. By the feedback of the knife I instantly felt the strop is doing its job well. After a few passes the kitchen knives glided very smoothly on the strop. I'm also very thankful for everything you shared in youtube. I started knife sharpening two years ago with your vids and learned a lot from you. I'm still following your new vids. Keep up the good work :)
@16:25 Are U Kidding Me!!! Your Videos Have Ignited A Fire In My Blade Sharpening Soul!!! I now have a new hobby because of you! Thank You So So Much!! My Brother of Humanity! ⚔️
Your videos are the perfect length!! They are real time, and it gives people a full understanding of what you're doing. Thank you for that.😊 Edit: spelling
The best meal I ever head was from my 8-year daughter Tina. She wanted to make something nice for feathers day. It was her first time cooking breakfast for her daddy it needed a lot of work but,4 it was the best meal I ever had because it was her first and I’m so proud. I love you Tina thank you for making me the happiest dad ever!!!!
You make all things stropping seem so easy., ty. I was in the ER right before Thanksgiving so I couldn't cook or go to my friends. A friend called a group called Bay Ridge Cares n they delivered to me the BEST HOMEMADE complete Turkey dinner I've ever had. Turk., dressing, sweet potatoes, mashed pot., stringbeans, gravy, cranberries, cookies, cupcakes and cinnamon buns. AND 2 handwritten cards from kids wishing me a great thanksgiving. It was so loving, &delicious, I will never forget this THANKSGIVING . Be Blessed, ty for sharing your amazing talent w Our community.
Hi Ricky, I sharpen professionally, too. I started making my own stropping blocks over ten years ago. It is fun watching you make a lot of the same discoveries I have made, and a some I haven’t. One of my favorite stropping compounds is Flexcut Gold. It restores an edge fast. My own discovery was cerium oxide. It is normally used to polish rocks. I put it into a good quality spray bottle and mix it with water. To apply it you shake well and spray it on the strop, then let it dry and rub it in with mineral oil. Give it a try sometime. Very inexpensive and very effective.
I for one, prefer your lengthy videos, because I DO WANT to see the process of the situation. I just bought a Sharp Pebble Bamboo Base Strop from amazon dot com, and when I got an email from Sharp Pebble with a pda attached, showing me how to load a strip properly, I didn't know what to make of the mineral oil part. I have had four strops in my short knife collecting time, and I remember reading on a website that oil ruins the strop leather. So I always just loaded the strop with the compound and worked the compound into the leather with the blade. It always seemed to work out and I was able to maintain razor sharp edges with my knives. So upon seeing this instruction from Sharp Pebble, I was kinda in a panic so I came to youtube for some instruction, because I have to see something like this done. The written instruction isn't enough. Sometimes you have to see the "how much" and the "how long" aspects. This video definately helped ease my mind. Thanks!
In the straight razor sharpening Community it is common practice to use a straight-sided glass or bottle making sure its clean, to rub and burnish the compound into the leather. You might find it a useful technique as well.
Great channel! Ray - Do you prefer any particular type of glass or straight-sided bottles? I have found that clean granite or a smooth piece of flat wood will also get it done as long as you have the rouge/polish on it. I prefer MK1 white or green due to price. I carve wood though and you shave body parts so different worlds.
You answered my question and taught me a few things I hadn't thought about yet. I have committed myself to learn how to best sharpen my knives, maintain that edge and keep my tools EXTREMELY sharp all the time. It's a very difficult skill to perfect. I've always been just ok at doing it because I never take my time, ALWAYS IN A HURRY! 😬 Thanks for the education!!
My wife made the following last week and it was AWESOME! Creamy rosemary polenta, similar to grits, served with braised shredded beef in a rich gravy & a side of roasted vegetables. For dessert, apple crisp tartlet and harvest cookies with dried cranberries, dark chocolate, oats & spices!
I use my hand to generate friction heat, before and after loading my strops. Cool thing about this channel, is that he always prefaces everything with “there’s no right or wrong way to do anything, it’s about what works for you”
Fun to watch you play with compounds. I did all of that awhile back. I used just the block and rubbed a small amount on the leather. Was upset at the unevenness but it worked just fine. I later learned about the oil and tried that and was happier with the even distribution but really didnt notice any performance gains. You should also do a vid on how to clean a prep a well used strop for a new application of compound after the initial one gets loaded with steel. But trust me and try it yourself. just a few rubs of the block on the leather and shes good to go. And you can add more after several uses on top of dirty compound. But eventually it will need a good cleaning. I start with the spine like scaling to get the thick of it. My favorite meal(s) were the first ones I made with my new knives and cutting board. The fun and ease of prepping with proper tools made the meal much more enjoyable. News paper works great as a stop even without compound. As does blue jeans. Or Denim. In a rush you can just strop on your leg with your levis or wranglers with very noticeable results. Diamond Compounds 3 micron = 8k 2.5 = 9k 1.5 = 13k 1 = 14k .5 = 60k Block/bar Bark River Knife 3 bar compound kit. Includes: black (3,000 grit), green (6,000 grit) and white (12,000 grit) sharpening/buffing compound. Proudly made in the USA for Bark River Knives. I use the little Jeweler bars The color codes are the same Black labeled as coarse-cut only White-medium-cut mostly little polish Green-fine-little cut, mostly polish Red-Polish only
I appreciate the education. This is definitely worthwhile information. For now I'm glad I went with a dry diamond powder to make my strop. Just spread it out evenly in the suede and add mineral oil a drop at a time, overlapping the drops a bit. The oil moves around just fine, but the process is quicker if you overlap.
I've been using denim from an old pair of jeans to make my strops. I use contact adhesive to glue the fabric to a block of MDF, wrapping the denim down the sides to avoid fraying along the top edges. Then I load it with Silverline green compound. One advantage of this strop is that the surface doesn't deform as you use it, thus minimising the convexing of the blade edge. When the surface flakes, I use a hot air gun to melt the compound but I'm certainly going to try the mineral oil trick. Thanks for the videos - there's always something new to learn from them.
I used T Cut on my leather block, which is what car bodyshop techs use to restore paintwork, ie a very mild abrasive. It comes in a tube, and being a cream it loads onto the block really easily. Thanks for your videos, I' ve just bought my first Japanese waterstone as a result, and I am looking forward to learning how to use it. I previously used a Lansky kit for my folding knives, but now I'm going to attend to my kitchen knives with my big stone. I love the way I get audio feedback from your videos, I only got to learn how to use a steel (perhaps I shouldn't say that word here ) when it finally made the right noise.
Ryky. New to stropping and new sub to you. So into your style and knowledge of all things sharp. I'm just a regular "Joe" who wants a sharp knife around. EDC or in the kitchen. Thanks for taking the time to share with us.
Hi Ryky, I use a candle or heat gun to apply my compound on the strops. It works fine for me. Hiwa said he uses WD-40, so I will try that method. All you need is to warm up the leather and the compound will apply just fine.
