Don't Whittle With DULL KNIVES! Make and Use a Leather Strop! FlexCut Knife Strop
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- Опубликовано: 4 июн 2020
- One of the most important tool for any whittler and wood carver is a leather strop to keep your tools honed razor sharp. Without a leather strop, you wont be able to get the most out of your cutting tools.
I show you how to make your own strop, and how to set up FlexCuts Knife Strop in the video. Plus, you will see how I personally strop different types of knives with different edge shapes.
You can pick up your own knife strops on Amazon:
Beavercraft Leather Strop Kit - amzn.to/3CUmQj3
Flexcut Knife Strop - amzn.to/3piLxB9
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You can pick up your own knife strops on Amazon:
Beavercraft Leather Strop Kit - amzn.to/3dG0syd
Flexcut Knife Strop - amzn.to/30gsPPr
Where can I find the different Strop
compounds ?
Thank you .
I made a link to a bunch of different types here for ya!
carvingisfun.com/compound
Thank you so much , I looked for an hour last night and only found the flexcut in a small 1 oz bar thanks again .
I literally just started wood carving and you have no idea how helpful your videos are, thank you for all your work and keep it up!! WOOD CARVING TRULY IS FUN!
I'm glad you are finding them helpful! It is my goal to help as many people get into wood carving as possible and see just how fun it can be :)
@@CarvingisFun I has a cobbler friend just gave him some spoons I hand carved he gave me some skiving scrap leather I made pouches and slip strops so getting leather cost nothing as your local leather working shops 👍🇬🇧🐾🦊🇮🇹
I have never felt more comfortable and excited about walking into a new hobby! Your thoroughness with your videos and variety is extremely helpful and a great resource for any questions a beginner might think of. Thank you thank you thank you!
This is a most important video to anyone seriously beginning woodcarving as a hobby. Sharpening skills are a must to know. Your video on best foldable pocket knifes to use for whittling is also topnotch!
I use a BLOCK knife sharpener. Draw it thru around 30 times. Strip it, it's razor sharp. Then wax it with Turtle wax. Couple coats. It glides thru wood after that.
Hi there!
I have decided to pick up wood carving completely on a whim and I'm glad to have found this channel.
I'll go at my own pace but I can't wait to learn more,
Thank you for doing this!
Welcome to the club! Glad you are finding the videos helpful, feel free to ask any questions if they pop up :)
Your videos are really helping me start wood carving. Always something I wanted to start and know I’ve gone down the rabbit hole lol. Has quickly become a new amazing hobby and obsession. Thank you for the great simple and informative content. Please keep the great videos coming. Take care.
Im glad you are finding the videos helpful!
Pretty informative, nothing blaringly wrong, outstanding for YT.
But really, I'm learning...have been sharpening chisels and some plane blades AND other knives for decades. Recently started stropping some carving, pocket and kitchen knives on a belt, testing Flitz vs mag wheel polish vs HF green. They work in about that order, the HF stuff seems like junk, the Flitz is really pretty good, but I think I need something finer to finish - to get a surgical edge. The Flitz seems to work best when freshly applied (it's like a cream) same w/ the Mothers MagWheel polish, but it's coarser.
Considering getting some diamond paste. I use a 3000g diamond coated steel for the final stone now. It gives a good edge, pretty consistent and quick - that's what you hear about diamond stones (steels) and it's true.
For chisels I used to go up to 8000 on medium grade waterstones, it's s how I learned. If you have a good stance and grip, you can carry a flat bevel all the way to sublime that way, but because it's slow, you have to be in a mindset to get to the edge and see it disappear, all the way across. So I always do all the edges in the shop once I've started, grinding if needed, then marching up the grits. It amazes me when I pick one up that was done well some time ago and give the edge a first use! Challenges me to get better chisels that will hold that edge longer....may be true with carving and other knives
One more thing to know about compounds is the ratio of grit to carrier. I read that diamond pastes come in varieties or brands that have a higher concentration of grit. And the grit tends to dig in to the strop a little, so stay with one grade/grit/mesh/micron/μϺ or the remaining larger grit can mess up your efforts.
thankyou - exactly what I wanted to know, good close-up detail and you take time to explain everything you should and shouldn't do!
You're welcome! I'm glad that you found the video helpful :)
I am very new to this. So much as this is my first time sharpening. I've watched several videos, but you were the first one to actually show the edge angle close up. I needed that!! Thank you!
Hair dryer works too! Thank you for all your helpful videos. Just subbed!
