Leather strop paste

[fred]

I've just bought a leather strop from ebay, and would like to know what kind of paste to use with it.
I've never used one before, so any info and/or links to online instructions would be nice!

Here's the strop I have purchased:
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/171356030706? ... 1497.l2649

And let me know what you think of the slip stone that comes with it. Never had one of them before, so any user knowledege would be appreciated. Do you think it was a good buy for the price paid?

Cheers chaps,
fred

 

[TrimTheKing]

I've never personally used a strop, but on my leather honing wheel on my Tormek I use Autosol which is a very fine abrasive pasta and works really well…

Cheers
Mark

 

[Woodbloke]

I use Chromium Oxide on my strop with a dollop of Vaseline to make it into a green goo…just rub it in with your finger - Rob, aka 'woodbloke'

 

[fred]

I use Autosol

As an owner of 7 motorbikes, and having worked on bikes for nearly 30 years, I have plenty of Autosol!
Might give that a go Mark. Thanks.

I use Chromium Oxide

Chromium Oxide, what like the stuff that's on the front forks of most of my bikes? lol
Only kidding mate. Just googled it. Looks interesting and funky.

Does one have a bearing over the other though?

Cheers chaps,
fred

 

[Woodbloke]

Does one have a bearing over the other though?

Cheers chaps,
fred

You'll find that other folk on a different forum will 'discuss' this sort of thing 'ad nauseum' for pages and pages. The truth is that it doesn't matter as long as it's a very fine abrasive that's worked into the leather, which should btw, be glued down to a bit of mdf or ply. You'll even see old timers (the late Alan Peters was one) who strop on the palm of their hand, but this is not, for obvious reasons, recommended - Rob, aka 'wood bloke'…now the real 'woodbloke'

 

[Froggy]

Just as an amusing aside to this - when I first started stropping I went into the local village and bought a tub of Vaseline then went to the local charity shop with said tub clearly in hand and asked if they had anything in leather I got a few funny looks and then reddened up when I realised what they were thinking!!
I've used both - autosol (on Woodbloke's advice many moons ago) and more recently oxide, both as good IMHO.

 

[Rod]

I used to strop things but now find using Scary Sharp (with it's very fine grades) it's unnecessary but I wouldn't argue about it . I do use the palm of my hand though - carefully.
If I have my Tormek set up I use the cream supplied.
I also have some stuff I bought from the Clifton man which I've never used.
If Bugbear was on here he could probably tell you all about the various grades? I have a chart but cannot access it here.

I'm no expert on oilstones though I have a few that I inherited - I only use them when honing my carving chisels and the ones I have are some form of slate?

Rod

 

[fred]

Froggy, you legend. Wish I had been there to witness that. lol. Sounds like a scene from The Dick Emery Show!

Rob, I know what you mean mate. Far too much self-righteous bickering over there.
And as for Alan Peters and the like, wow! They must of been known as Old Leather Hands, and must of had some major callous' on those hands.

I might as well use what I've got in already, Autosol will be transfered from the garage to the workshop!

Cheers chaps,
fred

 

[Woodbloke]

I used to strop things but now find using Scary Sharp (with it's very fine grades) it's unnecessary but I wouldn't argue about it .
Rod

Even with SS 3M films from Workshop Heaven, I still strop a few times just to finish off. After the blade comes out the honing guide, it's ruler trick>strop>ruler trick>strop with the 3 micron film used. It does seem to make a difference, but it's not quantifiable (posh word init?) and as you say Rod, not worth an argument :lol: - Rob

 

[Robert]

I'm a complete heathen when it comes to hand tools - give me a machine any day. When I do have to sharpen a chisel though I have some cheap diamond plates (that came on coloured plastic backings originally) stuck on to a piece of MDF and I have a blackened area on the MDF next to them where I just put autosol straight on the MDF as my strop. Works for me

 

[TrimTheKing]

and I have a blackened area on the MDF next to them where I just put autosol straight on the MDF as my strop. Works for me

And therein lies the beauty of sharpening… :twisted:

Cheers
Mark

 

[derekcohen]

There are two reasons to use a strop - either to ensure that the wire edge has been removed, or to hone the steel to a higher level (such as refreshing an edge or polishing after an oil stone).

In the first case I use a plain leather strop. In the second, I use Veritas green compound on the leather.

Regards from Perth

Derek

 

[Peter Sefton]

I also use the Veritas honing compound on leather or just in my hand if the wire edge is very fine.

 

[fred]

Thanks for all the input guys.

The strop and honing stone arrived today. Nice bit of old leather, a section of drive belt from a water mill. Nice to have something with history like that. The honing stone is a smalll wedge shape with round edges, and has been oiled.

