According to my experience, a knife is not truly sharpened…
…until it has been stropped thoroughly.
Today I will show you how to make a DIY two-sided hanging strop….
There’s nothing more fun, easy, or useful than this….
We’ll get started now….
I prefer hanging strops over hard-backed strops (wood or MDF)….
In general, there are three reasons for this….
One, a hanging strop is more understanding than a backed strop…
Since it is less rigid, it will flex more when used…
…and conform more to the edge than a hard-backed strop.
Second, their portability is greater….
When traveling, you can easily…
..pack a travel-sized hanging strop in your shaving kit…
Dedicated space is needed for a hard-backed strop….
Three, I get to use both sides, not just one. …
I now have two different “grits”, if you will….
Let’s hear Jo’s experience..
I don’t know where did it get wrong…
…but my leather strap is always broken after not a long time.
I feel frustrated because I need to buy a leather strop frequently…
My friend then told me that I can make my own two-sided hanging strop…
It doesn’t cost much…
Now I’m addicted to making a two-sided hanging strop…
…and selling it to my fellow knife lovers.
Proper maintenance of your blades makes for safer, more efficient cutting in the kitchen or the field. That’s where a good knife sharpener comes in.
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Which Leather Is Best For DIY Strops?
- 1.Size:45*5cm/18*2. Material: Cow Leather.
- 2.Used for final sharpening and smoothing after honing razors.Suitable for straight razors, sharpen knives and chisels.
- 3.The razor sharpening strap is made with best quality cowhide leather which allows for smoother shaving blades.
- 4.The razor sharpening straps are finely balanced to allow for an easy sharpening experience. The strop has a handle at the bottom and swivel hanging tab on the top end for ease use.
- 5.Package Included:1 x Razor Sharpening strop strap Only.
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My hanging strops are made from old leather belts….
Look at the leather belts at any thrift store or second-hand store….
There are bound to be several good candidates….
Let’s gather our criteria first…
The belt we purchase cannot just be any belt…
If you are interested in getting the best leather strop…
…we have the best recommendations for you.
Leather belts should have a smooth polished texture…
…on the presentation side and a suede-like texture on the inside.
Do not use canvas belts, metal grommets…
…glued/bonded leather, embossing or braided leather.
Keep reading…
More Types of Leather Best for Two-sided Hanging Strop
When it comes to the best leather for a strop…
…there are a couple of good options.
Below you will find a few examples…
…that are outstandingly great and will meet all your needs.
1. Buffalo Leather
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If compared to the Latigo leather…
buffalo leather has a higher concentration of silicate and is more glossy…
Whenever you do not plan on using a compound…
…buffalo leather is a good choice.
Alternatively, if you would like to use compounds…
…on this type of leather, you can do so since they are easy to clean off.
Also called English saddle leather, buffalo leather is a type of hide….
The buffalo leather epidermal layer is three times thicker than cowhide…
…which explains its extreme strength and durability.
2. Raw Buffalo Leather
The raw buffalo leather…
…is another strop-appropriate leather in the buffalo family.
It is the raw version of the buffalo that is dense…
Since buffalo hides are not stretched during tanning…
unlike cowhide, they are thicker and more resistant to tearing and wear…
The raw buffalo is almost identical to buffalo leather in almost every way…
Only difference is that its dense nature…
…prevents it from having the glossy finish associated with buffalo leather.
3. Latigo Leather
- ✔️ HIGH QUALITY: our razor strops are made out of latigo leather. One side is made of leather and reverse strop is made of woven polypropylene to dry and polish your razor.
- ✔️ DURABLE BRASS HARDWARE: made with durable screw hardware - genuine brass screws will allow easy replacement of both: leather and canvas strop.
- ✔️ DIMENSIONS: stropping area is 3 Inches wide by 20 inches in length. We produced it wider for your convenience and safer sharpening.
- ✔️ HIGH COMFORT: Paddle handles allow you to create the perfect amount of tension and comfortable use of our strops.
- ✔️ LIFETIME WARRANTY: 100% satisfaction or money back guaranteed! If you are not satisfied with our product, please contact us and we will find a soluti
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Latigo leather is made from cowhide….
…and is a great leather for a strop…
…if you are just getting started with stropping…
…and aren’t sure if you should use compounds on leather strops.
The Spanish word latigo means “whip”….
Chrome tanning and vegetable tanning are both used to make Latigo…
If you combine both tanning processes…
…you can certainly expect a leather that is less durable and supple.
The con of latigo leather is that it’s budget-friendly…
…beginner-friendly, and works well for a strop…
…but the downside is that it’s slow and requires a lot more time to complete.
Latigo leather is excellent as bare leather without compounds…
…but it can also be loaded with compounds to speed up the stropping process.
When using compounds with latigo leather…
..you simply load up a layer of compound ranging…
…between two thousand grit all the way…
..to a hundred thousand grit according to your preference.
An important characteristic of using latigo with compounds…
..is that it absorbs a lot of the compounds you place over it..
…over time and not easy to clean.
4. The Equine Leather
Nonshell cordovan and shell cordovan equine leather…
..are two groups of shell cordovan i.e…
…nonshell cordovan and shell cordovan equine leather.
It is not clear how much difference…
…there is in the makeup of the two types of horse leather here.
The most apparent difference between the two…
…is that the non-shell cordovan is a little bit matte.
The non-shell egg shell of the equine cordovan…
…has the highest silicate concentration…
..and can be used in conjunction with any compound.
If you have tools like knives, skivers, etc. that need a mirror-like finish..
…you might opt for an extra glossy finish.
