Okay brother ive got one for ya? How do you clean a kangaroo leather strop for the edgepro that has been loaded with diamond emulsion (which is a liquid and allows the abrasive to soak deep into the leather meaning you will likely never get it all out) I'm obviously asking for a friend of a friend 😂
After all these years its great to see you're still at this and I've gotta say you were honestly the one who taught me to sharpen the way I do now through your videos so thanks for all the amazing tips and tidbits and thanks for all my sharp knives friend! stay well !
I was always ashamed of telling people I do this to my strops, mainly because I was always told by older sometimes wiser men not to ever do it. Now I know at least I'm not crazy. Stay awesome Alex 😎
I like your thinking here Bud 😁👍 And in all seriousness, my Dad has one of those Husqvarna robotic lawnmowers, but the trees are always dropping bits of branches onto his lawn that dull the blades completely inside of a week, and a pack of replacement blades here in the UK are around £14 for 2 sets (6 blades), so I've taken to re-sharpening the dull disposable blades using my DC4 and strop once a week and reckon I've saved him over £50 so far this spring 😉👍 The only tricky part is weight-matching the 3 blades (to within 0.1 of a gram, or the sensitivity of my electronic scales...) after sharpening so his fancy mower doesn't shake itself to pieces, but it cuts way-better and with noticably less strain on the motor/ batteries after I do it, so why not re-sharpen disposable razor-blades if you have the patience and want to cut-down on waste 😊 (or are a cheapskate... 🙄), huh?
@Yar V I sharpen fingernail clippers,knives,scissors,food processor blades,anything with a edge is meant to be sharpened..why not learn to do it? A friend a me used to drive a hour in the 70s to have a guy sharpen our gerber MKIIS..we thought this guy was a wizard or shamen..:)..then one time we were able to see him doing it on a grinder in the back room of the shop..not with grinding wheels but sharpening wheels..long story short,if he could do it so could I,so my journey to hair popping sharp began,this is one of my favorite channels for this information
I was stropping my knife and thought how do I clean this stuff? And then bingo! I received a notification on my phone about this video! I was like, "Awesome...!" Thank you and cheers...
I’m so happy to have found this. My strop has a lot of dull green compound stuffed into everything (the Knives Plus block is amazing but dear Gods is the fact that it was pre-loaded fucking me)
And when done scraping I use hot olive oil to condition and remove the left over compound residue. Works great for a wax based compounds such as Spark River crayons. YMMV.
Thanks You just saved my strop with that sanding tip.. it wasn't too coarse.. my dumbass tried to heat up the compound and rub it on and I basically created a glass streak that was completely saturated and hard🤦♂️.. been benched for a while.. just saved it and can use it again.. by sanding it💪
Really like the channel. Seems though the sandpaper could contaminate the strop. Even a little can't be good. Maybe an old file to slightly rough the surface? Just something to consider. Edited: then again, you're the one with an electron microscope. Would like to know for sure. Cross contamination could be a video idea. Its important when dealing with gemstones, but I dont know at what point it will affect a knife
I wanted to buy one of your strops but it seems knifepointgear domain is dead/down. Thanks for the tip to refresh my old one but hopefully you’re still selling these.
I find after getting as much as possible off, spraying some general purpose oil (like Ballisol) onto the strop really helps get the stubborn parts out.
Yes....it will work IF you are using compound. I generally don't recommend applying compound to smooth sided leather unless it's less than .5 micron. The .5 or less microns compound can be used for years may only require a wipe down if and when it gets loaded with material. I wouldn't put chromium oxide on smooth sided leather as it doesn't stay in place well, and is just not necessary as the smooth side is better suited for ultra fine compound or no compound. Unless you are using a very poor quality leather and the rough side isn't suitable for stropping. In which case use the smooth side but don't worry about scuffing it up removing the old compound. 🙂
Nature's Law of the Strop. 1) Final step to get hair whittling edge on your blades. And it works every time. 2) Will dull a hair-whittling edge to useable in 10 passes. Got it!! :) Thanks again for these tips. They are useful.
Ill take a coarse sand paper to condition i like how it leaves the strop for new compound. On your chromium/wax based stuff, you can apply the thinnest layer of petroleum jelly, and/or, heat the surface. I transitioned to diamond long ago and now just sand
Another great video. I could use some help with strop recommendations. I need a new one. I have a small cheap one, but I want to upgrade. Also, I've heard a few people say strops aren't necessary. Opinions?