Awsome! I'm glad you are finding the videos helpful and thank you for subscribing!
I appreciate these tutorials. Very helpful. I was using way too much compound so I melted it off the leather and it worked much better! Great stuff
I'm glad you found it useful! I did the same thing at the begining and was applying too much compound. Thankfully it is easy enough to reset and start over.
I use jeweler's rouge. It's a very dark brown nearly black
That is a good tips about the strop
Thanks!
Very useful video, thank you
You're welcome!
Ahhh! Another use for the requisite McMaster-Carr catalog! Don’t know where we’d be without it!
These things come in handy in so many places! Most uses don't ever require you to open it up so the pages stay pristine for a long time :)
@@CarvingisFun but if you do need ANYTHING, they have it all! The problem is FINDING it in all those pages! Ha! Enjoying your channel as a 61 year old newbie carver! Thanks!
great help.. great vids.. I used a spray on adhesive to glue leather to wood board worked great !!
Thanks! I always manage to make a mess with spray adhesive, but man is it a good option!
Thank You
I make my own strops for my flexcut and other knives out of left overs from the belts I make, clean the blade between different compounds so I don't contaminate the finer compound strops and put very little compound on.
I subconsciously wipe mine down as well, especially when moving from my coarse strop to my fine strops!
Thank you for the video! I bought a beginners kit and the wood for carving is incredibly hard and i cant cut it at all , but at least now I have sharp knives for when I get softer wood types! :)
I'm glad you found the video useful!
Try and find some "air dried basswood" to carve. It is much softer than your regular basswood and makes for a more enjoyable experience. I usually find this type of wood from specialty shops or on ebay.
The kiln dried wood can sometimes be a little too hard.
Check out this video for some extra tips and tricks too: ruclips.net/video/gIknBNjVRaE/видео.html
Thanks so much! It's easier now with all knives apart from the hook knife for the middle of the spoon as i can't sharpen that one as much, and the wood is so hard. I'll definitely get some softer woods like those you recommended :)
If you are making spoons, try butternut. They look really nice when completed and is easy to carve.
@@CarvingisFun My hook knife has gone very blunt and a little wobbly- should I just keep persevering with sharpening or is it a lost cause?
Blunt knives are fixable, but a wobbly blade is dangerous. If you or someone you know can secure it with epoxy give that a shot. Otherwise, replace it.
This is helpfull i did it all wrong
Outstanding video! I'm more interested in folding knives than whittling knives, and I was wondering if your instructions about holding the blade parallel to the strop is specific for knives with a long flat grind like those shown. I would think that holding a pocket knife blade so that the actual cutting part of the blade which might be only a millimeter or so is parallel to the strop might be what's needed. Again, you are an excellent teacher and the information is quite valuable. I hope uncorrected extrapolating it from a carving knife to a pocket. Thanks again!
Howdy!!
You are correct, you want to make sure that the beveled edge is what is making contact with the strop.
An extra tip for ya, I like to reduce the manufacturer edge angle on my pocket knives a little as it promotes a better slice in the wood. This does decrease the edge retention on the blades but makes a world of difference when slicing off the wood.
Hi! I really enjoy your videos ! Love them. I have a little question. Any kind of leather is suitable for sharpening?
Ive personally been using vegetable tanned leather
Excellent tutorial. I noticed your fingers are able to "bend" backwards between your knuckles. I wonder if that helps your whittling.
Thanks!
Just double jointed, not sure if it helps or hurts to be honest. Sometimes I think it just looks wierd on camera
So if you use the rough side for stropping, you don't need to blend it in with heat or your finger? What are the benefits of using either side?
As far as honing the blade, I see no difference.
Applying to the smooth side looks nicer but req some heat or friction to get the wax bars to stick nicely.
Applying to the rough side is easier to apply and you dont need heat for it to stick but it looks a little less nice.
Sooooooo...
The reason I was barely cutting was because I was using the knife for 3 hours without sharpening it....
THANKS SO MUCH *BRO*
Ha! That will do it every time :)
Thank you so much for your videos! I learned a lot from very beginning of my new hobby, picking knifes, carving techniques, and so on. And I might met a problem right now, like you mentioned around the end of this video, if I didn’t put the blade flat when I sharpen it. I may ruined the razor sharp blade… I think maybe last time I do make this happen, I lift the knife too much angle and now I can feel it not that sharp… can I fix it by put it flat and sharp it with leather? Or I have to redo the blade? Btw, I am using the beavercraft knifes. Thank you so much!!!