I enjoyed your video thoroughly. I am a woodcarver of fish, wild game, indian busts, and duck blanks. To do this, one has to have very sharp knives, and , not only do they have to be sharp, one needs a resource to sharpen your knives again to make them sharp again, after using them. Another thing i participate in, is woodturning, on a lathe. I make bowls, pens, bottlestoppers, boxes, all kinds of things on the lathe. The main importance in using the lathe, is also to keep your tools sharp. One uses high speed steel tools and a slow speed grinder to keep the edges sharp and the angle of the blade well. After making something , I use some cloth wheels , just as you mentioned, and charge them with various blocks, to buff them and shine them up. So, I feel privileged, because, I can utilize my wood carving, with my woodturning, to make the various things, I create. Something else, you have taught me, is that I can use these blocks, I charge the buffing wheels with, to charge my strop, and sharpen my carving knives, which is great. I have 3 different blocks, a red one-(unsure of the grade), a white one- (known as white diamond) and a yellow one-(known as carnuba wax). Can i make 3 different strops using the 3 different blocks I have, or is it necessary? Also, on the video I watched of yours, it shows you charging the smooth side. Do I need to , or is it necessary to , charge the rough side to, with the block? You mentioned the green compound also. I'm wondering, since I already have these different blocks, is it necessary, I go out and purchase the green compound too? Also, you commented in your video, me mentioning my favorite food: I prefer cooking a high grade of beef tenderloin. The flavor of the meat is fantastic, and the texture is amazing, tender and juicy. I use a sous vide method, to cook it, and then sear it in some garlic butter, once it is finished cooking.
Just made my first two stropping blocks, both 2.5" X 10". One with Bark River green compound and one bare leather, (both smooth side up). When I saw your video, I had already tried to load one dry block with green and unfortunately it was very uneven and lumpy. I tried the "oil afterward" method you showed and it works very well to even and smooth out the compound. I used olive oil, (on hand) sparingly, which actually dried fairly quickly. Now to practice my stropping technique, lol. Thanks for the informative video.
Ricky old dude here tried stone sharpening years ago. To no prevail you got me wanting to try again.I ordered a stone you suggested and I could use a strop. Enjoy your vids.
get a stone if the strops aren't giving you the results you want. strops are great for polishing and keeping knives sharp. if the knives are REALLY dull, best to get a stone and finish on a strop
Great informative video! I asked for a strop loading video and you delivered. I was never adding oil to the smooth side of my stropping leather and couldn't figure out why the compound wasn't sticking and always flaking off. I was even melting the compound a little in order to spread it more evenly, but once it dried it was doing the same thing. Definitely going to buy some mineral oil asap! Thanks!
White compound is typically 2-5 micron, so around 6-13k grit, while the green is typically .5 micron, or approx 28k grit. (the shapton glass are 30k at .49 micron)
My favorite meals are the ones my wife and I are able to recreate from my childhood based off my grandmother's Salvadorean recipes. It feels great bringing those childhood memories back and giving that experience to our children. Absolute favorite is Pupusas!
Hi Ryky. I love the idea of live session. That would be a lot of fun. A trick I learned when loading up a strop works really well. Use a heat gun on low heat, to melt the compound into the leather. If you don't have a heat gun, a blow dryer works just fine.
Just saw this - nice video - I always find that using some axe honing oil on the leather makes loading the compound very easy. Spare veg tan leather with contact cement on an off-cut of wood makes a perfect stropping block.
Thanks for another great video, Ryky! These videos are significantly improving my kitchen experience; I very much appreciate them. Just the other day, actually, I had what I would call the best meal and my favorite meal I’ve ever had. Five friends and I gathered around a small table with a raclette grill in the center of all of us. We’re all college students, so we didn’t have anything terribly fancy, and really, it was not the food that made this meal so special; it was the company. All of us good friends, this was our fourth and final fall musical together at the college we all attend. We perform October 18-21, and as we’re about to start the tech-week process, it was genuinely nice to sit down, relax, and enjoy some good meats, good cheeses, and homemade bread (waaaaaay better than the stuff in the college cafeteria)! It was good food, good company, good conversation, and wonderful memories; what more can I ask for?
I know this is a semi old video but I do have experience with stropping on loaded cardboard. It does work, and you should be able to get a knife very sharp with it; being that it's just a medium to hold the compound. The surface of the cardboard is somewhat rigid. So it's relatively rough to strop on (the grooves prevent the edge from contacting the entire surface though). However, that may be a good thing in some cases. The rough sound it made and the feedback it gave while stropping actually allowed me to notice when the bur on the knife contacted the strop. I'm still refining my skills and learning how to sharpen. So that was very helpful for me. If you don't have the money to buy a leather strop, the materials to make one, or just want a strop immediately it can work. Also, I just, carefully, used the burner on an electric stove to heat up the cardboard; which made loading the compound much easier. Using it allowed me to get a razor-ish edge for the first time; it shaved hair easily but definitely could've been sharper.
I am excluding myself from this contest because ryky was kind enough to already send be a stropping block, but I'd love to share a "best meal" story anyways. BTW I finally got to try my stropping block last week and it is absolutely terrific. I highly recommend them to all us knife knuts that view ryky's channel. I'm a pretty good sharpener, but no where near rykys caliber. The block really allowed me to finish off my sharpening and make it professional quality. Low cost HIGH return! Some of you guys know I'm fortunate enough to enjoy some fine meals. I'm going to an A5 Wagyu dinner next month. but the best meal I ever had was on a rainy, almost freezing night, when I lost my car keys and my car was parked in a natural dip in the parking lot, so I had to search standing in the heavy rain, completely soaked. MY GF would not just sit in the car while I was soaked and she actively helped search for the keys for she too was soaked. Teeth chattering we arrived at her grandmothers house and all there was in the refrigerator was tortillas and butter. While she was drying off the grandmother shared what little she had to give comfort to us. the richness of the butter and the warmth of the tortillas was one of the best meals I've ever had. It doesn't need to be expensive or fancy, it needs to satisfy the body and the soul
Another good video with some interesting facts/info you've laid out in it. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and experiences on the subject. I have not used a stop made of leather for yrs now.. I've found you can just spread polishing compound (white,green and blue are my main use ) on some cardboard that is push pinned to a flat piece of wood.It works as easily and well as any other strop I've ever tried. You just use it the same way as a leather stop and you can easily mirror polish an edge..Just thought I'd past this along if anyone would like to give it a try.
Giving my expirience: Before using mineral oil i was getting mirror finish on the edge, After putting it with mineral oil = no sign of mirror polish. So i guess ill stick up with the no oil part. I use hairdryer to melt a bit the paste and heat the strop and its getting peeeerfect on it 😊😊😊
Have you tried warming the block in hot water first? I tried this by wrapping a cut of the block in cellophane and suspending it in hot (not boiling!) water (about 50°C - 60°C) for about ten minutes. Once applied, you can smooth it out with a leather scrap or a dry sponge. Worked very well for me. I'd be really interested to know your take on this.
Thank you so much, you have just made my life so much better. Mineral oil, I would have never guessed that. Fav meal: ribeye steak, and potatoes anyway. I appreciate all your videos, I pick up something new with each one. ATB
I don't know if this is necessarily the best way, but I always apply the mineral oil, let it absorb over night, and then load the strop with abrasive, so that there's a little friction to grab the honing compound.
You can also always heat the compound, by hovering the block above a stove element briefly, then rub it in with your glove, paper towel etc. Works a treat!
Hi! My first video. When I used to polish aluminum. I was told that Tripoli (the red) is for cutting aluminum and the green is to polish stainless. We applied it to a solid heavy cloth wheel. We always used the compound bars. You would think the colorings like red and green would impregnate into the wood. I've never heard that But it's good to know. Also cooking oils like vegetable go rancid so you might want to not go there! I really liked your lesson.
