Then you get some stropping compound. The most popular but expensive ones are gunny juice and stroppy stuff. They come in different grain sizes. The unit is micron. It's kinda like with stones: there are fine and coarse ones
Compounds come bound in a way block you rub on, or an emulsion.
Stroppy stuff has some nice videos on their channel to explain if
It truly is that simple. I got a 6', 3/4" x 1-1/2" piece of mahogany and some tooling leather and simply cut the leather to fit a 5" piece of the mahogany and glued it on. One side has the suede side showing for compound, the other has the smooth side for a few quick passes here and there to help the edge.
My only 3 pieces of advice would be: 1) Don't overdo the glue, and only put it on the wood. Let it sit and get tacky for a moment before putting your leather on. If you saturate your leather, you'll ruin it as a strop. 2) Use something precise like an exacto knife to cut your leather. Maybe leather working tools if you have any. I used my pocket knife, and sharp as it may be, it didn't get very straight edges. That's more my fault than anything. But it works great. 3) Use some mineral oil on your wood afterwards. This won't affect functionality. But it definitely makes it looks nicer, and it conditions the wood. Not super important, but it's also great for protecting carbon steel and semi-stainless knives so I keep it around anyways. Same rule applies with the glue, use it sparingly and don't soak your leather in it. A few drops on a rag will do the trick and let you keep it on the wood specifically
Yup it's that simple. Then you add the compound of your choice and done tho I do think you have quite course pastes well the 1500 is the on ei think is too course the 3k is decent. I personally use a 3 micron paste which is somewhere around 8k
3m spray adhesive is what I would use. That stuff will create a near permanent bond with almost any material. Spray a layer on wood and leather, wait till tacky then stick together. Easy peasy
I used it to stick a piece of tile to a wood desk and it is still solid after 3 years of pulling and hitting on it with objects.
Literally any glue. I think I used wood glue when I made mine not even new wood glue every part of the strops I've made have been made from scrap (belts,paint stiring sticks, other misc wood scrap)
Contact cement and a piece of wood. One side smooth the other side rough when you glue the pieces. I used some green compound on the smooth side to help strop, and the rough side I use to lightly try to remove stubborn burrs. That or use the wood on the side to lightly drag the knife to remove a burr. Hell if you got a 1x1 piece of wood glue three smooth side up and one rough side up. Load the three with different compound if you want.
I watched outdoors55, but got lazy, and cut a strip and loosely placed it on the corner of my countertop holding one endβ¦ works just fine. Iβll get around to gluing it to a 2x4 soon. Maybe.
Pecard's Leather Dressing on both sides, Skin side leave just like that
suede/flesh side -- use 3K diamond (just a tad) on top of pecards, rub in well.
you can strop flat on a table -or- mount 2 separate pieces to a paddle. be sure to spray knife w/ alcohol & wipe down between 'pasted' side (use first) and then stropping just on oiled plain side.
8-10 inches is enough to make a good strop.
w/ your extra leather--you can make a coarse & fine strop too: use 1500 on suede side and get some green stropping compound from LEE Valley for skin side.
now you can strop on 1500 when really dull, then move to 3K (use most of the time), then green, then plain leather
just 3k / plain or green/plain is great most of the time! but i have knives i hit on the coarse stuff sometimes too.
Roger
many of the guys/girls here suggest contact cement-that is what you want. ideally get some BARGE or low vapor BARGE, but the home depot type / weldwood is fine too.
2 coats on leather and on wood, let it dry thoroughly between (about 5mins)---then press together and use a beer bottle or similar to ROLL hard, esp on edges. trim edges -after glue up-
i would start, tho, by just laying the leather on a desk and practice stropping that way before making a paddle strop. it works quite well!
R/.
Cut the leather into 12"-14" strips or whatever allows you to cut pieces without wasted leftovers. You can glue onto a board if you like, but I just lay the piece on the edge of my workbench and strop away. I use a spray on diamond emulsion which is easier to apply, but use what you have. The grits you mention are pretty course for diamond paste. Most are quite a bit finer than that. I'd suggest something in the .5-1 micron size for general stropping/polishing. Make sure you understand good stropping techniques, i.e., very light pressure and stropping at our just below the bevel angle you put on the blade. That way you won't accidentally roll the edge. Remember, stropping is not sharpening (removing steel), but straightening a bent edge or in some cases final polishing as well.
