What Does a Strop Actually do? Everything you need to know about strops- How to make the best strops
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- Опубликовано: 18 май 2024
- What Does a Strop Actually do? Everything you need to know about knife sharpening strops, how to make the best strops for cheap than you can buy, strop compound, strop leather, stropping angles and much more!
Instagram- alexgarland_outdoors55
EVERYTHING FROM THE VIDEO⬇️
Best strop leather⬇️
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Bests single Strop compound⬇️
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(I could no longer find 6 micron so this is the next best thing)
Check sizes on these, they are sold in smaller sizes for cheaper.
What strop spray I don't like⬇️
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Green chromium oxide strop compound⬇️
amzn.to/3OlMx4G
Contact cement⬇️
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Best $20 diamond stone (one in video made in china) best first stone to buy⬇️
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Best made in usa version⬇️
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Best SECOND stone to buy⬇️
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Knife in video⬇️ One of my favorites!
amzn.to/3Sj8J0e
These are amazon affiliated links.
As an amazon associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Personal disclosure ⬇️
As an affiliate I may earn a commission on qualifying purchases at no additional cost to you. I have purchased everything in this video with my own money, and did not receive any product for free in exchange for a review. At the time of this video, I am not sponsored by any company, and am free to say whatever I want about any product. As well as link to anything I want. My opinion on any product is based on first hand experience with the product.
Chapters:
00:00 What does a strop do?
00:17 Check the chapters!
00:35 Why You need a sharp knife
00:55 Do you only form ONE burr?
01:30 How to feel for a burr
02:03 How to use a strop to check for a burr
02:32 CLOSE UP BURR
02:43 A strop won’t help with this -Burr minimization technique
03:30 CLOSE UP before and after burr minimization
03:51 FINALLY its time to use a strop - Diamond vs chromium oxide
04:30 Using a strop after burr minimization
04:45 What angle do you strop at?
05:22 CLOSE UP after stropping \ before and after
05:43 THE BIGGEST BEGINNER MISTAKE
05:52 What about rounding over the apex?
06:38 Hair whittling off a 400 grit stone and 6 micron strop
07:05 Where do you buy a good strop?
07:20 Strop making- a little about leather
07:35 Lets start with leather for strops -where to buy
07:50 What I probably wouldn’t purchase when it comes to leather
08:25 What to look for if you purchase leather in person
09:11 Rough or smooth side?
10:04 A CHEAP leather solution for strops
10:34 HOW TO MAKE YOUR OWN STROP
11:34 opinion on glass bases for strops
13:37 How to take your strops to the NEXT LEVEL LITERALLY
14:28 About loading a strop with compound…
15:05 About buying compound- what not to buy
15:57 What compound am I using?
16:27 What grit size should you buy if you can only get one?
17:08 Using a strop to MAINTAIN an edge demonstration
17:34 CLOSE UP of cardboard dulled edge
17:59 CLOSE UP of dulled edge AFTER stropping 
Хобби
Leather I use below ⬇ Links to compound, and everything else, in the description. These tend to sell out fast 😬If you have any questions for future vides leave them below. Thanks for watching!
leather amzn.to/42hBGi3
These are amazon affiliated links
as an amazon affiliate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Personal statement⬇
As an affiliate, I earn commissions from qualifying purchases, at no additional cost to you.
I bought everything in this video with my own money, and am free to link to anything I want.
Recommendations, comments, and criticisms, are based on personal experience with products.
At this time, (time of video upload, subject to change) I am NOT sponsored by any company.
Thanks
I’ve had pretty good luck buying sides of leather through Tandy. Totally agree on the belt blanks though if all you’re doing is making a strop.
Serious question: what about hide glue? I have several vintage bottles (older than both of us, so old formula from back when shit worked) that are still good... and I would assume it should work... and I can't find my contact cement, lol.
СПАСИБА!!! Thank you! I've been asking you for this for a while and YOU CAME THROUGH!!! 🙂
Your link to the Jende 4 Micron is already sold out and do not see 6 μm either. Would you recommend 2 or 8 μm since they are the closest size in stock?
How do you feel about gunny juice diamond emulsions?
DUDE! DO NOT EVER apologize for making a long video. I think I've watched all of the videos that you've put out, and one thing I can guarantee I have never said is "Man, that video was too long!" Almost every video you put out gets watched twice in a row by me. And im still wanting more at the end of every one. Youre very skilled, smart, funny, and some other words I don't know. That makes me keep watching your stuff trying to learn. Youve got something here, and you're good at it. 😊 Thanks for the videos you've already put out, thanks for the stuff that you're in the process of putting together and putting out, and most importantly thanks for the lifetime of information. TONS AND TONS of YT channels suck. Yours doesn't
no one say "it's too long" - they just silently skip parts or drop it )
statistics is "average watch time is 8 mins" and "more then 15mins is a waste"
i don't mind long videos if it worth it (and this author makes it so), but statistics is statistics - can't be helped.