I was thinking cooking oil wouldn't be great as it would be sticky and go rancid. One commentor suggested wd-40 as it evaporates, but I've had wd-40 work like rubber cement on two pieces of metal. (took a few months - but still...)
I would totally watch it! I was waiting for a long time a total repair video, and a live is even better! It'll be great if you could do the live stream in the morning (or in the late night) to allow also to your european subscribers (like me) to watch it!! keep up the good work!
I totally agree about the longer format of video. When I watch stuff, youtube or otherwise, I want to learn, and it seems most people just want to sensationalize and be superficially hyped.
This may be said elsewhere, but a great source for leather is a local leather worker, or leather repair shop. They usually have a scrap box, and will sell, trade or even give enough for some strops. I find drugstore mineral oil just a bit too thick for my liking, and thin it by 5 or 10% with mineral spirits (good for oil stone sharpening too). I also use blocks of wood as strops. I find though, that the compound will get loaded up with metal particles and stop cutting, so the old stuff needs to be scraped off and new compound added. I don't find this happens as much with leather though. Great stuff Ryky!!!
Awesome video as always sir, love the work you put in for us, thank you!!! I’m fairly new to your channel, and I’m here to stay. I can’t wait to build my knife collection and make them all razor sharp 😁
Hi, another great video. I don’t find the long format a chore to watch so no complaints from me. Is there any issue with the compound being used with food prep tools? I assume a simple wash with soapy water removes the compound.
Keep your compound inside. To keep it soft it works much better. You can use any oil it will work. But you should stick with mineral oil the other oils can become rancid overtime which is not good.
Have access to Aluminum Bauxite powder, works well also along with a dash of fine oil. Tried this some time back with a homemade strop and polished nicely.
I just tried a Clothes Iron on a new strop freshly loaded with green compound (low heat), it smoothed out the lumpy compound and made it so the Knife slides smoothly instead of grabbing the lumpy Islands of compound that are now smooth, it worked for me, it might work for you. Only took a few seconds too.
Perfect timing, Ryky! I just made my first strop today and will probably keep it bare initially, but at some point, I may load it (or one of the others I'll make with the other leather I have). Some years back, I decided that stropping on compound-loaded paper on glass made more sense for keeping a V-edge. I tape one end of the paper to a stone-sized piece of glass I had cut, color the paper with the compound block, then smooth it out with a little mineral oil... next time I'll try the oil first. I've definitely found that I prefer to let the paper dry completely... when it's still wet, the compound doesn't seem to be as effective. I still think paper on glass makes the most sense, but since I'll do it with extremely light pressure, I'll play around with stropping on leather. QUESTIONS: After it gets dark from metal shavings, is it necessary to clean a strop (if so, how?), or do you just apply more compound over what's there? Thanks!
i have found that if you loaded the strop adequately, simply putting a few dabs of mineral oil and rubbing the entire surface has worked really well. i now have had.... 2 dozen stropping sessions and it's still working great. will do a long-term report and answer you question after 50 stropping sessions
Favorite meal: So many homemade. Grass-fed rare to med-rare prime rib cooked on low under convection with mustard, wasabi, ginger, assorted spices with garlic and grass-fed butter. Allow to rest 20 minutes when done. Homemade horseradish with organic sour cream and assorted spices to peak at a medium heat range. Mix the horseradish with the au jus. Vegetables include seared and sauteed brussel sprouts along with a variety of others. I use a green micro-fine hard compound. Mineral or grapeseed oil into the stropp first, spreading it around. 10-15 seconds on medium heat (stropp side with compound facing down 4-6" above the flame). Then I apply the compound and spread it around. It took me less than a minute to get an even coating then used my finger for 20 seconds to move it around. All uniform. Best it has ever looked.
My favorite meal is roasted pork shoulder with seasoned rice and garbanzo beans. Growing up in New York there was a heavy Hispanic influence among my family even though we aren't Spanish. Long story short its a meal that brings memory of my childhood whenever my mom is willing to cook it.
For leather paddle strops, rub compound on leather until you’ve got a coating of your desire. Next apply a few drops at a time of neatsfoot oil and mix with old toothbrush. Leather accepts oil after about 20+ minutes and all that’s left on top of leather is a nice even coat of compound. If even coverage is not to your liking, add some more oil (a few drops at a time) and rework/scrub and move around with toothbrush. A cheaper option rather than pure neatsfoot oil is Fiebings prime neatsfoot oil compound, which is neatsfoot oil blended with other light oils. Neatsfoot oil work great on leathers bc it’s made from the hooves and shinbones of cows or horses. If buffing stropping compound won’t stick and flakes off. Apply thin coat of oil before compound. All this applies to the big crayon like buffing stropping compound.
Wasn't subbed, and always loved coming across one of your videos every couple months. Happily subbed now, and 'hit that bell' to be notified, IDK if I will keep it that way TBH, but might as well give you that chance. Anyway I know that posting comments also helps channels through the engagement stats or whatever so here is my comment. Cheers!
Hi Ryky, I'm fairly new to the sharpening business in overall, but having this "skills" (I suppose) to learn "how to" on my bucket list for long time as my grandfather was the old school master (in my mind anyway, nothing like professionals or anything like these days you can see on these videos here...) but having said that everything what supposed to be sharp in His house was pretty damm sharp let me tell you that... ;) so He must be doing it right, right...!?! But of course when I was growing up I was watching him all the time on every single step he made and that is in majority today who I become as a person because of Him and His ways... SO what I'm trying to say here is that "That your videos, your vision and your determination are in perfect lengths and excellent contents" for guys/girls like me and the thousands of others...! And you're 100% right when you say that things like these needs to be explained step by step instead like some other heavily edited videos...!!! Please do what you doing and as they say - if ain't broken - no need to be fixed. I'm 37 years old and I learn every single day goes by thankfully to people like you on social networks like TH-cam and others and I'm so Grateful for that... Thank you Ryky and God bless you, shout out from Ireland 🇮🇪 by Czech 🇨🇿 fella ;)
Hi Ricky after finding the mineral oil in our local hardware store I was a bit skeptical why rubbing this oil would make any differentce I was pleasantly surprised now my stopping is getting awsome results my leather strop is left out all the time so I can strop my knifes after a few days use and get back a razor sharp edge after just a few strops thanks once again
Excellent video, Ryky. It's interesting so it didn't seem overly long. You used mineral oils and then waited for it to dry. It won't dry, it's non-drying. Other non-drying oils are Olive oil, Cocoa butter, Almond oil, Macadamia oil, Nahar seed oil, Baobab oil, Coconut oil, Peanut oil and Babassu oil. Drying oils are Poppyseed oil, Tung oil, Linseed oil, Stand oil (thickened version of linseed oil), Walnut oil and Perilla oil. I bought four knives that have Aogami Super (Blue Super) cores from you. It's very hard steel and doesn't respond well to a honing steel. I plan to use a leather strop for honing. It seems to me that a green compound block will be too fine for Blue Super. Is that the case? What compound block do you recommend for a knife with a Blue Super core?