They aren't necessary. You can get a sharp blade with even a 400 / 600 grit as Alex has demonstrated before. They just help remove any burs and give you a fine polished edge, as the stropping compound is a really fine grit. You definitely don't HAVE to strop. You can also make your own strop. Buy a piece of leather to a size in the video, even off Amazon, and glue it to a piece of wood (2x4, 1x4, whatever really, match the piece of leather you get) and you got yourself a strop. I bought a piece of leather on Amazon and glued it to a piece of wood (smooth side down, so rough side is facing up) and I put these little rubber feet on the bottom of the wood then just get some green or white compound (jewelers rouge, whatever) and put it on. Got yourself a homemade strop, if you choose not to buy. 💪
Unfortunately i can't recommend any commercially available strops. I haven't found one thats any good. I used make GOOD ones and sell them but stopped temporarily due to a recent move. Id suggest going to your local leather supplier and picking out some decent 9-10oz high quality vegtan. It makes a world of difference. Stropping is just personal preference. Some like it and some don't 🙂
Though my reference might be screwed up as I sharpen and strop a LOT of knives, but I am very light with my compound application. I really don’t have a set schedule, it’s just when there is a decent layer of compound built up.
I have a strop paddle with 2 styles of strop. A rough leather, like you just cleaned, and a smooth leather, which I don't think would handle a razor blade well. How would you clean a smooth leather strop? Can you please do a video?
I’m glad you made this video especially how hard you were on green compound in the last video. Now I gotta strip my strops so I can get diamond compounds. I see what you did there. Lol
I did this and it worked really good . Thanks outdoors55 bro 👏. I tried some of the $13 diamond paste on Amazon and what a huge difference it has made on the ending edge compared to the green block compound . It’s given me a more sticky edge which I prefer . Also , I like to do a couple swipes with a ceramic rod and drag through some soft wood before stropping .
Might sound silly but I use my pressure washer to clean all my strops. Oh well works great for me and I have been doing this for at least 12 years. The one I use is powerful enough to mess it up and yours maybe as well so be careful.
I understand that an eraser is effective and won't damage the leather. Between the blade and the sandpaper the leather is definitely being damaged by this method.
Another chapter in the book on great knife sharpening! I suppose other people already pointed out that a Stanley blade is probably not very suited for shaving? Or is it a cultural thing to call it a razor blade rather than a Stanley box cutter? ;) Luckily the images don't leave any room for confusion =D
So is there a reason for doingthis? Ive never cleaned my strops just put on new compound. And it seems to work fine. Not hatin this is a real question.
I do it when the strop is no longer consistent. Maybe because shaved steel particles plus chromium oxide plus oxygen creates harder spots on the strop than where there is 'fresh' compound. This causes less than all of the edge being in contact with the strop.
A strop can load with metal after prolonged use. Chromium oxide also breaks down so removing the old broken down compound and applying new will rejuvenate it. If using diamond compound you can go much longer between scrap downs🙂
I've been lazy and "stropped" on a fine ceramic rod. I'm lucky you're not making strops at the moment, because after the last couple of videos I would most likely have bought one. And got told off by the missus about bringing yet another knife toy into the kitchen. But our cucumber dice are smooth enough to stick to each other... I fear I've spoilt my kids.
I never did a review. The hardness was 60 I believe but I really disliked the knife. It was a big piece of junk unfortunately. Just like my last buck.😐
Diamond lasts a lot longer on strops. Your problem with diamonds is the strop loads with material. Sprays are typically.5 microns or lower and will take a LONG time to load. So unless you strop a lot you may only have to clean them once every several years.
Check my website www.outdoors55.com/shop for sharpening stones and COMPOUND I have personally used and recommend.
Okay brother ive got one for ya? How do you clean a kangaroo leather strop for the edgepro that has been loaded with diamond emulsion (which is a liquid and allows the abrasive to soak deep into the leather meaning you will likely never get it all out) I'm obviously asking for a friend of a friend 😂
Love that this guy doesn't waste time, just dives right in and leaves out the fluff
After all these years its great to see you're still at this and I've gotta say you were honestly the one who taught me to sharpen the way I do now through your videos so thanks for all the amazing tips and tidbits and thanks for all my sharp knives friend! stay well !
Im stuck in an endless cycle of cleaning my strop, then stropping my razor blade back to shaving sharp, send help
Thats the struggle with chromium oxide.
😂😂😂
I was always ashamed of telling people I do this to my strops, mainly because I was always told by older sometimes wiser men not to ever do it.
Now I know at least I'm not crazy.
Stay awesome Alex 😎
They were right. Use a large pencil eraser.
Nice! The finger on the used razor still gave me the shivers! 😂
Haha me too😬
Again, a great instructional. I have learned a lot watching this channel. Thanks.