I wish his was longer to, insightful and entertaining guy
Facts brother 👍😎 this dude is amazing 🤩
I always watch his channels full videos and want more ahahah
I'm not sure as I don't know the stats, but I feel that these numbers hughly depend on the type of video and the target audience @@tomekvilmovskiy6547
Its crazy to think that our fingers are so sensitive that we are capable of feeling a tiny burr in a knife that you can barely see
refreshing to see someone on youtube who actually knows what they are talking about. as a former tooling service tech, i can expand on what he is saying about burrs. when steel dulls the cutting edge rounds over. as opposed to carbide, which is sintered and therefore the material breaks down and falls away from the tool material. rough sharpening is traditionally done with the grinding direction away from the cutting edge as is shown here, resulting in the steel curling back over the opposite edge. this is a perfectly normal result of the material. carbide will not burr, but the sintered particles can lose their bond at the cutting edge with the end result being not as sharp as it could be in either case.
my experience doingn that work taught me that grinding in the opposite direction for a final few passes will eliminate the burr AND result in a very crisp cutting edge. especially on carbide for reasons i have yet to understand. from the perspective of a tool grinding machine, if the last pass grinds INTO the cutting edge with a feed in of maybe .005" to .010" results in a burr free and insanely sharp edge which may only require the briefest and lightest swipe of a superfine stone.
the greatest acknowledgement i ever got as a tool grinder was when the owner of the company inspected my work and cut his finger.
My favorite character on Sharpening Street is Big Burr
Made a strop out of a piece of wood, old belt, and some red compound I had. Works great.
Yep, $2 belt from the local thrift store.
apparently jeans work well too, I've sharpened plenty of razors with them anyways
@@moonasha
Cotton is rough enough to knock the burr off. Even better if you coat the cotton with a compound.
What do you mean by "red compound"?
@@TrevorV
Sorry, it's polishing compound that comes in bars, it's used in the jewelery trade to polish gold and silver. It's meant to be used on a buffing wheel but it was what I had.
When you slapped that piece of leather on the table and said “ Does this bring back memories? “ I lost it!!😅 too funny and so true. My Dad when he got really mad at my brothers and I, would whip his belt off and smack it on something and say to us..”You guys want a piece of this?” I was laughing so hard I've got tears in my eyes. Alex your sense of humour is absolutely the best! Great video as usual..Number 1 fan in Nova Scotia. Cheer MikeR.
Did anyone ever ask for a piece of that?
@@artsnow8872My mom had a board of education (written on it) that had holes that whistled on the way to my behind. Or alternatively she made me go out and pick a switch from the weeping willow which transferred the weeping to me😮. But hilarious stuff.
@@artsnow8872Lol😅 Not me that’s for sure! Cheers MikeR.
Lol
And here I was thinking about leather-bound fun in my 30s...
This is THE definitive stropping video Alex! THANK YOU for making and sharing it. This video contains everything the viewer needs to know about stropping. Combining it with your previous sharpening videos will yield an incredibly sharp knife, IF THE VIEWER PAYS ATTENTION! Saving this one to my Knives Playlist.
i was about to say the same, this is the most information dense and all encompassing video on stropping ive ever seen. learned so much and confirmed some things i already knew, all around an amazing video. i would show this in a school
I really like this channel. It reminds me that if I buy the absolute best knife sharpening tools, the best stones that have been blessed by various monks, and worked my hardest, this dude could do a better job with a random 50 year old brick that has been laying in the elements he found on the side of the road.
Little tip. DOUBLE sided carpet tape works great for attaching leather to wood or whatever you like. Alot less messy and a bit more forgiving also can be removed afterwards if you wish. Thanks for the great vid and keep making sharp things fun and enjoyable
alternatively just use wood. imho it works better than leather, with diamond. any wood works but I like woods that aren't too soft, like balsa, or too hard like oak. woods like birch or basswood are ideal. those sticks for stirring paint work just fine. There is nothing magical about leather as a substrate.
@@user-xf4es7eh9y I agree with that I've used Denim, stir sticks, leather, wood, dowels, cardboard and other materials as a stropping base to get slighty different results. The compound does the cutting in that case, although some materials can be used bare without compound to get the job done in a pinch, and diamond compound is definatly my favorite to use.