Howdy!
You should be able to hone the blade sharp with the strop by holding it flat and giving it a good 20-30 passes on each side. But for the future, beavercraft knives are best honed flat to the strop. You can have 5-10 degrees of error but I would advise keeping it flat and not pushing in, just let the strop do the work for you.
@@CarvingisFun Really appreciated your advises! I will try it!!!
Bonjour, merci pour cette vidéo instructive. Chaque fois que vous voulez affûter vos couteaux, faut-il appliquer aussitôt sur le cuir la gomme de polissage ? À quelle fréquence utilisez-vous été gomme ?
Merci de votre réponse.
Michèle
I only apply the stropping compound every 3-5 months. It lasts a long time.
Hi Bryan ! I'm new to wood carving and your videos are really helpful, thank you so much ! I just have a quick question because I don't wanna do a mistake, I bought a beavercraft kit with two knives in it, so they really were quite sharp. Now it's been a few hours of carving and they don't cut as well as before, so all I need is to do some stropping? No need to buy sharpening stuff or sandpaper for this kind of blades?
Ideally you would have wanted to set up the strop ahead of time and hone the blade every 20 or so min. But to your question, you should be able to hone the blade sharp again with the leather strop and compound. I would hone the blade 30-60 times per side and it should bring the edge back to life.
If that doesn't work, puck up some 2000 grit sandpaper, glue it to a flat surface and sharpen the blade some, 10-15 strokrs per side and then 20-30 times per side on the strop.
@@CarvingisFun I'll try this, thanks for your answer !
Thank you for this. I'm brand new to whittling/carving.
Can I ask if you clean your strops? The suede one was looking pretty dirty, or does it come off with use?
I don't frequently clean off my strops but every now and then when I feel inclined to do so. To clean and apply a new layer of compound I take a heat gun to the leather to make the compound easy to wipe off, remove the old stuff with a soft cloth and apply a fresh layer.
Most of the time my strops look black but they still get the job done :)
@@CarvingisFun thank you for replying 😊
How do I hone an Opinel #7 Carbon? I just got mine in the mail on your suggestion, but I can't even see a bevel on the cutting edge so I don't know what angle to do it on. Mind you I have never honed a knife in my life.
Well, on my no 7 I got a while ago there was a very small micro bevel on it. You can just hone it on a 20 degree angle and it will help.
For me, I took mine to a stone, changed the angle just a hair, and then honed it on the said angle I made. This was the most effective option and a 1000 grit stone or sandpaper will get the job done before stropping it.
Changeing the knife edge angle can be tricky if you have never done it before, but its a great skill to learn
@@CarvingisFun Thanks mate! I tried to hone it on the strop last night, and it definitely took the burr off that came from the factory. But there are quite a few nicks and things along the blade, so I think it could benefit from a stone. And hey, if I screw it up, I can just use that for practising my honing and then buy a new one.
Also, thanks for the information and recommendation. I had a play around with whittling a stick last night, and it was so cool.
Hey! please could you answer an question, here in the UK its pretty hard to get good quality thin detail knives (occ, helvie flat grind style), i have a few cheaper options with a scandi grind, (amazon 3 piece set with crook knife) and considered trying thin thin out one of them on a belt sander, do you think this would work?
I would give it a try! Keep in mind that you will want to try and keep the steel from overheating or you will soften the steel. Many people keep a cup of water next to them while doing this so they can controll the temperature of the steel while removing metal.
Also, see if you can pick up some tools from SBelovTools on etsy, I'm hearing he makes some amazing knives and might be able to ship to you.
I’m new in stropping my carving knives. May I know what side of the leather strop should I put on the compound for best result? Thank you so much for your response.
The smooth side looks nicer, but the rough side takes the compound easier. in the end, you will get the same results from either side.
This is very helpful, thank you.
For someone who has just started up whittling, which of these two strops would you recommend? Which one do you prefer? Also, is it necessary for me to get a sharpening stone?
I personally like the Beavercraft Leather Strop Paddle (Amazon link here: amzn.to/39NCXCH), but hear really really good things about the Helvie Leather strop as well, which can be found on their website here: helvieknives.com/collections/in-stock/products/helvie-strop-compound
If you purchased a quality whittling knife that comes with a properly honed edge (Flexcut, OCC, Helvie, Drake, ect) you won't need more than an leather strop to maintain that edge unless you damage the edge in some way. If you do need to get one, Sharp Pebble Whetstones are quite nice. If you do significant damage or need to completely reshape the edge, the 400/1000 grit stone will be what you need. If you just slightly ding the edge and the strop isn't enough, the 1000/6000 grit stone will get the job done.