Hey Ryky. Sounds really great with a live stream. I'm not totally sure of our timezone, but I live in Europe so I guess it will be nice if its not way to late in the evening. Btw. Thanks for all the nice videos. You have inspired me and my father to really get into the hobby and we have made a lot of great homemade setups and systems. Greatings from Denmark
A hot dog with a slightly charred wiener with stone ground mustard, ketchup, coarsely chopped onions, relish on a slightly toasted bun Unhealthy but absolutely delicious Thanks for the demo, just got my first board
My favorite meal to date is a pork belly ramen I discovered at the Amsterdam airport. It is amazing, all of the noodles are handmade fresh, and the pork belly is prepared perfectly. I feel like I'm in an anime whenever I eat it. I am addicted! Now, I always select flights connecting through Amsterdam just to get another fix.
My favorite meal was cooked outside on a grill. It consisted of lobster tails and beef fillet. My son is a wonderful cook. Very conscientious and detail oriented.
The only "high end" strop I found to be worth the extra expense over DIY cow leather strops are kangaroo leather. I have a small one (6" x 1") that uses a decked piece of aluminum for a base. I only use it on knives which I am polishing up as a gift as I don't particularly care about having a mirror finish on my working/carry knives. I use it as a final stage without any added compound.
My favorite meal is tripe in tomato sauce. Learned how to prepare from grand parents and parents. Serve with a fresh loaf of Italian crusty bread. Awesome!!!!
I hope not to late for this but my favorite meal was a hunting trip. we got 5" rain that wknd. Everyone else brought very little food. I had a 5# bag if taters and a 12 pk. No way to cook them. what I did was 1/4 the taters cut off the top of beer can put taters in filled with beer then put in fire! Awesome flavor. Thanks Tim Ellis
I am currently using computer paper, and Mothers Mag & aluminum polish. I don't know what grit the compound is, but it works fine. I can't wait to try something better. Thanks for another great video.
But... what do you do afterwards? Do you wipe off (or scrub off) the compound from the strop, when you're done? Or do you just leave it there, and re-do it again after some time, when it wears off?
Hi, I just started stropping, If you oil up the block with oil and then take the Compound and scrape it over the block with a knife their for making it in too a powder .....you can load up the block easily....By swirling your finger and mixing oil and powder together, It makes a nice Paste........Have a nice day......!
As far as I understand, applying a loose compound to a work surface is meant for buffing something, while a compound that's in some way fixed or glued to the work surface is meant for polishing. Whether it makes a difference in the end result or not, I don't know.
11:19 ...Bob Ross is speaking for a second again! ;-)
i LOVE IT!
Harris c
@@Burrfection Another easy way is to put a hair dryer over the strop till it warms then a little on the compound edge and it glides on smooth and even.
“Talk to the strop, make friends with it.”...Happy Strops
When do I clean the stops and how do I do it?
Thanks 5 years after you posted this video, I found it and it helped a LOT. Thanks agan.
yay!
Long videos like these have a human touch and are true to life.
Old time stropper here. Use wd-40 to smooth out the coumpound and let it dry. The wd-40 will evaporate off and you should be good.To cut compound bars into smaller chunks, use a survival wire saw , and you can use the dust from cutting it to load a strop also ( store dust in a baggie) and use the wd-40.The reason I want a smaller chunk is to take it in the bush with me and it's easier to use than a brick of compound. Hope that can help someone.
WH You guys do not use a diamond paste? 1 micorn on balsa strop and 0,25 on leather.
Thanks for your info hiwa. I took an old timers advice and tried putting MK white on a 1' X 2' piece of granite and on a flat piece of maple. He says anything flat will do as you really don't need leather. That's an argument for the forums. Anyway, I found as you load the compound (Jewelers rouge MK 1) on the granite you really get a good idea how uneven the compound lays or piles itself on the medium. Same with the wood. I also got a good idea what a little workout it is once you have some coverage applied. I had to stop twice to catch my breath. Tiny spritz of WD40 and then level it out. Anybody who has done a decent amount of drywall mudding (especially final coat) would be good at this phase as you just level it out as evenly as possible. I let it dry overnight and it really did do a nice job. I will warn anybody that tries this not to go over the apex of the blade when honing/poloishing. Meaning, don't ever make your angle of attack of your bevel more obtuse than the apex. It was a fun experiment. And I spend a lot of time in the outdoors guiding in the Rockies and it's nice to be able to get a proper edge back on my carving tools if I forgot my strop. Certain clay/mud and a flat piece of wood will work also. What have I learned, don't leave your strop at home and quit giving away my strops. And No, I've never pulled my belt off to strop like Bear G. My guiding company has a strict anti-douche policy.
I just rubbed in a bit of WD-40 on my strop and it evened it out so well. It evaporates quite fast and youre good to go in no time. Great tip!
@@one80sx Glad that worked for you , Alex ! Makes for a smoother stropping action for sure. Take care !
@@pd5156 because its expensive and a waste of money if you can get more than a 100× the uses of the diamond paste at a fraction of the price
This is the firdt of your videos I've seen. I like that its long. Cause it doesn't give the illusion that it only takes 5 minutes to do everything like other videos. Thank you for your thorough explanation.
Hey Ryky,
I have a couple leather stropps myself. I've found that if you heat the leather up itself with a hairdryer the compound goes on with no problem. I don't need to use oil to get it too spread and it will not flake.
I like that you explain and show everything. It is way better for learning then all the videos where important things get edited out.
I just wanted to thank you as it's very useful for new beginners to understand the details of loading compound onto strop.
Thank you!!! I just got my strop today and was trying to load the compound. I was so frustrated, then you said get mineral oil and I'm like oh great, now I have to go out and buy mineral oil, then I remembered the oil for my oilstones is mineral oil. It worked great!
Makes me laugh that he says dont buy expensive strops and that he wouldn't mess with equine... I just purchaced a equine strop that was more expensive than any other strop I've purchaced... I bought it for Burrfection!!! Happy to support the channel as he has taught me quite a bit. I just found it funny.
Hair dryer on high will warm the leather and compound will go on great.
Best advice so far! worked like a charm.
Appreciate it I am in the middle of stropping and no mineral oil in my house for conpound
This made my compound apply much more evenly right from the start, and made the process much faster too. Thanks! =)
Hair dryer the clutch tool!!! From heating up leather knife handles to applying compound to strop leather to removing smartphone screens to looking Fierce at the Players Ball... You gotta own one
Will Olive oil and a heat gun work?
I don’t have an enormous interest in kitchen knives, but am learning to sharpen, but I have to say your channel is awesome. You do a great job making the video good and inclusive
I use a hairdryer to warm the compound 👍.First I oil,then I apply the compound,then I gently warm the stroping board with a hairdryer. You get the exact same effect in a fraction of the time.
I collect Japanese folding knives (only😂) and I find your videos extremely informative and refreshing.
Keep up the great work 👍
Sorry I missed this when you did it. You have some fantastic videos. I learned to sharpen knives and blades as part of my father's woodworking shop. He always encouraged that I should learn to sharpen strictly by feel. Your suggestions remind me of the things I learned back then and since, in the years I've sharpened blades. Thank you so much for sharing your time and information.