@@user-xf4es7eh9y I use a plastic cutting board since it's right there in the kitchen where I'm sharpening knives.
I totally use double sided tape for my strop
There is nowhere else on RUclips that provides this level of detail delivered in a clear, concise and articulate manner. What long video? I watched it twice and several parts of it a lot more than that. Thanks for this - I'm making a new strop tomorrow following exactly what you've shared with us here.
Im going to say it . Alex makes the BEST sharpening videos on RUclips. Its not even a contest. No one has properly explained before exactly what the strop does, with such clear images
Dude, my life is full of dull knives... you are saving me from all that! You are a mad genius!!! GLORIOUS!!!
Haha thanks! Appreciate the support 🙏🙏👊
Those zoomed in shots are always so incredible, both because they really help explain what's going on and because they're beautiful
Your tutelage has been invaluable and I've been sharpening many more years than you've been alive. Thank you.
Please do a video on how to apply compounds (especially emulsions)!! 🙏
I've found that leather from a 2 year old unicorn and the yellow pixie dust compound leaves my knife edge magically sharp!
Thanks for the great information. I really enjoy your channel sir.
Thank you so much. You answered every question I ever had about stropping.
11:53 you can strop straight on glass and the benefit is that it is a very flat surface if you’re making micro bevels. cowhide is around 4mm-6mm and it squishes and stretches which makes a convex edge. kangaroo leather is 1mm-2mm thick and it has much more grain to it than cowhide which also holds more compound and has a better tactile feel to it than cowhide. kangaroo leather is ten times stronger than cowhide and it doesn’t stretch and it’s more abrasion resistant than cowhide so it holds up a lot better than cowhide. kangaroo leather is usually around $30 for the whole thing except for the tail which by itself is around $50. the tail is a better quality for strops than the hide but the kangaroo hide is still much better than cowhide. a barbers strop is still an effective tool for removing the burr and polishing strops are more for removing metal. you can remove a burr with a brick or a polishing strop but people who think that’s what was designed for are wrong.
I made one using kangaroo tail and it is indestructible. Kangaroo TAIL is the strongest leather in the world. It was surprisingly easy and not excessively costly to buy a couple of suitable strips online. Might have helped finding them seeing I live in Australia.
Time flies when you have an accurate and interesting explanation. Thank you !
you are making by far the best videos on youtube about these things I have ever seen. bravo to you.
I LOVE that you have the zoom camera and are putting out all these videos. I've been wanting to sharpen a handful of my knives for years now and keep dragging my feet. But now these new videos will really help me out!!
This is one of the best put together sharpening videos out there
I've been watching you for a few years now, and your videos have gotten better and better! Great instructions and love the macro/explanations of what is going on on the edge...
As cursed as this may sound, I've been using a strop made out of a piece of microfibre cloth stuck onto a piece of wood.
With green compound on it, paired with dialux green compound.
It was intended to polish the main bevel of a knife for it to shine. The use as a strop was an accidental discovery.
Just make sure to not put too much pressure and go with a very shallow angle, as microfibre is highly compressible.
You can even lie the blade flat and strip away as the not compressed part of the cloth will still polish the secondary bevel and edge.
I have been watching your videos for a while and I have to say that your explainations and visualizations are fantastic! The science of sharpening a knife free hand has always been difficult for me and your videos have made it very clear. Thank you for taking the time to share your information with us.
One of the best and most visually convincing I have seen!!! Great advice
This is the best sharpening content on RUclips.
Period
Great video (perfect length too). I learn something new in each video you put out. You were the one that got me to finally start my proper sharpening journey. Absolutely love the instant macro shots to true understand what is happening to the steel. Keep it up.
As usual, good job in your explanations. The more I watch, the more I learn.
I love the longer videos. I watch them while I have my lunch break. Then I go home and start practicing what you've just taught me. My wife appreciates it, man. Thanks!
The macro footage are lovely❤ i love macro AND knives.
Fantastic video, thank you! The close-up shots are demystifying the process for me!
Ace video, thanks for taking the time to make this. I learn so much from you 😊
Another excellent video. Thank you so much for the information and examples you provide us. You are without a doubt the best sharpening tutor on youtube. Keep up the great work!
Would you be willing to either describe how you apply the diamond compound from the syringe? Know you said it depends… but would be interested in seeing how much you apply; what tools you use to mash it into the leather; how thick you do for your compound. There are quite a few about the aluminum oxide, but few on diamond compounds.