You can also use wet/dry sandpaper glued to a wood block if you want to save some money. I personally use a 1000 grit and 2000 grit piece of wet/dry automotive sandpaper more often than my stone to touch up a blade before honing it if necessary.
@@CarvingisFun Okay, thank you!
Get Cerax CR-4800 (1000/6000) combination stone and you are good to go.
Is there a difference between using the swede or smooth side aside from ease of loading the compound? Is one side better for sharpening?
I havent found a difference in results from eithet side.
First, great videos. I am new to carving and your videos have been very helpful. Now my question: I am having the hardest time figuring out if my compound is applied properly. It always remains a tacky wax type feel.even when I smooth it down, is that correct? Or should it be more chalky?
Sometimes it depends on the compound itself. Some of mine are smooth and waxy, others are a chalky finish. as long as you have a smooth surface your are set.
Can you use an old leather belt that no longer fits or has started to tear?
If it still has smooth spots, then yes!
Bonjour, au fur et à mesure que je vous regarde, j’apprends beaucoup de choses. Un tout grand merci. Le cuir épais que vous utilisez, est-il seul pour aiguiser vos couteaux, ou passez-vous les lames avant sur la pierre à eau ?
Finalement, on peut utiliser la fleur du cuir apparente sur le bloc de bois autant que la partie lisse pour émorfiler la lame, du moment que l’on applique la gomme à polir sur le cuir ? Est-ce bien cela ?
Encore une question : passez-vous les couteaux sur le cuir avant chaque utilisation ? Ou affûtez-vous vos couteaux juste avant de la ranger dans leur étui, afin qu’ils soient prêts à l’emploi ?
Merci pour toutes vos explications très complètes et pour ce que vous faites.
I use the leather strop only to hone and maintain the sharpness of the knives. The only time I use a sharpening stone is if I damage the blade or really dull it out. I use the strop before I start carving, every 20 to 30 minutes while carving, and when I'm done.
You can use either the rough side or smooth side of the leather. The rough side is easier to apply compound to and the smooth side just looks nicer
I give a complete breakdown of my sharpening process in this video here: ruclips.net/video/cghNbdy0xtc/видео.html
Hé bien voilà quasi toutes les réponses à mes nombreuses questions. Merci énormément pour tous ces renseignements et votre patience. J’ai presque suivi un cours en vous regardant. Et grâce à Google Traduction, nous avons pu communiquer. Comme je n’avais pas collé mon cuir côté lisse au-dessus, je viens de le faire . De cette manière je possède les deux façons pour affûter les Flexcut correctement. Votre conseil de les affûter toutes les 20-30min est une excellente idée.
Je ne possède pas de scie à champs tourner et j’aimerai réaliser un chien qui court tel votre mignon renard. Avez-vous une vidéo sur un chien courant ? Merci
You're welcome! Google translate has helped me as well and am thankful for the service they provide.
Unfortunately I don't have a dog project that is running like the fox, just the sitting dog. Maybe if I have time I will make one as it sounds like a fun project!
Hi.... and how do you clean the leather strap after using it? Do i need to remove the "black metal powder" stick on it somehow?
no need to clean it after use, the black stuff is normal.
I replace my compound every 3 to 6 months as I test out a bunch of knives. others just add more every few months or clean theirs off and put new compound once a year or so.
Ciao volevo chiederti ma la pasta va messa sulla parte ruvida della coramella o da quella liscia grazie
*Using google translate*
Puoi applicarlo su entrambi i lati ma la parte ruvida sarà più facile.
*English*
You can apply it on on both sides but the rough part will be easier.
@@CarvingisFun ok grazie
how often do you need to reapply compound to the strop?
I personally only add some every 3 to 5 months. Really though, as long as there is compound on the strop it will get the job done.
Could I just set the strop on a table and use it? Or would I have to glue it to wood
Either way works! The block of wood does make it convenient and easier to hold though
Great thanks 😁
Do you have to clean off the leather strop between uses?
Nope, I rarely have to clean my strops. Every 5 to 8 months I might remove the old compound and reapply but even that is faster than some people.
Great vid, thanks! A couple of questions: 1-Which glue did you use to bond the leather to the wood?