I think it would be an amazing idea! I think people would be happy to be able to talk to you about knife related and non related things! Just want to say thank you! I have a few Tojiros, Dalstrongs, Ensos, Kumas because of you! I love all these knives and I hope that you continue to do what you are doing! Some of my favorite meals are not quite the typical sit down meal. I'm Vietnamese and I love eating pho, but one of the best moments of pho is actually the process of making it. When I was a little kid, my mom would be done making the pho and would strain the broth. After straining the broth, all the bones, marrow, and meat are left in the pot. She would always call me to come help her and we'd sit and eat some of the most flavorful meat and marrow from the pot dipping it in her homemade sauces or something as simple as lime salt and pepper. Getting a strop block is something I would love to give my mother for all the good memories of making food for my brothers and me. Even though we are older now, she still shows that motherly love by sending us food. With that said, hands down even though pho is my legitimate meal/dish, it's the meaning behind that makes it more special to me. Thanks Ryky! Keep doing what you're doing! You're the best!
Great story,thanks for sharing.
Thanks very much. Before watching this video my knifes were getting almost duller after stropping. After applying all info you shared, like the mineral oil, spreading the compound evenly, the stropping knife posture and weight, I finally had a pleasant stropping experience. After prepping the block again, it took less than one or two minutes per knife to strop lightly used 3k edges. By the feedback of the knife I instantly felt the strop is doing its job well. After a few passes the kitchen knives glided very smoothly on the strop. I'm also very thankful for everything you shared in youtube. I started knife sharpening two years ago with your vids and learned a lot from you. I'm still following your new vids. Keep up the good work :)
@16:25 Are U Kidding Me!!! Your Videos Have Ignited A Fire In My Blade Sharpening Soul!!! I now have a new hobby because of you! Thank You So So Much!! My Brother of Humanity! ⚔️
Your videos are the perfect length!! They are real time, and it gives people a full understanding of what you're doing. Thank you for that.😊
Edit: spelling
thank you !
The best meal I ever head was from my 8-year daughter Tina. She wanted to make something nice for feathers day. It was her first time cooking breakfast for her daddy it needed a lot of work but,4 it was the best meal I ever had because it was her first and I’m so proud. I love you Tina thank you for making me the happiest dad ever!!!!
You make all things stropping seem so easy., ty.
I was in the ER right before Thanksgiving so I couldn't cook or go to my friends. A friend called a group called Bay Ridge Cares n they delivered to me the BEST HOMEMADE complete Turkey dinner I've ever had. Turk., dressing, sweet potatoes, mashed pot., stringbeans, gravy, cranberries, cookies, cupcakes and cinnamon buns. AND 2 handwritten cards from kids wishing me a great thanksgiving. It was so loving, &delicious, I will never forget this THANKSGIVING . Be Blessed, ty for sharing your amazing talent w Our community.
just practice and you'll be even better than i am
Hi Ricky, I sharpen professionally, too. I started making my own stropping blocks over ten years ago. It is fun watching you make a lot of the same discoveries I have made, and a some I haven’t. One of my favorite stropping compounds is Flexcut Gold. It restores an edge fast. My own discovery was cerium oxide. It is normally used to polish rocks. I put it into a good quality spray bottle and mix it with water. To apply it you shake well and spray it on the strop, then let it dry and rub it in with mineral oil. Give it a try sometime. Very inexpensive and very effective.
I for one, prefer your lengthy videos, because I DO WANT to see the process of the situation. I just bought a Sharp Pebble Bamboo Base Strop from amazon dot com, and when I got an email from Sharp Pebble with a pda attached, showing me how to load a strip properly, I didn't know what to make of the mineral oil part. I have had four strops in my short knife collecting time, and I remember reading on a website that oil ruins the strop leather. So I always just loaded the strop with the compound and worked the compound into the leather with the blade. It always seemed to work out and I was able to maintain razor sharp edges with my knives. So upon seeing this instruction from Sharp Pebble, I was kinda in a panic so I came to youtube for some instruction, because I have to see something like this done. The written instruction isn't enough. Sometimes you have to see the "how much" and the "how long" aspects. This video definately helped ease my mind. Thanks!
In the straight razor sharpening Community it is common practice to use a straight-sided glass or bottle making sure its clean, to rub and burnish the compound into the leather. You might find it a useful technique as well.
ahhh... nice suggestion!
I warm the blocks and the leather, goes right on.. If it's not smooth just use high grit sandpaper to smooth it out or clean it off..
Great channel! Ray - Do you prefer any particular type of glass or straight-sided bottles? I have found that clean granite or a smooth piece of flat wood will also get it done as long as you have the rouge/polish on it. I prefer MK1 white or green due to price. I carve wood though and you shave body parts so different worlds.
The actual tutorial starts at 7:00 for any interested.
Thanks borther
33 minute video 😩. Could have been shortened to "rub the compound block on the leather" The End.
Dave Meade you can just read knife sharpening tutorials. ryky is also entertainment. Get off his back.
Robert Marks lol, thanks
How do I stretch out a 3 min video to 30 minuets,
You answered my question and taught me a few things I hadn't thought about yet.
I have committed myself to learn how to best sharpen my knives, maintain that edge and keep my tools EXTREMELY sharp all the time. It's a very difficult skill to perfect. I've always been just ok at doing it because I never take my time, ALWAYS IN A HURRY! 😬
Thanks for the education!!
I am a wood carver and I learned alot about stropping with this video. Thank you for doing this.
My wife made the following last week and it was AWESOME! Creamy rosemary polenta, similar to grits, served with braised shredded beef in a rich gravy & a side of roasted vegetables. For dessert, apple crisp tartlet and harvest cookies with dried cranberries, dark chocolate, oats & spices!
I use my hand to generate friction heat, before and after loading my strops. Cool thing about this channel, is that he always prefaces everything with “there’s no right or wrong way to do anything, it’s about what works for you”
Fun to watch you play with compounds. I did all of that awhile back. I used just the block and rubbed a small amount on the leather. Was upset at the unevenness but it worked just fine. I later learned about the oil and tried that and was happier with the even distribution but really didnt notice any performance gains.
You should also do a vid on how to clean a prep a well used strop for a new application of compound after the initial one gets loaded with steel.
But trust me and try it yourself. just a few rubs of the block on the leather and shes good to go. And you can add more after several uses on top of dirty compound. But eventually it will need a good cleaning. I start with the spine like scaling to get the thick of it.
My favorite meal(s) were the first ones I made with my new knives and cutting board. The fun and ease of prepping with proper tools made the meal much more enjoyable.
News paper works great as a stop even without compound. As does blue jeans. Or Denim. In a rush you can just strop on your leg with your levis or wranglers with very noticeable results.
Diamond Compounds
3 micron = 8k
2.5 = 9k
1.5 = 13k
1 = 14k
.5 = 60k
Block/bar
Bark River Knife 3 bar compound kit. Includes: black (3,000 grit), green (6,000 grit) and white (12,000 grit) sharpening/buffing compound. Proudly made in the USA for Bark River Knives.
I use the little Jeweler bars
The color codes are the same
Black labeled as coarse-cut only
White-medium-cut mostly little polish
Green-fine-little cut, mostly polish
Red-Polish only
wow. thanks for all the info!
I appreciate the education. This is definitely worthwhile information. For now I'm glad I went with a dry diamond powder to make my strop. Just spread it out evenly in the suede and add mineral oil a drop at a time, overlapping the drops a bit. The oil moves around just fine, but the process is quicker if you overlap.
