Strop Question ...

[C. McCoy]

For those that use a stropping board do you ever clean the leather or just keep adding compound on top of compound? If you do clean it what do you use?

It seems it is getting harder for the leather to accept the compound like it did in the beginning do to all the use. Make sense?

Or is this how you want your stropping board to get?

Thanks.

[Plain_Ol_Ed]

I never have cleaned mine and have a couple that are 15 or 20 years old. I know some folks do clean theirs because of build up. Had never given it much thought until now, maybe it has something to do with the compound used? I have always used a fairly dry compound kind of like the yellowstone that I use now. Maybe that has something to do with it. Beats me.

[Joggernot]

Sorry, I don't know anyone in the club who has cleaned a strop.

Joggernot

[James A]

Do a search on this topic. I think there have been many questions on this very topic. I do clean mine from time to time, but everyone has their preference.

[mdallensr]

I bought a knife and strop from John Dunkle. John and Herb Dunkle have made and sold knives for years, and they also sold Yellowstone stropping compound. John now sells a similar product called Blue Velvet. Both are great stropping compounds! I asked him when to recharge the strop and when to clean it and he said to never clean it. Just keep using it, the blacker the better. So that's what I've done for several years and it works great. Others say they like to scrape theirs clean and start with a fresh charge. It probably doens't make a big difference. The new Blue Velvet comes in a powder form, so it's easier to apply than the original Yellowstone but I'm guessing they're basically the same compound, just a different color. Good luck. Mike

[mikedon]

Hello My Name Is Mikedon I Am New to the Club I Use It about Three Different Compounds and They All Seem to Do a Pretty Good Job I Never Clean Any of the Leather Is Better When It Is Black and Gives a Better Shine to the Edge Which Makes It like a Razor.

[Ron T]

I've never cleaned my strop but then I haven't been carving all that long.

Here's a question, my strop has fuzzy leather on one side and the smooth leather on the other. What's the difference?

[FK]

I clean the surface and reapply compound. The black gunk is actually small metal particles which do not help in removing steel or polishing.

I prefer a clean surface and newly applied Yellowstone is my favorite.

I also use green CrO and black Cubic Boron Nitride in powder form and on occasion, diamond powder suspended in oil, these are all applied to a thin hard leather strop dedicated to each material.

Yes, everything works however, which is faster and more efficient?

Excessive stropping with a slow cutting compound will make dubbed edges more of a problem.

Regards,
FK

[Paul_Guraedy]

Ron, don't know why your strop would have the smooth (skin) side of the leather out. Unless it is intended as a super-smooth, no compound, strop to finish the tool. I have not seen this done and can't imagine it being necessary. The smooth side of leather would still hold some compound; but, not nearly to the degree that the rough (flesh) side of the leather will. I am assuming that your leather is glued to a board and you are not seeing both sides of the same piece of leather.

Interestingly, I watched Harold Enlow sharpening a knife a few years ago. He took an old piece of plastic webbing, put some compound on it, placed it flat on a table and used it as a strop. He told me, "It's a lot easier to carry the webbing and a block of compound, than it is a strop." Makes sense, but, then, Harold doesn't look unprofessional no matter what he does, while the rest of us..............

[Gulf Coast Handyman]

I just started using White Gold, works great! No major build up at all.

Dave