Don't throw dull razor blade away..sharpen it ;)
I like your thinking here Bud 😁👍
And in all seriousness, my Dad has one of those Husqvarna robotic lawnmowers, but the trees are always dropping bits of branches onto his lawn that dull the blades completely inside of a week, and a pack of replacement blades here in the UK are around £14 for 2 sets (6 blades), so I've taken to re-sharpening the dull disposable blades using my DC4 and strop once a week and reckon I've saved him over £50 so far this spring 😉👍
The only tricky part is weight-matching the 3 blades (to within 0.1 of a gram, or the sensitivity of my electronic scales...) after sharpening so his fancy mower doesn't shake itself to pieces, but it cuts way-better and with noticably less strain on the motor/ batteries after I do it, so why not re-sharpen disposable razor-blades if you have the patience and want to cut-down on waste 😊 (or are a cheapskate... 🙄), huh?
@the Rogers I do it just for fun..which is why I love this channel..dull things are dangerous..
@@bushforme I agree totally 🙂
Dull things are indeed dangerous, but I can guarantee that living a dull life is 100% fatal... 😖
The same fist thought was at that moment about dull blade )
@Yar V I sharpen fingernail clippers,knives,scissors,food processor blades,anything with a edge is meant to be sharpened..why not learn to do it? A friend a me used to drive a hour in the 70s to have a guy sharpen our gerber MKIIS..we thought this guy was a wizard or shamen..:)..then one time we were able to see him doing it on a grinder in the back room of the shop..not with grinding wheels but sharpening wheels..long story short,if he could do it so could I,so my journey to hair popping sharp began,this is one of my favorite channels for this information
Can you do a vid on diff types of strops. And diff sides of leather. Smooth and coarse etc 🙏🏻
How do you prevent the sand paper from leaving grit in the strop?
Answered my question from your last video. Couldn't be easier. Thanks.
Great concept ! Helpful info in to-the-point format. Keep doing these.
Thanks for the tips
How often should you do this
How bad your strop should look like for this process
How often should I be cleaning my strop?
Commenting to feed the algorithm.
Thanks for the concise tip.🙂
This is a great video because it's got great material in it, and completely devoid of fluff
Thank you.
Great video and how-to, thanks, Alex!
THANKS 55...............I always enjoy your videos, and the Great Information you provide. Thank you
Hello Lost Buffalo how are you doing 😊
I was stropping my knife and thought how do I clean this stuff? And then bingo! I received a notification on my phone about this video! I was like, "Awesome...!" Thank you and cheers...
Same, me and some others were commenting on another one of his videos about this, maybe he saw and helped us out with our questioning.
You taught me and still teach me how to Sharpen to this Day
Thank you!
I’m so happy to have found this. My strop has a lot of dull green compound stuffed into everything (the Knives Plus block is amazing but dear Gods is the fact that it was pre-loaded fucking me)
Keep uploading alex, appreciated your idea.. i do with metal ruler before this.. next time I'll try your method 😅
And when done scraping I use hot olive oil to
condition and remove the left over compound
residue. Works great for a wax based compounds
such as Spark River crayons. YMMV.
Your leather surface is so smooth compared to mine! I cannot get mine that smooth!
Thanks You just saved my strop with that sanding tip.. it wasn't too coarse.. my dumbass tried to heat up the compound and rub it on and I basically created a glass streak that was completely saturated and hard🤦♂️.. been benched for a while.. just saved it and can use it again.. by sanding it💪
Really like the channel. Seems though the sandpaper could contaminate the strop. Even a little can't be good. Maybe an old file to slightly rough the surface? Just something to consider. Edited: then again, you're the one with an electron microscope. Would like to know for sure. Cross contamination could be a video idea. Its important when dealing with gemstones, but I dont know at what point it will affect a knife
Love this
Appreciate you making your videos. They are very helpful.
I wanted to buy one of your strops but it seems knifepointgear domain is dead/down.
Thanks for the tip to refresh my old one but hopefully you’re still selling these.
Ill be selling them again in the future. Had to shut down due to a recent move. Ill be back up shortly 🙂
Awesome! This is exactly what I was wondering about! . 👍
How did I not discover your channel 2 years ago, when I began my obsession with things that go slice?!?
I find after getting as much as possible off, spraying some general purpose oil (like Ballisol) onto the strop really helps get the stubborn parts out.
I would have been afraid to do this, thanks for showing me the way.
Does it work on the leather strops that are smooth leather??