I've been using denim from an old pair of jeans to make my strops. I use contact adhesive to glue the fabric to a block of MDF, wrapping the denim down the sides to avoid fraying along the top edges. Then I load it with Silverline green compound. One advantage of this strop is that the surface doesn't deform as you use it, thus minimising the convexing of the blade edge. When the surface flakes, I use a hot air gun to melt the compound but I'm certainly going to try the mineral oil trick. Thanks for the videos - there's always something new to learn from them.
Chris Ammann you can also try any other durable, relatively finely textured fabrics, such as fine linen.
Linen is a good idea Robert, and I do have some good quality scraps at home.
I used T Cut on my leather block, which is what car bodyshop techs use to restore paintwork, ie a very mild abrasive. It comes in a tube, and being a cream it loads onto the block really easily.
Thanks for your videos, I' ve just bought my first Japanese waterstone as a result, and I am looking forward to learning how to use it. I previously used a Lansky kit for my folding knives, but now I'm going to attend to my kitchen knives with my big stone. I love the way I get audio feedback from your videos, I only got to learn how to use a steel (perhaps I shouldn't say that word here ) when it finally made the right noise.
Ryky. New to stropping and new sub to you. So into your style and knowledge of all things sharp. I'm just a regular "Joe" who wants a sharp knife around. EDC or in the kitchen. Thanks for taking the time to share with us.
Hi Ryky, I use a candle or heat gun to apply my compound on the strops. It works fine for me. Hiwa said he uses WD-40, so I will try that method. All you need is to warm up the leather and the compound will apply just fine.
I enjoyed your video thoroughly. I am a woodcarver of fish, wild game, indian busts, and duck blanks. To do this, one has to have very sharp knives, and , not only do they have to be sharp, one needs a resource to sharpen your knives again to make them sharp again, after using them. Another thing i participate in, is woodturning, on a lathe. I make bowls, pens, bottlestoppers, boxes, all kinds of things on the lathe. The main importance in using the lathe, is also to keep your tools sharp. One uses high speed steel tools and a slow speed grinder to keep the edges sharp and the angle of the blade well. After making something , I use some cloth wheels , just as you mentioned, and charge them with various blocks, to buff them and shine them up. So, I feel privileged, because, I can utilize my wood carving, with my woodturning, to make the various things, I create. Something else, you have taught me, is that I can use these blocks, I charge the buffing wheels with, to charge my strop, and sharpen my carving knives, which is great. I have 3 different blocks, a red one-(unsure of the grade), a white one- (known as white diamond) and a yellow one-(known as carnuba wax). Can i make 3 different strops using the 3 different blocks I have, or is it necessary? Also, on the video I watched of yours, it shows you charging the smooth side. Do I need to , or is it necessary to , charge the rough side to, with the block?
You mentioned the green compound also. I'm wondering, since I already have these different blocks, is it necessary, I go out and purchase the green compound too?
Also, you commented in your video, me mentioning my favorite food:
I prefer cooking a high grade of beef tenderloin. The flavor of the meat is fantastic, and the texture is amazing, tender and juicy. I use a sous vide method, to cook it, and then sear it in some garlic butter, once it is finished cooking.
Just made my first two stropping blocks, both 2.5" X 10". One with Bark River green compound and one bare leather, (both smooth side up). When I saw your video, I had already tried to load one dry block with green and unfortunately it was very uneven and lumpy. I tried the "oil afterward" method you showed and it works very well to even and smooth out the compound. I used olive oil, (on hand) sparingly, which actually dried fairly quickly. Now to practice my stropping technique, lol. Thanks for the informative video.
Ricky old dude here tried stone sharpening years ago. To no prevail you got me wanting to try again.I ordered a stone you suggested and I could use a strop. Enjoy your vids.
get a stone if the strops aren't giving you the results you want. strops are great for polishing and keeping knives sharp. if the knives are REALLY dull, best to get a stone and finish on a strop
Great informative video! I asked for a strop loading video and you delivered. I was never adding oil to the smooth side of my stropping leather and couldn't figure out why the compound wasn't sticking and always flaking off. I was even melting the compound a little in order to spread it more evenly, but once it dried it was doing the same thing. Definitely going to buy some mineral oil asap! Thanks!
try and let me know if it works. lots of people are enjoying the tip and results
Love the video and a very complete guide. Wish there were more videos this through on TH-cam
Thank you! Flaky block has been killing me. Been sharpening my own knives since I was 6, but just got a decent strop and this was driving me nuts!
this will solve all of your knife problems burrfectionstore.com/
...to "heaten " up the compound block, i use a hairdryer. It melts the block a bit and the spreading on the leather is really easy. :)
Maurice M. I do that too!
I came to the comments just to see why he doesn’t do this.
Can you overload a strop? If so how would you know?
me too
Whats the best block to buy and from where
This was extremely helpful!!! Thank you! Im so glad I found your channel
Glad it was helpful!
Hey I like the idea .Your channel continues to strike my interest .I appreciate the hard work
And dedication your putting into this brotha.
👍
White compound is typically 2-5 micron, so around 6-13k grit, while the green is typically .5 micron, or approx 28k grit. (the shapton glass are 30k at .49 micron)
Do you know what the red compound usually sits at?
My favorite meals are the ones my wife and I are able to recreate from my childhood based off my grandmother's Salvadorean recipes. It feels great bringing those childhood memories back and giving that experience to our children. Absolute favorite is Pupusas!
Great stuff, like the fact that you show all , not edited !
I try
Hi Ryky. I love the idea of live session. That would be a lot of fun. A trick I learned when loading up a strop works really well. Use a heat gun on low heat, to melt the compound into the leather. If you don't have a heat gun, a blow dryer works just fine.
Just saw this - nice video - I always find that using some axe honing oil on the leather makes loading the compound very easy. Spare veg tan leather with contact cement on an off-cut of wood makes a perfect stropping block.
Thanks for another great video, Ryky! These videos are significantly improving my kitchen experience; I very much appreciate them.
Just the other day, actually, I had what I would call the best meal and my favorite meal I’ve ever had. Five friends and I gathered around a small table with a raclette grill in the center of all of us. We’re all college students, so we didn’t have anything terribly fancy, and really, it was not the food that made this meal so special; it was the company. All of us good friends, this was our fourth and final fall musical together at the college we all attend. We perform October 18-21, and as we’re about to start the tech-week process, it was genuinely nice to sit down, relax, and enjoy some good meats, good cheeses, and homemade bread (waaaaaay better than the stuff in the college cafeteria)! It was good food, good company, good conversation, and wonderful memories; what more can I ask for?
thank you, for sharing your experience!
I know this is a semi old video but I do have experience with stropping on loaded cardboard. It does work, and you should be able to get a knife very sharp with it; being that it's just a medium to hold the compound.
The surface of the cardboard is somewhat rigid. So it's relatively rough to strop on (the grooves prevent the edge from contacting the entire surface though). However, that may be a good thing in some cases. The rough sound it made and the feedback it gave while stropping actually allowed me to notice when the bur on the knife contacted the strop. I'm still refining my skills and learning how to sharpen. So that was very helpful for me.
If you don't have the money to buy a leather strop, the materials to make one, or just want a strop immediately it can work. Also, I just, carefully, used the burner on an electric stove to heat up the cardboard; which made loading the compound much easier.
Using it allowed me to get a razor-ish edge for the first time; it shaved hair easily but definitely could've been sharper.
thanks for the input!
