razor strop coating

[porthos]

got a new razor strop at a yard sale. is there anything that i should put on it to help putting an edge on my knives?

[alfadan]

Jewelers rouge I think

[RickinTN]

Or stropping compound. I bought mine from Smoky Mountain Knife Works but many online retailers sell it. Comes in many grades so you'll have to experiment a bit.
Rick

[gwpercle]

www.sharpeningsupplies.com
Has some great info on strops , compounds , when and how to use them ...and they sell all the sharpening supplies you could ask for ... I thought I knew a lot about sharpening a straight razor on a strop ...
but just reading a few articles on here "learned" me some new tricks .
Going back over there and see what else I don't know !
Gary

[gbrown]

Jeweler's Rouge and some good oil.

[bedbugbilly]

I use jeweler's rough but there are a number of various compounds out there.

I mainly use stropping in keeping the various knives I use in my leather work sharp.

I made my own "Stropping boardsL. I obtained two of the large heavy duty wood paint paddles from the local paint store - the big ones used to stir 5 gallon containers. I cut two pieces of good quality harness leather and glide one hair side down and the other one hair side up to the paddles. The paddle handles make a good place to hang on to. Oil and work in the rouge - they keep the swivel knife, etc. razor sharp. Drill a hole in the handle to hang above the bench until needed.

Just stop and think about how much "common knowledge" about the use of a razor strop has been lost since the days of when every man owned and used a straight razor. Every day knowledge that has been lost to what many call "progress". Even the art of shaving yourself with a straight razor . . . . and if you have ever tried it (I have) - you know what I'm talking about.

porches - good luck with your new strop - you will soon have your knives razor sharp and others will be wanting you to do theirs as well!

[GhostHawk]

I started out with a compound designed for high Carbon steel. But these days I tend to carry Stainless for EDC. It simply lasts longer, holds an edge longer.

So I searched for a found a strop dressing bar designed for stainless steel. It certainly works great.

My grandfather on my mom's side shaved with a straight razor and he had a strop. One of my biggest regrets is i never had a chance to learn what he knew about it. But when your in your late teens you just don't think about the fact that in your 60's you might get a strop and wish you knew more about it.

[waksupi]

I use Simichrome on my strop. Works great. I got mine at the local Harley shop.

[KCSO]

Not just oil but neatsfoot so you don.t degrade the leather. Gramps used goose grease and red tripoli. I use stropping compund graded to the blade. A wedge takes a different strop and compound.

[OldBearHair]

My dad had a razor strop that got lost when we moved . I was ten years old. I think it went out the back window of the car on the trip from Lefors Texas to Wichita Falls Texas. I was really thankful that it did not get replaced. Safety razor took its place.

[Bmi48219]

Our dad’s accidentally got lost behind a plaster wall during a bathroom remodel. After that he switched to a 1 x 2.

[country gent]

When I bought my foredom flex shaft machine I got a bar of blue rouge ( for jewelry and precision parts on paper backed by a flat plate it really does a good job of finishing a edge to a smooth mirror bright edge. I have used several materials for this over the years. Diamond compound, red rouge,auto rubbing compound, simichrome, Flitz, the blue rouge mentioned, plain paper, All works but is very slow to finish.