Shell cordovan is a great option for achieving this effect…
…due to its high concentration in silicate…
..and unique membrane that does not come off of the hide.
It is also interesting to note..
..that when you rub the equine leather on the flesh side…
…you will feel how rough it is compared to buffalo and latigo.
This makes it very useful for stropping…
…due to its one-directional sandpaper-like texture.
The best thing about using equine leather for a strop…
…is the evenness and smoothness that you will get…
…throughout the hide from edge to edge.
In contrast to the uneven splotches…
…cowhide and buffalo hide will have smooth surfaces.
Now here we go…
How to Make a Two-Sided Hanging Strop from a Belt
- Razor-Sharp Edges: Keep your blades extra sharp with this leather strop block with compound. Use this sharpening strap for honing axes, chisels, plane blades, pocket and chefs knives
- Effortless Use: Using this leather sharpening strop for knife is a breeze. This paddle strop 2 sided is for professional and beginner use, and includes a step-by-step knife sharpening leather strop guide
- Quality Leather Strops for Sharpening Knives: Get a leather strop knife sharpener that lasts years. This stropping leather for sharpening is made of organic buffalo leather and solid ashwood
- Includes Green Stropping Compound: Restore the razor-sharp edge of your knives and blades. Included in the leather stropping block kit is a strop compound, which helps hone your blades much faster
- Customized Honing: Both sides of the leather strop for knives may be used for honing. One side is smooth, while the other has a rougher surface. Choose the side that works for
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You can begin building the belt…
..after you obtain the appropriate leather belt.
Cut off all hardware, such as buckles, pins, clasps, caps, etc….
Next, cut off the part of the belt with the holes…
..where the buckle is attached.
You should now have a fairly straight and uniform-looking piece of leather…
Then you measure the leather to find out how long it is….
Depending on how long you want your strop to be…
…you may be able to get multiple strops from one belt.
You want to cut the bet to your desired length once it has been measured….
It is useful to add two inches to a desired length…
Thus, handling and hanging will be possible…
Make a hole in one end…
Make a loop by running a leather thong…
…or some cordage through this.
You can hang the strop from a nail, hook, or drawer pull this way…
Polish the suede-like side with Aluminum Oxide (white)..
or Chromium Oxide (green)…
Another alternative is to use diamond paste…
…or any other sharpening compound that you prefer.
The compound on a strop should not be applied too heavily….
Apply just enough to change the color of the leather….
The key word is observable…
A complete painting of the strop isn’t our goal….
Strops are often loaded with so much compound..
…that using them is like spreading peanut butter.
Microscopic abrasive elements are provided by the compound…
A suede-like fiber must be embedded with it….
Using too much compound…
..won’t provide the abrasive with the resistance it needs.
That’s all there is to it…
That’s how I make a DIY two-sided hanging strop…
Following sharpening, I strop on the compound loaded side for a while…
On the smooth side I have left bare, I continue to work…
Let me know how it goes if you try it….
What Can you Use Instead of a Leather Strop?
The traditional use of leather for strops…
..has been due to many factors…
…such as its natural silicate concentration, flexibility..
or as part of a long-standing tradition…
…however, there are some other materials…
..that can be used in place of the types of leather mentioned above.
Here’s a list of suitable materials you can use instead of a strop;
- MDF or a particleboard
- a sheet of glass
- Canvas
- Denim
- cut-up leather jackets
- the side of boots
- wooden board
- old leather belts (100% cowhide)
- clay coated magazine paper
- Newspaper
- Back of a legal pad
- The palm of your hand
From the list above…
…you will notice a simple trend of materials…
…with smooth surfaces can possibly be used as a strop.
The only thing is to ensure…
…applying a coat of compounds on them to make them workable.
You might love these!
- 6PCS polishing buffing compound kit,coarse to fine for all metals
- Kit includes each 1PC 100g polishing compound bar black emery,general green,white,brown tripoli,all purpose blue and red rouge
- Idea for stainless steel,steel,iron,aluminum alloy,brass,bronze,copper,silver,gold etc. polishing and buffing
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- ✅ Superior Bundle: Your complete knife sharpening kit comes with double-sided (#1000/ #6000) premium quality whetstone, bamboo base for holding the stone, knife sharpening angle guide, a simple instruction manual & detailed ebook with lots of Tips & Tricks which will appeal at every skill level
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- ✅ Safety: We understand the importance of safety when dealing with sharpening tools, your purchase comes with a Silicone base for holding the stone inside Non-Slip Bamboo base, this setup will ensure the stone is Fixed In One Place while sharpening. And knife sharpening angle guide allows you to maintain the Correct Angle and safely apply consistent pressure while sharpening the blade
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To Sum It Up
You can make your own two-sided hanging strop…
Before that there are things you need to know…
Such as, choosing the right leather…
You can even make two-sided hanging strop from old belt…
Remember sharpening your knife with two-sided hanging strop is important!
Conclusion
Now we already give you the information…
..about how to make two-sided hanging strop..
Hope this will help you to make…
…your very own two-sided hanging strop.
Or do you already try making two-sided hanging strop?
Let us hear your story about your experience with two-sided hanging strop…
Leave a comment!
Hi there! I’m a food enthusiast and journalist, and I have a real passion for food that goes beyond the kitchen. I love my dream job and I’m lucky enough to be able to share my knowledge with readers of several large media outlets. My specialty is writing engaging food-related content, and I take pride in being able to connect with my audience. I’m known for my creativity in the kitchen, and I’m confident that I can be the perfect guide for anyone looking to take their culinary journey to the next level.