I am excluding myself from this contest because ryky was kind enough to already send be a stropping block, but I'd love to share a "best meal" story anyways.
BTW I finally got to try my stropping block last week and it is absolutely terrific. I highly recommend them to all us knife knuts that view ryky's channel. I'm a pretty good sharpener, but no where near rykys caliber. The block really allowed me to finish off my sharpening and make it professional quality. Low cost HIGH return!
Some of you guys know I'm fortunate enough to enjoy some fine meals. I'm going to an A5 Wagyu dinner next month. but the best meal I ever had was on a rainy, almost freezing night, when I lost my car keys and my car was parked in a natural dip in the parking lot, so I had to search standing in the heavy rain, completely soaked.
MY GF would not just sit in the car while I was soaked and she actively helped search for the keys for she too was soaked. Teeth chattering we arrived at her grandmothers house and all there was in the refrigerator was tortillas and butter. While she was drying off the grandmother shared what little she had to give comfort to us. the richness of the butter and the warmth of the tortillas was one of the best meals I've ever had. It doesn't need to be expensive or fancy, it needs to satisfy the body and the soul
hmmmmm.... got tortillas and butter..... maybe that'll be on the menu tonight. thanks for sharing!
Another good video with some interesting facts/info you've laid out in it. Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and experiences on the subject.
I have not used a stop made of leather for yrs now.. I've found you can just spread polishing compound (white,green and blue are my main use ) on some cardboard that is push pinned to a flat piece of wood.It works as easily and well as any other strop I've ever tried. You just use it the same way as a leather stop and you can easily mirror polish an edge..Just thought I'd past this along if anyone would like to give it a try.
Great demo. This is why i purchased stuff from you. Now I can see why my results are mixed.
I recently hickory smoked 2 racks of babyback ribs along with baked beans, potato salad & yeast rolls. It was delicious . Thank You for the video.
Giving my expirience: Before using mineral oil i was getting mirror finish on the edge, After putting it with mineral oil = no sign of mirror polish. So i guess ill stick up with the no oil part. I use hairdryer to melt a bit the paste and heat the strop and its getting peeeerfect on it 😊😊😊
Try WD40 in place of the mineral oil. Let it dry overnight. You'll get that mirror finish back.
Have you tried warming the block in hot water first? I tried this by wrapping a cut of the block in cellophane and suspending it in hot (not boiling!) water (about 50°C - 60°C) for about ten minutes. Once applied, you can smooth it out with a leather scrap or a dry sponge. Worked very well for me. I'd be really interested to know your take on this.
Thank you so much, you have just made my life so much better. Mineral oil, I would have never guessed that. Fav meal: ribeye steak, and potatoes anyway. I appreciate all your videos, I pick up something new with each one. ATB
haha. lucky guess for me too! that's what experimenting does !
I don't know if this is necessarily the best way, but I always apply the mineral oil, let it absorb over night, and then load the strop with abrasive, so that there's a little friction to grab the honing compound.
You can also always heat the compound, by hovering the block above a stove element briefly, then rub it in with your glove, paper towel etc. Works a treat!
thanks for the tip!
Just stumbled across your channel, thank you for your video, helpful and will be trying to do this soon. Very new to sharpening.
Hi! My first video. When I used to polish aluminum. I was told that Tripoli (the red) is for cutting aluminum and the green is to polish stainless. We applied it to a solid heavy cloth wheel. We always used the compound bars. You would think the colorings like red and green would impregnate into the wood. I've never heard that But it's good to know. Also cooking oils like vegetable go rancid so you might want to not go there! I really liked your lesson.
I was thinking cooking oil wouldn't be great as it would be sticky and go rancid. One commentor suggested wd-40 as it evaporates, but I've had wd-40 work like rubber cement on two pieces of metal. (took a few months - but still...)
As a woodworker, I use these blocks on my sharpening machine for my chisels and planes, NOT on any wood :)
I would totally watch it! I was waiting for a long time a total repair video, and a live is even better! It'll be great if you could do the live stream in the morning (or in the late night) to allow also to your european subscribers (like me) to watch it!! keep up the good work!
I totally agree about the longer format of video. When I watch stuff, youtube or otherwise, I want to learn, and it seems most people just want to sensationalize and be superficially hyped.
haha. you know i'm saying?
Word, man.
Yes, I like your longer "real-time" videos.
thank you ! this will solve all of your knife problems burrfectionstore.com/
This may be said elsewhere, but a great source for leather is a local leather worker, or leather repair shop. They usually have a scrap box, and will sell, trade or even give enough for some strops. I find drugstore mineral oil just a bit too thick for my liking, and thin it by 5 or 10% with mineral spirits (good for oil stone sharpening too). I also use blocks of wood as strops. I find though, that the compound will get loaded up with metal particles and stop cutting, so the old stuff needs to be scraped off and new compound added. I don't find this happens as much with leather though. Great stuff Ryky!!!
Awesome video as always sir, love the work you put in for us, thank you!!! I’m fairly new to your channel, and I’m here to stay. I can’t wait to build my knife collection and make them all razor sharp 😁
Hi, another great video. I don’t find the long format a chore to watch so no complaints from me. Is there any issue with the compound being used with food prep tools? I assume a simple wash with soapy water removes the compound.
Keep your compound inside. To keep it soft it works much better. You can use any oil it will work. But you should stick with mineral oil the other oils can become rancid overtime which is not good.
Excellent and detailed information. New sub with everything to learn.
Thanks for the advice with the oil, now my leatherstrop looks really great. It just has to dry so that I can finally test it👍
Have access to Aluminum Bauxite powder, works well also along with a dash of fine oil. Tried this some time back with a homemade strop and polished nicely.
I just tried a Clothes Iron on a new strop freshly loaded with green compound (low heat), it smoothed out the lumpy compound and made it so the Knife slides smoothly instead of grabbing the lumpy Islands of compound that are now smooth, it worked for me, it might work for you. Only took a few seconds too.
Use a hair dryer to heat the compound and strop when loading is the best way I have found.
Perfect timing, Ryky! I just made my first strop today and will probably keep it bare initially, but at some point, I may load it (or one of the others I'll make with the other leather I have).
Some years back, I decided that stropping on compound-loaded paper on glass made more sense for keeping a V-edge. I tape one end of the paper to a stone-sized piece of glass I had cut, color the paper with the compound block, then smooth it out with a little mineral oil... next time I'll try the oil first. I've definitely found that I prefer to let the paper dry completely... when it's still wet, the compound doesn't seem to be as effective. I still think paper on glass makes the most sense, but since I'll do it with extremely light pressure, I'll play around with stropping on leather.
QUESTIONS: After it gets dark from metal shavings, is it necessary to clean a strop (if so, how?), or do you just apply more compound over what's there? Thanks!
i have found that if you loaded the strop adequately, simply putting a few dabs of mineral oil and rubbing the entire surface has worked really well. i now have had.... 2 dozen stropping sessions and it's still working great. will do a long-term report and answer you question after 50 stropping sessions
Favorite meal: So many homemade. Grass-fed rare to med-rare prime rib cooked on low under convection with mustard, wasabi, ginger, assorted spices with garlic and grass-fed butter. Allow to rest 20 minutes when done. Homemade horseradish with organic sour cream and assorted spices to peak at a medium heat range. Mix the horseradish with the au jus. Vegetables include seared and sauteed brussel sprouts along with a variety of others.