Yes....it will work IF you are using compound. I generally don't recommend applying compound to smooth sided leather unless it's less than .5 micron. The .5 or less microns compound can be used for years may only require a wipe down if and when it gets loaded with material. I wouldn't put chromium oxide on smooth sided leather as it doesn't stay in place well, and is just not necessary as the smooth side is better suited for ultra fine compound or no compound. Unless you are using a very poor quality leather and the rough side isn't suitable for stropping. In which case use the smooth side but don't worry about scuffing it up removing the old compound. 🙂
Good stuff. I want that high speed trick. how do i implement that in my sharpening? :)
How do I know when I need to clean off my strop and apply new compound?
I think when it starts gunking up and getting kind of a hard layer. That's how mine is right now.
Nature's Law of the Strop.
1) Final step to get hair whittling edge on your blades. And it works every time.
2) Will dull a hair-whittling edge to useable in 10 passes.
Got it!! :)
Thanks again for these tips. They are useful.
Use a hammer as a hammer, and it will be a great hammer. Use a hammer as a house, and it makes a crappy house. Everything has to be used correctly👍
The best educational knife videos. Thanks again!!
I found some old weightlifting belts at a garage sale & made "WHAT I THINK" are some good wood backed strops out of them! Great for only $5!
I always use a brass brush to clean my strops.
Ill take a coarse sand paper to condition i like how it leaves the strop for new compound. On your chromium/wax based stuff, you can apply the thinnest layer of petroleum jelly, and/or, heat the surface. I transitioned to diamond long ago and now just sand
Hi, I use an 80 diamond lapping stone with +/- the same results, but I save the razor blade ;-). Keep going like this, I love your videos.
Another great video. I could use some help with strop recommendations. I need a new one. I have a small cheap one, but I want to upgrade. Also, I've heard a few people say strops aren't necessary. Opinions?
They aren't necessary. You can get a sharp blade with even a 400 / 600 grit as Alex has demonstrated before. They just help remove any burs and give you a fine polished edge, as the stropping compound is a really fine grit. You definitely don't HAVE to strop. You can also make your own strop. Buy a piece of leather to a size in the video, even off Amazon, and glue it to a piece of wood (2x4, 1x4, whatever really, match the piece of leather you get) and you got yourself a strop. I bought a piece of leather on Amazon and glued it to a piece of wood (smooth side down, so rough side is facing up) and I put these little rubber feet on the bottom of the wood then just get some green or white compound (jewelers rouge, whatever) and put it on. Got yourself a homemade strop, if you choose not to buy. 💪
Unfortunately i can't recommend any commercially available strops. I haven't found one thats any good. I used make GOOD ones and sell them but stopped temporarily due to a recent move. Id suggest going to your local leather supplier and picking out some decent 9-10oz high quality vegtan. It makes a world of difference. Stropping is just personal preference. Some like it and some don't 🙂
Professional sharpeners say it makes the edge last longer.
How often should one realistically clean a strop?
Should only be every other year or so. If you have to do it frequently you are probably using too much compound
Though my reference might be screwed up as I sharpen and strop a LOT of knives, but I am very light with my compound application. I really don’t have a set schedule, it’s just when there is a decent layer of compound built up.
It depends on how much you use it. If you notice it not feeling as smooth when stroping or theres a buildup, scrape off the old and apply some new🙂
@@just9911 Thanks!
@@OUTDOORS55 Thanks!
Is there a set timeframe or "uses" after which you want to or need to clean your strop?
thank you so much😀
Won't the sandpaper leave behind grit and contaiminate the strop?
Thanks for sharing 👍
Perfect! Just what i was looking for!
Any concern about grit contamination from the sandpaper?
Thank you for teaching me ! 🥺
I have a strop paddle with 2 styles of strop. A rough leather, like you just cleaned, and a smooth leather, which I don't think would handle a razor blade well.
How would you clean a smooth leather strop?
Can you please do a video?
Razor balded are outlawed my only razor blade is dull how do I make sharp to clean my only strop that's filthy and needs reconditioned help please
Sharpen your razor blade back to sharp and use it again! 🎉
Where do you live that small razor blades are outlawed?
I love the disclaimer before he shows how to clean the buffing wheel, wink wink
I’m glad you made this video especially how hard you were on green compound in the last video. Now I gotta strip my strops so I can get diamond compounds. I see what you did there. Lol
I did this and it worked really good . Thanks outdoors55 bro 👏. I tried some of the $13 diamond paste on Amazon and what a huge difference it has made on the ending edge compared to the green block compound . It’s given me a more sticky edge which I prefer . Also , I like to do a couple swipes with a ceramic rod and drag through some soft wood before stropping .