You encouraged me to make my own strop, 2 or 3 years ago, so I went online and bought some thick sheet of leather, cut a 2.5 x 6.5 inch piece of hardwood plywood with a sort of "handle" on one side, glued the piece of leather onto it using woodglue (smooth side down, but still holding perfectly for 2 years of weekly use. But it was some industrial grade woodglue from a friend of mine, so maybe that helped). Then I used a utility knife and cut along the sides of the plywood, to fit it perfectly to the contours of the piece of wood, for the reasons you mentioned in the video
So far, I've only tried 1.0 micron aluminium oxide compound for stropping and it worked very well for all of my pocket and kitchen knives. Although, S90V takes quite some time though XD
My sharpening routine starts depending on the condition of the apex with a coarse DMT 8", next a fine DMT 8" and finally the leather strop.
As I started out on those crappy amazon stones, years ago I felt the sharpening to be extremely exhausting and frustrating, you generate tons of slurry, arms getting tired, but barely any results.
My 2 step diamond stone set-up (based on your recommendations) however is really !really fast, effective and no mess at all. No water, no oil, no slurries in the kitchen... my wife also likes it a lot more ... :D
Maybe I will try out those diamond compound in the future, however I'm quite happy at the moment with this set-up.
Thanks for your content ❤👍
Did I mention that I really appreciate those insane macro-footage 😯👍
Excellent demonstration, thank you
You are awesome you're videos are just plain great ! Thanks for all your hard work on our behalf!
This was a perfect length video for me. It was all necessary information and no extra fat. Awesome content!! ✌🏼
I absolutely never thought I'd watch an 18 minute video on stropping technology, but you did a great job not only making things clear, but keeping it interesting. I'll definitely use the knowledge you've given here. Thanks! And subscribed!
I’m amazed at the quality of these videos. Thank you kindly for putting them out. They’re pleasant to watch and probably the most informative I’ve found. No hype, no BS, just facts. There’s literally nothing I’d want to see done differently from the way they are done.
Honest like always! Great video, great tip and sharp ideas!
For anyone looking for the Jende 4 micron compound, if you go directly to their website, they do have it in stock. They also have smaller sizes.
Your videos are incredibly helpful - thank you so much!
Thanks for the great video on this and including the info on the diamond paste you recommend!
Thanks. This video answered my questions in relation to strops and compounds.
That was a comprehensive presentation. Thanks
Was about to make my first strop in the next days. And boom you drop this masterpiece. Amazing! Thanks for all your hardwork, my sharpening is definitely a step higher thanks to you.
When I was a kid, 1950s, and your dad used a straight razor, the strop was dual use. It also was used to make your butt red.
Yeah. I see some people say an edge is "over stropped". I think a more accurate assessment is in those cases the edge is actually just badly stropped.
Using a strop carefully, and not just looking at it like a cure all for bad sharpening. Can lead to some amazing edges. In my opinion.
we need longer video's can't get enough of your expertise keep em coming and longer video's ❤
Excellent video. Fantastic explanation!
Thanks for putting it up!
DAMN! Off a 400 grit stone...... it just goes to show that a guy is better off spending effort on keeping a constant angle while sharpening rather than 20 different stones or gadgets.
Yep, it was a good eye opener
Thanks to your detailed videos, I actually managed to sharpen my first knife ever (freehand). Thanks so much for sharing your knowledge, I truly appreciate it ! 🤝🏻👍🏻
Great breakdown of the process.
You're doing gods work with these vids man
Thanks for upping my strop game.
Been a fan for years! Love you dude, great video. Thank you
that was great thank you. answered a lot of questions.
I personally lovw the in-depth dive you did here! Very educational and very interesting. I learned alot!
Beautiful! Thank you for the information, stropmeister!
This answered a lot of questions for me. Thanks! Love your drawings btw.
What I've learned is you can buy whatever sharpening kit, whatever strop, and it will all do realitivly the same as long as you know what you are doing. I've spent a lot of money on sharpening tools, and I just can not get angles correctly. no matter how long I spend on a knife it comes out dull and with real big bur. I am currently practicing on a worksharp ken onion and using low - mid grade steels to practice.
Excellent video as usual. Great content. Thanks man!
My new favorite video so far!
So much great information. Thank you!
Thanks once again for sharing your knowledge. Cheers.
Awesome video man. Everything I watch from you answers questions I had but didn’t know how to ask. Keep up the good work
I really look forward to your videos no matter how long. Everything you recommend seems to get sold out very quickly. I have bought almost everything you recommend and everything was great. Thank you for another excellent video.
Great video, even for a novice such as myself it was straightforward and clear.
I was waiting for this video, thanks man, you went way more into this than I thought you were going to!