I use a green micro-fine hard compound. Mineral or grapeseed oil into the stropp first, spreading it around. 10-15 seconds on medium heat (stropp side with compound facing down 4-6" above the flame). Then I apply the compound and spread it around. It took me less than a minute to get an even coating then used my finger for 20 seconds to move it around. All uniform. Best it has ever looked.
Great Idea Thanks!!! I re-season some of my cast iron with grapeseed oil.
Really loved your video just got in to sharpening knifes my best foods are biscuits and gravy. You have a blessed day. God Bless.
My favorite meal is roasted pork shoulder with seasoned rice and garbanzo beans. Growing up in New York there was a heavy Hispanic influence among my family even though we aren't Spanish. Long story short its a meal that brings memory of my childhood whenever my mom is willing to cook it.
For leather paddle strops, rub compound on leather until you’ve got a coating of your desire. Next apply a few drops at a time of neatsfoot oil and mix with old toothbrush. Leather accepts oil after about 20+ minutes and all that’s left on top of leather is a nice even coat of compound. If even coverage is not to your liking, add some more oil (a few drops at a time) and rework/scrub and move around with toothbrush. A cheaper option rather than pure neatsfoot oil is Fiebings prime neatsfoot oil compound, which is neatsfoot oil blended with other light oils. Neatsfoot oil work great on leathers bc it’s made from the hooves and shinbones of cows or horses. If buffing stropping compound won’t stick and flakes off. Apply thin coat of oil before compound. All this applies to the big crayon like buffing stropping compound.
My 23 year old son cooked me spaghetti and sausage last night. He's sensitive and gracious. I love him very much.
Wasn't subbed, and always loved coming across one of your videos every couple months. Happily subbed now, and 'hit that bell' to be notified, IDK if I will keep it that way TBH, but might as well give you that chance. Anyway I know that posting comments also helps channels through the engagement stats or whatever so here is my comment. Cheers!
Hi Ryky,
I'm fairly new to the sharpening business in overall, but having this "skills" (I suppose) to learn "how to" on my bucket list for long time as my grandfather was the old school master (in my mind anyway, nothing like professionals or anything like these days you can see on these videos here...) but having said that everything what supposed to be sharp in His house was pretty damm sharp let me tell you that... ;) so He must be doing it right, right...!?!
But of course when I was growing up I was watching him all the time on every single step he made and that is in majority today who I become as a person because of Him and His ways... SO what I'm trying to say here is that "That your videos, your vision and your determination are in perfect lengths and excellent contents" for guys/girls like me and the thousands of others...!
And you're 100% right when you say that things like these needs to be explained step by step instead like some other heavily edited videos...!!!
Please do what you doing and as they say - if ain't broken - no need to be fixed.
I'm 37 years old and I learn every single day goes by thankfully to people like you on social networks like TH-cam and others and I'm so Grateful for that...
Thank you Ryky and God bless you, shout out from Ireland 🇮🇪 by Czech 🇨🇿 fella ;)
Hi Ricky after finding the mineral oil in our local hardware store I was a bit skeptical why rubbing this oil would make any differentce I was pleasantly surprised now my stopping is getting awsome results my leather strop is left out all the time so I can strop my knifes after a few days use and get back a razor sharp edge after just a few strops thanks once again
Hi, what size grit compound do you recommend for daily maintenance?
the video i was waiting for, thanks Ryky! i also would love the idea of a livestream and would be able to catch it on a weeknight.
Wednesday at 7-9pm would be great for me, as would Saturday 6-8am. Looking forward to tuning in to your first live stream!
Excellent video, Ryky. It's interesting so it didn't seem overly long. You used mineral oils and then waited for it to dry. It won't dry, it's non-drying. Other non-drying oils are Olive oil, Cocoa butter, Almond oil, Macadamia oil, Nahar seed oil, Baobab oil, Coconut oil, Peanut oil and Babassu oil. Drying oils are Poppyseed oil, Tung oil, Linseed oil, Stand oil (thickened version of linseed oil), Walnut oil and Perilla oil.
I bought four knives that have Aogami Super (Blue Super) cores from you. It's very hard steel and doesn't respond well to a honing steel. I plan to use a leather strop for honing. It seems to me that a green compound block will be too fine for Blue Super. Is that the case? What compound block do you recommend for a knife with a Blue Super core?
Hey Ryky. Sounds really great with a live stream. I'm not totally sure of our timezone, but I live in Europe so I guess it will be nice if its not way to late in the evening. Btw. Thanks for all the nice videos. You have inspired me and my father to really get into the hobby and we have made a lot of great homemade setups and systems. Greatings from Denmark
hey Jeppe! great that you guys have found a new hobby to enjoy together, and glad I was a part of that. stay in touch!
Great video!.. just one question..Which side of the leather you use? (Smooth or “hairy” side)
A hot dog with a slightly charred wiener with stone ground mustard, ketchup, coarsely chopped onions, relish on a slightly toasted bun Unhealthy but absolutely delicious
Thanks for the demo, just got my first board
My favorite meal to date is a pork belly ramen I discovered at the Amsterdam airport. It is amazing, all of the noodles are handmade fresh, and the pork belly is prepared perfectly. I feel like I'm in an anime whenever I eat it. I am addicted! Now, I always select flights connecting through Amsterdam just to get another fix.
My favorite meal was cooked outside on a grill. It consisted of lobster tails and beef fillet.
My son is a wonderful cook. Very conscientious and detail oriented.
The only "high end" strop I found to be worth the extra expense over DIY cow leather strops are kangaroo leather. I have a small one (6" x 1") that uses a decked piece of aluminum for a base. I only use it on knives which I am polishing up as a gift as I don't particularly care about having a mirror finish on my working/carry knives. I use it as a final stage without any added compound.
Thanks I been during it all wrong ,how i got my knives sharp is a mystery ,thanks again for showing this 😅
My favorite meal is tripe in tomato sauce. Learned how to prepare from grand parents and parents. Serve with a fresh loaf of Italian crusty bread. Awesome!!!!
I hope not to late for this but my favorite meal was a hunting trip. we got 5" rain that wknd. Everyone else brought very little food. I had a 5# bag if taters and a 12 pk. No way to cook them. what I did was 1/4 the taters cut off the top of beer can put taters in filled with beer then put in fire! Awesome flavor. Thanks Tim Ellis
I am currently using computer paper, and Mothers Mag & aluminum polish. I don't know what grit the compound is, but it works fine. I can't wait to try something better. Thanks for another great video.
But... what do you do afterwards? Do you wipe off (or scrub off) the compound from the strop, when you're done? Or do you just leave it there, and re-do it again after some time, when it wears off?
Thanks for the good stropping tips and demo
Woodworkers are usually very good at sharpening. Saw blades, chisels, planes, etc. Basically a never ending supply of stuff to sharpen.
Hi, I just started stropping, If you oil up the block with oil and then take the Compound and scrape it over the block with a knife their for making it in too a powder .....you can load up the block easily....By swirling your finger and mixing oil and powder together, It makes a nice Paste........Have a nice day......!
As far as I understand, applying a loose compound to a work surface is meant for buffing something, while a compound that's in some way fixed or glued to the work surface is meant for polishing.
Whether it makes a difference in the end result or not, I don't know.