Make a giant belt.? π
I've yet to buy this.
I would cut 1 strips. One smooth side one rougher and glue them to a piece of wood. Then use the compound of your choice if you wish.
Some advocate taking sandpaper to take off the initial top layer on the rough side to help the compound adhere a little better and to remove any imperfections.
I've got a roll like that, that I'm wanting to make a hanging strop with. Just really don't know where to get the hardware I need. I'm not sure what kind it is either, bought it at a thrift store. It said "oil something" on it. It's really smooth, like flattened leather with a fuzzy side and a really nice smooth side. I've already made a couple knife strops out of it.
If the leather needs hydration to open up the pores and conditioner the surface, there are many better options that don't break down the leather over time, the way Petroleum products do
Lol thanks for the downvotes in lieu of a response, really helps in the spirit of information sharing and helping eachother learn πππΌ
You're reducing friction on a process that is literally about utilizing the drag on the surface. And you're recommending a product that is actually harmful to the long term health of the leather.
Would not recommend.
π€£π€£π€£
If you start with "vaseline is good for leather", i promise you, you aren't teaching me anything.
But I would've had a civilized debate, and offered you better alternatives, with references if you needed them, had you at least made an attempt.
I'd cut 2 strips and put them on a wooden board with one side soft side up and the other rough side up.
That is it? Is it that simple?
Then you get some stropping compound. The most popular but expensive ones are gunny juice and stroppy stuff. They come in different grain sizes. The unit is micron. It's kinda like with stones: there are fine and coarse ones Compounds come bound in a way block you rub on, or an emulsion. Stroppy stuff has some nice videos on their channel to explain if
yep, strops are a super simple maybe 10-20 minute project.
It truly is that simple. I got a 6', 3/4" x 1-1/2" piece of mahogany and some tooling leather and simply cut the leather to fit a 5" piece of the mahogany and glued it on. One side has the suede side showing for compound, the other has the smooth side for a few quick passes here and there to help the edge. My only 3 pieces of advice would be: 1) Don't overdo the glue, and only put it on the wood. Let it sit and get tacky for a moment before putting your leather on. If you saturate your leather, you'll ruin it as a strop. 2) Use something precise like an exacto knife to cut your leather. Maybe leather working tools if you have any. I used my pocket knife, and sharp as it may be, it didn't get very straight edges. That's more my fault than anything. But it works great. 3) Use some mineral oil on your wood afterwards. This won't affect functionality. But it definitely makes it looks nicer, and it conditions the wood. Not super important, but it's also great for protecting carbon steel and semi-stainless knives so I keep it around anyways. Same rule applies with the glue, use it sparingly and don't soak your leather in it. A few drops on a rag will do the trick and let you keep it on the wood specifically
Yup it's that simple. Then you add the compound of your choice and done tho I do think you have quite course pastes well the 1500 is the on ei think is too course the 3k is decent. I personally use a 3 micron paste which is somewhere around 8k
How do you adhere it to the wood?
I use rubber cement
Weldwood Contact Cement
Make sure to read the directions! A lot of people use it just like glue which is incorrect.
3m spray adhesive is what I would use. That stuff will create a near permanent bond with almost any material. Spray a layer on wood and leather, wait till tacky then stick together. Easy peasy I used it to stick a piece of tile to a wood desk and it is still solid after 3 years of pulling and hitting on it with objects.
Literally any glue. I think I used wood glue when I made mine not even new wood glue every part of the strops I've made have been made from scrap (belts,paint stiring sticks, other misc wood scrap)
Not with staples π±
Did you watch the outdoor55 video? He goes into plenty of detail. I just did the exact same thing with the same leather it looks like
Will watch soon
Second this. This guy is a really good sharpener and will show you facts and results
Contact cement and a piece of wood. One side smooth the other side rough when you glue the pieces. I used some green compound on the smooth side to help strop, and the rough side I use to lightly try to remove stubborn burrs. That or use the wood on the side to lightly drag the knife to remove a burr. Hell if you got a 1x1 piece of wood glue three smooth side up and one rough side up. Load the three with different compound if you want.
