Making a strop... Which side up?

[Brad Simmons]

Which side of the leather goes up on a strop? Smooth or fuzzy?

[Matthew N. Masail]

smooth side up

[george wilson]

I like the smooth, or hair side up. Most seem to like the fuzzy, or flesh side up. The smooth side is easily damaged if you hit it with a sharp blade you are stropping, but I prefer it. I think it dubbs the edge over less.

[Joel Moskowitz]

Rough side holds compound better, smooth side with nothing on it gives the best edge

[Bobby O'Neal]

I use the smooth side loaded with green. Not sure if I tried it bare.

[David Weaver]

I do the same thing as george, but of the strop is bare without compound, it doesn't really matter.

I like the smooth side because it makes more sense to me. When you do razors, you have to use the smooth side (though I would never mix tool and razor strops).

[John Coloccia]

I like smooth side up.

[paul cottingham]

Smooth side out, with green goo. I use a belt grinder and a strop this way. I never knew what sharp was......

[John Coloccia]

By the way, if you go to your local Tandy Leather and paw through their scrap pile, you'll find good leather cheap enough that you can just make two....one of each. Try for yourself :)

I see you're from Wichita. The one memory that has stuck with me from my months out there is the London Broil at Granite City. I'm no fan of chains, but yumm yumm yumm yumm yumm!

[Curt Putnam]

Guys, I just want to mention that the horse butt leather (i.e., Cordovan) that Joel sells makes a superb strop. I put the compound on the rough side so I can still use the smooth side naked.

[george wilson]

Old boxing gloves are good,too. Probably made of horse,if I recall.

[Jacob Reverb]

Guys, I just want to mention that the horse butt leather (i.e., Cordovan) that Joel sells makes a superb strop. I put the compound on the rough side so I can still use the smooth side naked.

Curt,

Joel who? I'd like to get a piece of this, if possible. Thank you,

Jacob.

[John Coloccia]

Curt,

Joel who? I'd like to get a piece of this, if possible. Thank you,

Jacob.

He probably means Joel at www.toolsforworkingwood.com

[Trevor Walsh]

I can attest to George's assesment, I like the smooth side up, but lock it away anyone that strops with it other than yourself will, fact, gouge or slice it.

[Maurice Ungaro]

I copied the method of my Grandfather's strop (he had a barbershop in Manhatten for over 30 years). One side has canvas, and the other side has smooth leather. The canvas side gets the green honing compound, and the leather side is naked. I've tried compound on the smooth leather, but didn't like it. I much prefer the compound on the rough surface, which is meant for aggressive honing. The leather achieves the razor edge.

[george wilson]

I find it surprizing that so many,like me,use the hair side. I thought everyone liked the flesh side. That's good.

[Tri Hoang]

I have used both. On the flesh side up strop, I planed down a bit and found that it is a good compromise between firmness and ability to hold the compound. I spent $10 at Tandy leather store for a huge piece of thick/rough leather that was on sale and that was probably the best $10 I've ever spent on tool/supplies. I made 3 strops (3x10) and still have enough for about 5-6 more.

[Brad Simmons]

Thanks for all the help. I have compound so I guess I'll put it on the flesh side and then finish up on the smooth side. I got plenty of leather scraps from the shoe repair shop down the street.

I asked the question because my first attempt was a failure on two counts: (1) compound just flaked off of the smooth side (2) I super glued the leather flesh side down to a piece of oak and it held for about two minutes.

I think I'll use MDF this time... not as porous... any other words of wisdom for attaching the leather?

[Ryan Mooney]

I find it surprizing that so many,like me,use the hair side. I thought everyone liked the flesh side. That's good.

I've never actually seen or hear of anyone using the flesh side before this. :D If I was using the flesh side, I'd want to split the leather first to get a clean/smooth surface, the default state on ~most cow hide leather is a little lumpy for my liking and I'm not sure why you'd bother... Horse butt is of course a different beast, I suppose you could do a rough strop on the flesh side and a fine strop on the hair side.. (again unclear on the value add...).

I also have a linen strop.. the linen is surprisingly abrasive all on its own, I've never added any compound to it and it works pretty well as a touch up strop for my better knives (which is all I've used it for..).

[george wilson]

Finished leather would not be as good at holding compound as plain,oak tanned,unfinished leather. It has open pores,and isn't slippery,waxed,or otherwise finished.

[Maurice Ungaro]

Thanks for all the help. I have compound so I guess I'll put it on the flesh side and then finish up on the smooth side. I got plenty of leather scraps from the shoe repair shop down the street.

I asked the question because my first attempt was a failure on two counts: (1) compound just flaked off of the smooth side (2) I super glued the leather flesh side down to a piece of oak and it held for about two minutes.

I think I'll use MDF this time... not as porous... any other words of wisdom for attaching the leather?

Brad, good old yellow glue works wonderfully for gluing leather to wood. Sand the super glue off of the oak, and try it with the yellow. Hide glue would work well too.

[John Coloccia]

I almost always use contact cement on leather. Normally I would recommend Barge glue, but they changed the formula and now it's garbage. Use any real contact cement with all the nasty chemicals in it.

[Trevor Walsh]

I agree with the contact cement, also adding a drop (an actual drop, not a lot) of mineral oil will help the compound spread out onto the leather. Then it will stay charged for a long time unless you open a blade stropping business.

[Terry Beadle]

I recently made a leather hone with the smooth side up and impregnated it with 1 micron diamond paste. It was more of an experiment than anything else. However, it's taking several days of soaking in and still after several hundred strokes, the diamond paste is still not totally soaked in. No worries though as a few lite scraping side strokes removes any excess still stuck to the blades. I'm using it on my kitchen paring and small chef's knifes. So far I must say, the green rouge seems a better choice than the diamond paste and a whole lot cheaper an initial investment.

Previously I used the 1 micron paste for special honing of paring chisels only. The paste lasts a long time and doesn't need much refresh so far. The strops for the chisels is rock maple planed dead flat and no leather.

For the new kitchen strop, I'll see how it does after six months or so of use on the kitchen knives. I'm still in a personal debate as to weather to leave kitchen knives at use with only 1000 grit sharpening versus further sharpening on 6000, 8000, and then leather honing. The raw 1000 grit seems to start a tomato slice more readily but needs touch up more frequently. The higher honed edges seem to not want to start cutting as quickly but once started get it on pretty well and don't need much touch up. Just a brief rehoning once a couple of weeks or so.

Sorry I got off topic a little but sharpening is one of the most interesting subjects IMO. Sure makes planes and chisel sing !

[Maurice Ungaro]

Terry,
There's a reason tomato knives are serrated. For some reason, tomatoes can dull an edge quicker than anything. While it's fun to hone a blade to "tomato" sharp, I find that I prefer to save those sharp edges for slicing everything else.

[Jacob Reverb]

He probably means Joel at www.toolsforworkingwood.com (http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com)

Thank you John. I found it.

[paul cottingham]

I have the strop Joel sells. I glued it to a piece of wood, and use the green rouge on it. It is awesome.