I'm going to make a honing and stroping station. I've got some 25mm Marine Ply left over from a sculpture project which will be ideal as the bed. I'll rout out an area for some Welsh to sit in, and on the far right the leather stop will be glued down.There's some various sections of welsh slate at work, left over from restoring Georgian and Victorian fireplaces, I've seen some purpley blue and dark blue bits lying around. Any one here know about Welsh slate? Are the different colours indicative of different grades? Will one piece of slate do, or will I need 2 or 3?

Cheers,
fred

 

[Graham Haydon]

Autosol or for old school get some tallow with fine abrasive within. Autosol is easier

 

[AES]

It's probably all wrong but I use that valve grinding paste (for car, etc, engines) - remember from the old days of rebuilding them yourself, a round tin with 2 tops, one marked "Coarse" the other "Fine"?

I spread a little of the Fine paste onto part of an old leather belt (quite wide), which I glued onto an offcut of hardboard. Don't need too mach paste, but work it well in to the leather, and then use just light pressure to get a nice mirror bevel (and remove the wire burr on the back edge).

Works for me.

HTH
AES

 

[Rod]

I don't want to start a sharpening war but I've used that paste for lapping planes and it's way too coarse when compared to propriety honing compounds?

Rod

 

[fred]

Here we go... (lol)

Anyone want to start a strop paste sweepstake?

Yours, wondering what the hell he's started, and refuses to take the blame if it all kicks off,
fred
x

 

[Graham Haydon]

It's only been live for a few days and there is a strop paste war! Pick sides wisely fellas, it's going to be brutal :lol:

 

[fred]

I think you'll find i've got the definitive proof as to what paste to use, something that goes back to Elizabethan times. It is appears in one of shakespeare's plays, Richard III...


ACT 5, SCENE IV. Another part of the workshop.

Alarum: excursions. Enter NORFOLK and forces honing; to him CATESBY

CATESBY

Hone, my Lord of Norfolk, hone, hone!
The king enacts more wonders than a man,
Daring an opposite to every danger:
His strop is slain, and all on hand he hones,
Seeking for Sharpness in the throat of death.
Hone, fair lord, or else the blade is lost!

Alarums. Enter KING RICHARD III

KING RICHARD III

A strop! a strop! my kingdom for a strop!

CATESBY

Withdraw, my lord; I'll help you to a strop.

KING RICHARD III

Slave, I have set my life upon a paste,
And I will stand the hazard of the hone:
I think there be six Pastes in the workshop;
Five have I slain to-day instead of autosol.
A strop! a strop! my kingdom for a strop!

Exeunt


Amen,
Lord Fred,

 

[Rod]

 

[9fingers]

It's only been live for a few days and there is a strop paste war! Pick sides wisely fellas, it's going to be brutal :lol:

Back in the early days of TWH2, I was drafting the rules and passing them round for comment. Everything was very light hearted such as spurious rules for people we might not like etc and I so nearly put one in about banning any discussion of sharpening :lol:

So be nice to each other and no daggers at dawn please be they ground and honed, bevelled or rounded.

:lol:

Bob

 

[Rod]

Well I said I didn't want to cause a fight but fine valve paste is rated as 220 grit whereas honing pastes must be down to microns?

Rod

 

[AES]

OK, OK, Gents!

I started my post about using valve grinding paste by saying it's probably all wrong, so there was definitely NO intention on my part to start or otherwise provoke any sort of war!!! And I'm certainly no troll (life's too short).

I simply said I used that because I didn't find anything else (and BTW, I had a helluva trouble finding valve grinding paste in the first place, which I wanted originally for a completely different job for which it IS suitable). I just used it for honing 'cos I couldn't think of anything else to use.

But now I know from others here that it's too coarse then I'll use something else for the rare ocassions when I do hone (I think I've got an old tube of Solvol lying around somewhere - can't say I've ever seen it on the shelves here in Schweiz). If not Solvol how about Brasso (brass polish)?

But just to be quite clear, I did NOT say valve grinding paste is the way to go, I only said I've used it to reasonable effect. And as a newbie (both to honing and to this Forum) there is/was definitely NO attempt on my part to start any conflict or disention.

Clear enough?

AES

 

[fred]

so there was definitely NO intention on my part to start or otherwise provoke any sort of war!

Yeah, that's what Gavrilo Princip said! :lol:

Only joking mate. You use what you have and find fit for purpose.

Some people ride a motorbike, some people drive a car. Some people like to walk. They all get to where they want to be in the end.

Cheers
fred