2-After hundreds of uses it gets a little gunky. What do you do for maintenance, do you try to scrape it clean or just keep adding compound?
Howdy!
1) I just used some silicone based adhesive
2) here is how I remove and replace compound ruclips.net/video/you_LtIR3Vc/видео.html
@@CarvingisFun You aim to please, thanks! Just subscribed so I should poke around your channel a bit more before asking questions 😊. I'm just getting back into carving after a couple of years off and you're making it easy. Love your friendly informative videos, keep up the good work.
Thank you! Feel free to ask any questions you have, even If I have a video for it :)
How often do you add compound to flexcut strop?
For me probably every 4 to 6 months
newbie here. I made my own strop from an old leather belt. I find that after loading the strop with the compound and stropping the knife, I see these “shiny” uneven spots/streaks on the strop, should I scrape these off. Am I loading too much compound on the strop ? I find my knife does NOT come our nearly as sharp as it should be
What I would do first is find a way to smooth out the compound on the leather by heating it up with a heat gun or even holding it over the stove top.
Then, with a soft cloth or paper towel, smooth out the compound and remove the excess. This may take a few tries but take it slow.
For extreme cases, remove all of the compound and start over again using heat for an even application.
@@CarvingisFun thank you so much for the suggestions. I’ll give that a try
Do you use both the rough and smooth sides of the leather strop ?
Nope, just choose one side and run with it. Even though I have double sided strops with different compounds, I only ever use one side.
@@CarvingisFun
I’m a bit new to this. Which side would you suggest for someone just beginning? Thank you in advance
Both sides will have the same end effect, but the application is slightly different.
The rough side is easier to apply to and takes less effort.
The smooth side looks nicer but requires some effort to make smooth without clumps.
If you want the easier option with the same results, just use the rough side :)
Go you need to clean/wash the strop? If so how?
Not really, the vast majority of people just add more compound as they go. But this is what I personally do if I want to clan off some compound. ruclips.net/video/you_LtIR3Vc/видео.html
Does whittling knife require to strop before starting every new job ?
Require, no. But it is a good idea to make sure your blade is sharp before you start and maintain the edge if you are whittling for a long period of time.
@@CarvingisFun thanks for the kind replies ...
How do you clean the rough side of a strop when it get gunked up.
A heat gun and a rag is really all I end up using
I'm just a little curious, how much pressure should I be using?
not a lot, you shouldn't have to push into the strop. Just the weight of your hand holding the blade flat should do the job.
@@CarvingisFun Great, thanks for the tip and I'm looking forward to seeing any and all future videos
I have a questions don't know if u'll get this but is birch wood easy to carve or to hard
Howdy!
depending on the type of birch you get your hands on it can be anywhere from twice to 3 times as hard as basswood to carve. While it is still possible to do by hand, it is at my personal limit of wood hardness for whittling. I personally would do larger carvings with chisels and a mallet.
@@CarvingisFun thanks
So rough side vs smooth side of the leather doesn't matter either way?
Nope!! You will get the same results.
How often do knives need to be sharpened?
I like to hone my knives on a strop every 20 to 30 min to keep them super sharp. Then I hone them sharp when Im done to have them ready for the next project.
Very rarely do I take them to a stone or anything less than a strop to be honest. The only times when I do is if I damage the edge.
how often should i use it
I hone my knives before use, every 20-30 min of use, and when I'm done carving.
Mine is super dry and chalky is that normal
Yep, some are dry and chalky. sometimes letting it sit in the sun for a few min makes it easier to work with.
Would vegan leather have the same required properties?
Without having used it myself I couldn't give you a confident answer, but I imagine it would be close enough to get the job done.
You know I saw that blueish green polishing compound and thought it kinda looked like a crayon then I started wondering could you use a crayon for a polishing compound?!?!?!?👀
Ha!! The difference is the wax bars for stropping compounds have an abrasive suspended in the wax :)
For some reason youtube has been deleting comments, but I saw your other question about carving cedar. Yes you can carve it but it has a high tendency to split, so watch how you carve into the wood grain. It is also a bit harder than basswood, so it may be harder to do.
@@CarvingisFun ok thanks so much love your videos by the way😁👍
En español por fabor
My dumbass can’t do this for the life of me
It just takes some practice :)
Keep in mind that using a strop is used for either honing the knife after sharpening and maintaining that edge while carving. If the knife is dull, you need to put it to a stone first and then work your way up to a strop.