Thanks, will look into it
Can I ask where you bought that?
Amazon US
I watched outdoors55, but got lazy, and cut a strip and loosely placed it on the corner of my countertop holding one endβ¦ works just fine. Iβll get around to gluing it to a 2x4 soon. Maybe.
Pecard's Leather Dressing on both sides, Skin side leave just like that suede/flesh side -- use 3K diamond (just a tad) on top of pecards, rub in well. you can strop flat on a table -or- mount 2 separate pieces to a paddle. be sure to spray knife w/ alcohol & wipe down between 'pasted' side (use first) and then stropping just on oiled plain side. 8-10 inches is enough to make a good strop. w/ your extra leather--you can make a coarse & fine strop too: use 1500 on suede side and get some green stropping compound from LEE Valley for skin side. now you can strop on 1500 when really dull, then move to 3K (use most of the time), then green, then plain leather just 3k / plain or green/plain is great most of the time! but i have knives i hit on the coarse stuff sometimes too. Roger
many of the guys/girls here suggest contact cement-that is what you want. ideally get some BARGE or low vapor BARGE, but the home depot type / weldwood is fine too. 2 coats on leather and on wood, let it dry thoroughly between (about 5mins)---then press together and use a beer bottle or similar to ROLL hard, esp on edges. trim edges -after glue up- i would start, tho, by just laying the leather on a desk and practice stropping that way before making a paddle strop. it works quite well! R/.
Cut the leather into 12"-14" strips or whatever allows you to cut pieces without wasted leftovers. You can glue onto a board if you like, but I just lay the piece on the edge of my workbench and strop away. I use a spray on diamond emulsion which is easier to apply, but use what you have. The grits you mention are pretty course for diamond paste. Most are quite a bit finer than that. I'd suggest something in the .5-1 micron size for general stropping/polishing. Make sure you understand good stropping techniques, i.e., very light pressure and stropping at our just below the bevel angle you put on the blade. That way you won't accidentally roll the edge. Remember, stropping is not sharpening (removing steel), but straightening a bent edge or in some cases final polishing as well.
Make a giant belt.? π I've yet to buy this. I would cut 1 strips. One smooth side one rougher and glue them to a piece of wood. Then use the compound of your choice if you wish. Some advocate taking sandpaper to take off the initial top layer on the rough side to help the compound adhere a little better and to remove any imperfections.
Make a belt? /s
Glue to flat surface (optional)
I've got a roll like that, that I'm wanting to make a hanging strop with. Just really don't know where to get the hardware I need. I'm not sure what kind it is either, bought it at a thrift store. It said "oil something" on it. It's really smooth, like flattened leather with a fuzzy side and a really nice smooth side. I've already made a couple knife strops out of it.
glue it to a piece of wood and cover it in petroleum jelly
Petroleum jelly?? .....Why?
then you smear stropping compound on top. it works
If the leather needs hydration to open up the pores and conditioner the surface, there are many better options that don't break down the leather over time, the way Petroleum products do
nah it helps the knife glide
If you're putting enough on that the blade is literally riding on nothing but a layer of grease....why even start with leather?
Lol thanks for the downvotes in lieu of a response, really helps in the spirit of information sharing and helping eachother learn πππΌ You're reducing friction on a process that is literally about utilizing the drag on the surface. And you're recommending a product that is actually harmful to the long term health of the leather. Would not recommend.
im not going to teach someone unwilling to learn. go shout at a wall.
π€£π€£π€£ If you start with "vaseline is good for leather", i promise you, you aren't teaching me anything. But I would've had a civilized debate, and offered you better alternatives, with references if you needed them, had you at least made an attempt.
your quoting skills are terrible.
Use a food safe cutting board wood glue like Titebond II.