Thread: Another Dumb Strop Question

I was just wondering...I made a new strop today, and am in the process of dressing it. I dressed both the smooth and rough sides. Why couldn't the rough side be used in place of canvas? I know some people don't use the canvas at all, but you just need texture for more "grab", it would seem like the rough side of the leather would work, too. Maybe with a little jewler's rouge on it?

Yes, it could. I'm very careful though about letting my little razor 4x4 (thats run on a bumpy surface) but some like to put paste on the opposite side.

Tried out the new strop. 25 round trips on the rough side (pasted with neatsfoot oil and jewelers rouge) and 25 round trips on the smooth side (dressed with Fromm's, and both the Clausses that were giving me a little honing trouble easily passed the hanging hair test. Yaaayyy! . The thinner blade caught the hair and literally split it up the shaft before cutting it in two. As impressive as that was, I figgered a bit more stropping was in order to get it to cut cleanly. I did, and it did. I that one of the Clausses is a half-hollow shoulderless, and doesn't hone the same as my others, which are full hollow. I think that's why it gave me trouble.

Congrats...don't forget to clean the blade before stropping on unpasted leather. Great feeling isn't it! ??

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Congrats...don't forget to clean the blade before stropping on unpasted leather. Great feeling isn't it! ??

I have a lint-free towel on hand for wiping before stropping (the razor, that is ). And yes, that feeling kicks ass. I still don't think I'm up there with Lynn, but I'm working on it.

Ahhhh yea...Ok, you keep working on that! :-)

Meaning...? LOL

Originally Posted by Joe Chandler

Meaning...? LOL

Meaning Lynn has reached diety status... As in he could be honing Zues' lightning bolts before they are launch ready....

Joe,
You will find many of the tradional Russian leather strops and Fromm's #827 are actually the rough side of the leather that has been compressed to make it harder but it still retains much of it's original texture.

A while back I was making these as well but they were not as popular as a tradional smooth strop so I don't do them on a regular basis. The only limitation was in finding ;eather that was suitably even textured on the reverse side. The new Hand American red has the back split to give an even roughness and would work well for this application if softened up a bit with Neat's Foot Oil.

Tony

Excellent. I may try that, although I'mma still order one of yours. If this peckerwood would come through on my knife sale, I'd probably order it tonight. I have a whole side of veg-tanned leather and the rough side on it's pretty even and smooth. I'm all about trying new stuff anyway, as long as it doesn't make anything worse.