Flex strop

[soggin]

Anybody out there use a Flex Strop and have any insights or tips? I'm new here and could use any advice. Thanks Jon

[comreno]

Hello;
I have one and it works ok.
Alot has to do with the person using it.LOL
There is an article in one of the WCI magizines I think on how to make your own.
I made one and it works just as well.
Hope this helps.
Larry

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

It works fine but for knives I prefer a longer strop. You can make your own real easy.

Dave

[Kadiddle]

I have this strop and it came with the tips in the package. Pretty much like rubbing the compound on is like using a crayon. Sharp edge trailing, not leading or it will cut into the strop. plenty of information on stropping.
Carve On,
Kadiddle

[STAR]

I was given one for Christmas. I find it has taken my sharpening of gouges up another notch. Having said that it was obvious to me that if I continued to use it that i would cut it up real quick.

I had seen some articles of making your own and now i had a real one in my hand copy it i did. it works great. Another thing, a friend gave me some Jelutong skirting board that had some round and triangle proviles in it. it also had some round concave and convex grooves plus some flat channels as well. The proviles were a mixture of large and extremely tiny and surprisingly they matched many of my micro gouges. The larger profiles also matched my larger gouges.

He said that Builders used to use Jelutong in the sixties but the painters hated it because they had to fill the little eye holes. This piece was given to me to be used as a carving wood, it is about 30 inches long and approx five inches wide. Fortunately, I saw the possiblities in this and just had to wait until my tecnology caught up with my ambition. I have enough now to make about ten Flex Strops.

The beauty is that their is enough space on it to cut my own profiles but the key for me was having a real Flex Strop to copy. basswood would be easier to groove but possibly be a bit softer and as such not as long lasting. But what the heck, if it is free and you have offcuts, what does it matter.

I find that by cutting your own grooves and making your own also tends to improve your sharpening technique.

Pete

[soggin]

Thanks Gang! I always used throw away exacto's for my carving and last year went out and bought some decent knives and need to learn to sharpen them..I have the Flexstrop and the yellow aluminum oxide crayon which I use on the leather but I haven't used the coarse sandpaper underside yet and lost the directions..do I wet that or leave it dry?..
.I understand that there will be much to learn and I might need to sacrifice a blade or two...thanks for getting back and please bear with me.....