Good job explaining and showing things. Thanks.
I made one comment already, but this second one is worth the time as well. You basically started my interest in sharpening by hand and essentially taught me how. About a year and a half ago I set down my system based sharpeners and started my journey of learning how to hand sharpen. After more than a year of failing and succeeding I have finally gotten pretty efficient at hand sharpening. I now prefer it to almost any other method and would not go back for anything. The gear I eventually settled on was the (4) grit DMT dia-sharp stone set with a stone holder from sharpening supplies, of course that's also where I got the stones. I usually finish with my Bacher strop using 1 micron gunny juice and few strokes on the smooth side with no compound. Watching your videos has a real benefit, it's not just sensless rambling about a topic. I have watched your videos for years and taken your suggestions for getting the best results. I am now in a situation where I frequently make money sharpening other peoples knives from work. You don't realize until you become proficient at hand sharpening just how much feedback a blade can give you. Thanks so much for your help!!
Great video man! Overflowing with useful info in under 20min
I've been trying to whittle hair for 2 yrs. Tried several stones. Sharp, yes, manly sharp, no. Never get it. Been watching you for a year or so. You said get the Sharpal diamond, so I did. After a tiny wee bit if prcatice, I now even have the $12 Kershaw Hotwire knife I found while fishing razor whittling hair sharp. Thank brother.
This was a fantastic video, thank you for making it.
This is a lost art. Thank you for sharing your knowledge!
Thank you. So many videos show how to sharpen butt don't mention getting a burr whatsoever even though its ome of the most important parts. Well done
I don’t know if you’ve ever ordered from Tandy leather before but I’m always super happy with their leather. Because I buy rolls of belly for sheath making I’m generally not quite as concerned about small imperfections or inconsistencies but I also was recently at one of their physical stores and they told me that if you order by actually calling the store, you can be more choosy about getting rolls without imperfections
Thank you! I was wondering how to buy/make one and am glad you clearly explained it. Please do a video about all the different types of compounds and how to apply them.
Thank you thannk you thanks you thankya thank ya thank u tank u tank you thank you THANK YOU!!! I feel like you wrapped up the last bit of questions ive had for the last year! Thank you again!
Congratulations, you made a masterpiece of a stropping video, I have been sharpening for the past 5 years and also been sharpening 1000s of kitchen knifes for customers. This is perfect as it both affirmatives what I do know but also which details I should look further into to improve stropping. The last section just proves why strops are just amazing for maintaining sharpness, mindblowing to see how it actually looks like up close
What a fantastic video! Years ago, I watched one of your videos and you were the first person that i learnt what an "apex" even is. You make really great content. Probably my favorite channel for knife-sharpening!
You rock glad you put this out awesome information!
You taught me something useful again :) thank you man!
Best channel for learning how to sharpen. Best, fellow knife sharpener 😁👍🏻
Fantastic video, thanks so much Alex.
Great instruction and very valuable information. Thank you!
thank you very much
just made my first vile knive thanks to you, ty
A really very good touch of humor to offset how easy and excellent the Sharpal sharpener is. Wickedly sharp, durable, and idiot proof (mostly) technique. Kudos for the person doing thecamera work. Thanks. GB
I made some strops out of exotic woods and this guy bought a few from me. I think he has passed now. RiP, Sultan of Speed. He stropped a Spyderco Delica ZDP-189 down to 26 on a BESS meter with my strop. He wanted to send me Kangaroo leather to adhere to an exotic wood to see how low we could go. I love your videos and use them as a reference, Outdoors55! You do great work for knife makers!
Epic vid dude, very much appreciated!
Thank you for your awesome work!
The microscope pictures were great! Helps me understand what's happening a ton!
Love the longer videos, thx ✌️
They don't do as well but I wanted to get as much as possible in this one👍 Thanks my friend!
@@OUTDOORS55 that's the wonderful aftermath of tiktok and deteriorating attention span...
Edit: btw, because of you, I recently bought my first "starter kit" to get into knife sharpening^^
Great detail and presentation. Thanks!
I'm now 'hooked' on your videos! This was incredibly detailed, straight forward and helpful. Even if I just wanted to know what a strop does, no one does this type of video better. I'm on amazon now ordering my 'kit' and making my own strop. Unfortunately much of the stuff in your links is currently NOT available.
Thankyou so much Alex, I am in the market for a strop & cutting compound. There is a knife show next weekend in my home town that I will be going to. I'll be going there with much more knowledge & understanding. Thankyou for your time making these awesome tutorials. Please keep up your awesome informative work.
This has been an awesome video!!