Do you have any thoughts regarding balsa strops?
I like seeing you on a regular bases keep it up. Happy Trails
Love your videos, man!
Any chance you'd risk building a leather belt strop to use in a sander? 🤭
How common is it for stropping compounds to pose some kind of health risk?
Definitely appreciated this video. Thank you.
Nice!
Few days with that question on mind, wanted ask you about 👍🏻🙌🏻🤝🏻 )
And Wow )
Done!
Thanks! ☀️✨🌿
Wouldn't sanding the strop contaminate it with lower grit?
Won't sanding your strop leave coarser grit material from the sand paper in the leather?
Another great tip 👍. Thank you !
for me it worked using an eraser, but ill try this next time cheers
Stick with the eraser. This method will damage the leather.
Great video. Thank you for sharing 👍👍
Hey, so I have a strop which I used without compound but the burr discolored it.
At which point should I do that?
Ok so I'm wondering where I can get compounds other than online ?
Might sound silly but I use my pressure washer to clean all my strops. Oh well works great for me and I have been doing this for at least 12 years.
The one I use is powerful enough to mess it up and yours maybe as well so be careful.
Is it a 120 grit strop after the sandpaper?
Just be aware that loose abrasive grit from the sandpaper may be hiding in the strop after sanding.
Nice Tip! Thanks
Domain knifepointgear is down. Where can I buy a good strop like the on you use in the vid?
I understand that an eraser is effective and won't damage the leather. Between the blade and the sandpaper the leather is definitely being damaged by this method.
Thanks!
Sharpen the blade like a card scraper and use it again
How do you get your strops so evenly covered with green oxide and it looks a bit damp/oily. Mine goes on blotchy. Thanks.
Another chapter in the book on great knife sharpening!
I suppose other people already pointed out that a Stanley blade is probably not very suited for shaving? Or is it a cultural thing to call it a razor blade rather than a Stanley box cutter? ;) Luckily the images don't leave any room for confusion =D
These aren't Stanley brand. They are actually carpet blades from personna. 🙂
So is there a reason for doingthis? Ive never cleaned my strops just put on new compound. And it seems to work fine.
Not hatin this is a real question.
Two reasons I can think of… wanting to change the compound type and wanting to remove build up.
I believe there are tiny bits of metal stuck in the compound and putting fresh compound on a clean strop brings it to a more effective place.
I do it when the strop is no longer consistent. Maybe because shaved steel particles plus chromium oxide plus oxygen creates harder spots on the strop than where there is 'fresh' compound. This causes less than all of the edge being in contact with the strop.
A strop can load with metal after prolonged use. Chromium oxide also breaks down so removing the old broken down compound and applying new will rejuvenate it. If using diamond compound you can go much longer between scrap downs🙂
@@OUTDOORS55 ok cool thanks, and thanks everyone else that answered.
Does the sand paper work on the smooth side of a strop?
I've been lazy and "stropped" on a fine ceramic rod. I'm lucky you're not making strops at the moment, because after the last couple of videos I would most likely have bought one. And got told off by the missus about bringing yet another knife toy into the kitchen.
But our cucumber dice are smooth enough to stick to each other... I fear I've spoilt my kids.
My green stropping compound has turned brown. Do I need to get a new one?
How often do you clean
But when should I clean my strop?
@outdoors55
Did you ever do a review and hardness test on that Buck knife?
I never did a review. The hardness was 60 I believe but I really disliked the knife. It was a big piece of junk unfortunately. Just like my last buck.😐
@@OUTDOORS55 thank you for the info
Son has new strop. Course side is adequately...course.
Other side is way too smooth, shiney even. Seems ineffective.
Advice?
F.U. yt for shadow banning me on all videos.
Truth is bad, I guess.
Nice ..
Holy smokes u sand fast. Don’t even need a random orbit sander with that speed.
Everytime i strop... Compound gets all over the edge of my knife. Lol too much compound?
I just run my random orbital sander on my strop until clean. 👍
💚🤘
Strops need compound? 😅
Is this a long short?
Shorts are terrible. They aren't searchable so no one in the future will be able to find the information in the short.
Or rather a short long.
Add mineral oil
Nobody needs a vice, but a vice usually latches on and won't let go
What about the people who say to use vegetable oil or WD40? Any merit to that?
I use mineral oil and it works just fine
What about diamond sprays ? dont you just reapply?
Diamond lasts a lot longer on strops. Your problem with diamonds is the strop loads with material. Sprays are typically.5 microns or lower and will take a LONG time to load. So unless you strop a lot you may only have to clean them once every several years.