Stropping on strop leather is the final but not the least significant step…
…in any blade’s sharpening process. But on which side of the stroke…
…the sweet strop leather or the suede side is the best finish?
Many people don’t know from which side of the leather stroke…
…the blade should be polished.
But, why…
Right rasers are generally stroked on the smooth side of the leather…
…while knives and larger blades are typically stroked around…
…the blade with the suede side.
As a sharper, why do you stroke a blade with the type of leather?
A blade is not only a blade?
Let’s examine the stropping process more closely…
…and why it is so important to use type of leather.
And you need to know more about best review of strop leather…
…to get best result.
First let’s hear Jeffry’s experience…
I don’t know if I got scammed, I got a piece of leather…
I’m going to use for a strop without any compound…
There’s a smooth side, and a not so smooth side….
Does it matter which side I use for stropping on bare leather?
How about if I am using some compound on it?
Should I choose the coarsest side to let the compound blend better into the leather?
I super confused. I should be careful when buying something...
The function of a strop leather is to polish the edge and work off any burr left behind by sharpening stones. Although other materials are used, strops are most often made of leather.
sharpeningsupplies.com
Let’s find the reason…
Why Use Strop Leather After Sharpening Blade?
- 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 On
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- Leather Strop Double-Sided: for beginners and professionals that like honing to keep woodcarving tools razor sharp. Use both sides of the strop to maintain a needed cutting edge.
- Polishing Compound: included in this kit, so you can start sharpening your knives or other woodcarving tools immediately. The sharpening strop with compound is suitable for all types of knives.
- Sharpening Strop Ergonomic Handle: ashwood shaft allows use of a two-sided strop in a more comfortable way. The handle of the leather strop sharpener is suitable for both professionals and beginners.
- Paddle Strop E-Books Bonus: when buying this professional sharpening strop, youll get eBooks on how to sharpen whittling knife and 5 steps to sharpen a hook knife for any level of skill.
- Honing Strop From Europe: this paddle and compound come from a European manufacturing site so you can be sure that they respond to high standards and requirements of carve
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Experts from the knife promote stropping…
…as the best way to sharpen and hold a knife.
Knife owners keep their knives sharp…
…and will always be ready to use with the right strop leather and expert technology.
A stroke will be used as the final step in the preparation of a blade after sharpening…
The blades seem smooth to the human eye. But the eye can meet more….
You’d find that it has thousands of “babies,”…
…if you would look at the blade under the microscope.
When regularly applied over time, these small teeth begin to bend away…
…which makes the knife dull.
That’s where it comes in. Snaping does not sharpen the blade…
…but it refines the blade through alignment of the little ‘teeth.’
This is done through a flat, porous surface running over the blade….
After sharpening your blade will extend your blade’s life….
Leather is the best surface to stroke….
The smooth side of the leather stroke is most effective…
…when a straight razor is stropped, and the suede is better for larger blades…
…such as a carved knife.
Using The Smooth Side To Polish Straight Razor
The smooth or plain leather side of the strophy are ypically straight rasers…
This lightweight leather has a softer stropping surface….
The grain on the surface can be perfectly polished…
…on straight razors with a gentle bend.
The smooth leather helps to create a finely sharpened blade…
…by gently resetting the microscopic teeth on the blade into place.
How to Effectively Strop Your Straight Razor
To strop your razor to refine the sharpness of its blade, take the following steps:
- Hook the strop to a fixed object (wall, counter, barber chair)
- Hold the razor between the blade and the handle with your fingertips
- Lay the blade flat on the strop
- Move the razor towards the back of the blade
- Pull the blade gently towards yourself at 40-degree angle to the strop
- When you reach the end of the strop, roll the blade over the back of the razor
- Push it back to the hook
- Repeat 4-5 times for best results
Do not pressure the blade too much or you are going to cut the stroke….
The rear of the blade should also keep in touch with the stroke….
Raser strops on one side have high-quality leather and heavy linen on the other…
Some sharpener prefer to strop on the side of linen first…
…because before the final strop the razor blade is cleaned…
…with leather and the sharpness of the blade is further refine.
Why The Suede Side Used To Polish Knife Blade
After sharpening, most carvers and sharpeners…
…use the suede side of the stroke to polish their blade.
The suede’s soft surface is pushed underneath…
…the blade to help round the blade ball.
The use of the smooth side of the strop leather…
…provides some wooden tools and chisels with better results.
The suede side is also a good way to adjust…
…the stropping process if you choose a product.
The nap in the suede nap nicely absorbs the compound…
…and adds additional grain.
Some sharpeners prefer the strengthened finish…
…that comes with a suede and compound combination.
The difference may be miniscule…
…but even smallest details change the sharpness of the knife to the perfectionist.
Side of Strop Leather You Should Use?
Strop leather are available in both suede and smooth leather….
Some even have both on the same strop at the same time…
This leads many to wonder which is the better option…
There is a common practice of using suede in conjunction…
…with compounds and smooth for plain stropping, but this is not universal.
Personal preference and what kind of edge is being sharpened…
…are factors that influence the decision.
A straight razor is traditionally stropped on a smooth leather…
Straight razors have delicate, low angle edges…
…that are best suited to the grain side surface.
Suede strops are used by many carvers and knife sharpeners….
Suede holds compound well, allowing the strop to be loaded easily….
The suede also provides a bit of rounding to the bevel…
as it compresses under the blade, which some people find comfortable…
Smooth grain side leather is preferred by those who seldom use compound…
Even those who sharpen woodworking tools without a rounding of the bevel…
…such as chisels, find that the slightly harder surface works to their advantage.
Should You Use a Compound with the Smooth Leather?
When stropping a straight razor, using a compound…
…with the smooth side is a matter of personal preference.
The smooth leather of the strop can still provide…
..a fine polish and remove any burrs without compound.
After sharpening a blade with a compound…
…users appreciate the fine edge provided by the compound…
…in conjunction with the smooth leather.
By further pushing the blade teeth into place…
…the abrasive particles contribute to this.
It is common for sharpeners to use the leather side of a strop
…without much if any compound.
A blade polished with leather of this grain size is exceptionally smooth…
Should You Use A Compound When Stropping Your Knife Blade?
- 1-Pound bar
- White color
- Package Dimensions : 6.25 L x 1.75 W x 1.5 H
- Made in China
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When it comes to stropping a razor, it’s all about personal preference….
The compound (also known as a loaded strop) is an effective…
…way to polish a freshly sharpened knife.
The grains in the compound work together with the suede…
…to align the microscopic teeth in the blades. In addition…
…it helps to remove any extra metal that cannot be realigned.
A combination of coarse grains from the leather and the compound…
…gives the blade an extra refined and polished appearance.
Some sharpeners, however, prefer to use suede alone when stropping….
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To sum it up
To review, the side of the strop leather you use…
…will depend on the type of blade that you are sharpening.
After sharpening a razor, stropping with the smooth side of…
…the leather is best for getting the smoothest blade.
Stropping regularly will keep the razor nice…
…and sharp and prevent cuts when shaving.
When sharpening a knife with a beveled edge…
…you will want to use the suede side of the strop leather.
This will help keep the beveled edge nice and round…
…while wiping away any microscopic excess material…
…to keep a nice sharp blade for easy cutting
Conclusion
Whether you want to use smooth side or suede side of strop leather…
..It’s all in your hand.
Hope this article help you to make the right decision…
….which side of strop leather you should use…
Comment and tell us which side of strop leather you use!
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