Got a knife

[jmischel]

Well, I did it. I finally broke down and bought a carving knife. I figured since it seems like wood carving is more than just a passing fad for me, I might as well spend a little on a purpose-built knife.

So I stopped by Woodcraft this afternoon and picked up a Flexcut KN12 "Cutting Knife". I also picked up some strop compound, but when I saw the price of their strops ($35.00!!), I passed. I've got plenty of leather scraps here and have been using one as a strop with reasonable success. I'll either order one from Little Shavers (at 1/3 the price) or go ahead and mount one or my leather scraps on a scrap piece of lumber I have here.

Anyway, now I have the knife and I'm aching to start using it. Except I'll probably wait until I have a proper strop. (How's that for willpower?)

[Joggernot]

Glue an old belt (fuzzy side up) to a flat piece of wood. Add your compound. You now have a strop.

[Robby]

Well, now you gotta start doing something with that knife.

As for the strop, make your own. I have used scarp leather and old work belts to make my own strops. I just use Elmers wood glue, I clamp on using a similar size piece of scrap wood to help hold leather flat to the piece your gluing to.

Have fun with that new knife.

[Mottles]

Hi Jim, a carving knife is a good start, do you have your wood yet? If not and your not carving found wood then Heinecke Wood Products have some really nice basswood. No I don't own the company, have stock or anything else, but I do buy Basswood from them and they are super folks to do business with....
Kathy

[jmischel]

Joggernot & Robby: I have some leather scraps about the thickness of an old belt, several long enough to make a nice strop. Thanks for the glue recommendation. I was going to ask what would work for that.

Kathy: I have plenty of basswood. I picked up a box of blocks at Woodcraft back in November. Been making a few things from it, first using my pocket knife and more recently a utility knife (box cutter). Figured I'd graduate to a real honest-to-goodness carving knife.

[Ron T]

Hi Jim,

I finished th detail knife I promised you but you'll have to wait until I can get someone to take me to the post office.

Now you're going to have to start really carving. You don't have to wait for a strop. Some members have posted that they apply compound to wood or cardboard or even strop on paper.

Go for it.

[BobT]

I bought the Everett Ellenwood DVD on Sharpening a couple of months ago. Now I have strops all over the house and Mr Ellenwood likes the thin cardboard from the back of tablets. I tried it out. It is fantastic. I am converted. Now I have pieces of the cardboard (called chipboard where I work, we buy truckloads of the stuff).
Cardboard is great!

BobT

[Robert Cahill]

I also use old leather belts for strops but the first one I did I glued on with spring clamps and it left an indentation in the leather Now I put a piece of wood on top and have my clamps on that

Bob , Is that cardboard used like leather?

[BobT]

Yes, just like leather. I use Yellowstone on mine. I did try just the bare cardboard and it was pretty amazine how black it turned. The black has to be steel coming off. So I suppose you could NOT use a compound. The Yellowstone makes it go retty fast tough.

Bob

Originally Posted by Robert Cahill

I also use old leather belts for strops but the first one I did I glued on with spring clamps and it left an indentation in the leather Now I put a piece of wood on top and have my clamps on that

Bob , Is that cardboard used like leather?