Thread: Cheap or Budget Strop Alternatives

I found the thread about newspaper strops on here. Amazing! That blew my mind.

Someone pointed out that newspaper is more akin to cloth stropping, so I'm looking for the newspaper equivalent in leather.

I've read a bit about leather belts, and wanted to ask if anyone has tried using leather weight lifting belts? Or perhaps something equally inexpensive but infinitely better?

It would be for stropping kitchen knives and pocket knives so I can keep my nice strop for my straight razor only. I'm not looking to spend very much.

Try the inside of a cereal box. I have used that, along with newspaper, as a substrate for chromium oxide and other paste experiments for years.

I'm not suggesting that it is a great substitute for leather, but that or old denim are both free alternative strop material.

You might be able to find something made of learher at a goodwill or salvation army store or on craigslist. Alternatively you could just buy a piece of leather from Tandy or just buy a cheap strop.

For knives strop on a piece of MDF coated with 3 inch X’s of Chrome Oxide or any good metal polish.

I used a weightlifting belt to make a hanging strop last summer. I liked it at the time but have made better strops since then. It would would fine for kitchen and pocket knives.

One thing you might consider is making a paddle strop, you don't need as long of a length of leather.

You can buy strips of leather from Tandy, often are really low prices. I cannot easily get to city center where there stores are so I have to ad shipping costs to almost everything. The people that can just go to their stores can find nice 3" strip of good leather cheap cheap cheap.

You can also get nylon strapping from any fabric store for a couple bucks, canvas and especially Polyester canvas works great. A yard will make a bunch of strops.

For knives and tools paddles work better than hanging strops.

I use a piece of Poly Webbing when I feel like going way over the top with a knife edge. And only that cause it was lying around. The knife edge won't know the difference between that, leather, or a piece of cereal box. Neither will anything that gets cut with it.

So I'll give the inside of a cereal box, whipped dog, Tandy and MDF a try at some point.

I have yet to find a local source for chromium oxide. Google pinged back a source for chromium oxide powder @ $13/lb. I've heard I can mix it with animal fat to home brew my own paste, but I would question it's consistency and my ability to home brew.

I saw the post about Lee valley's not super consistent .5 micron paste... which I guess leaves Hand America's chromium paste, which appears to be discontinued best I can tell.

Suggestions for Chromium Oxide?

Since it is unavailable at SRD may I suggest Shave Nation for the CroX

https://shavenation.com/collections/...de-bar-xl-size

I'm brand new to this. The paddle or board strop seems easier to control. I'm super slow anyway. Is there any advantage to a hanging strop besides speed?