Experimenting With Leather Strops - What Grades / Compounds Work Best?

[@michaelenelmar]

Thanks for another great video Ben, I love washing then and I enjoy your improvised humour. I've started to get into leathercraft and I have some suggestions. When you cut the leather to fit it on the strop, leave it a bit bigger and trim it to the exact size when it's already glued on. I would use veg tanned leather, but without any colour treatments. I think that was one reason why your leather was so hard. The manufacturers use lacquer which seals the surface. Superglue gets too hard, I would recommend contact glue. It's not that strong, but stays more flexible. I use jewelry polishing compound which comes in red and white. The red one is too fine, white is great. I was teached to use only the suede side, because the compound sticks much better on it, but I'll try to use the smooth side without compound for some final strokes. Enjoy everyone and watch out your fingers.

[@maxforest3071]

I am also OCD sharpening freak ! And I have a usb microscope up to 500X mag. They are inexpensive £50 approx. I brought mine at Maplin and you can use it to take stills or video to a laptop, it would be great to show your edges 500X. Great video keep them coming.

[@bentyreman5769]

I used to use a 10,000 x zoom, but my therapist suggested I limit myself to just a 10x loupe, since then I've been ok, felt no need to go higher.

[@lyleabraham470]

I don't know what the abrasive in Autosol is but I have found that the grain size gets finer the longer you use it, as in when you first apply it to the strop it is fairly coarse but the grit breaks down over time to become finer and finer until you put more polish on the strop. Also after screwing around for years, I have found that dry diamond powder applied with a dobber on thick veg tanned leather is the easiest way to get reliable results that last. Oil or waxy compounds pick up dust and grit fast in a workshop unless you keep the strops in a sealed container and they tend to develop clumps that act like large grains and can screw up the edge you have just spent time bringing up to polish. Diamond powder will also cut anything from cast iron to HSS to abrasive resistant modern alloys. You can get it in damn near any grit size you want and it's actually not very expensive. You can also get carborundum, cubic boron, aluminium or silicone or chromium oxide depending on what you are sharpening. Look for lapidary suppliers, they carry all sorts of tools and abrasive goodies.

[@alphanumeric1529]

Now that is some relevant information. THX

[@cudgee7144]

I know i am 4 years late, just found this clip. Can i ask you a question, i am thinking of trying some 10, 000 grit diamond powder on a strop i have made out of veg tanned leather. What is a dobber, and what is the best way to apply the powder. Thanks.

[@Brandywine6969]

I am really enjoying some of these older videos that I did not see before. These sharpening videos are very educational. I need to sharpen my Japanese hand gouges soon. They are not for gouging your hands, lol, but can be used as small chisels/gouges for small detail work. You can use a mallet with them, but you don't really need to. You can really just use your hands to use them, which is how I work with them. With this little set, I finally got a V-Parting tool, but it is backwards from the kind I want. I want a small 1/4" V parting tool where the point of the "V" is the furthest thing out from the handle and the wing parts(I'm not sure how to word that) of the "V" are back from that at an angle. What I have is the opposite. I can still use that, but not quite the same. I can't wait until your new vintage tool channel starts so I can learn about finding good steel to make my own chisels, gouges, and other cutting tools and maybe some tips on either finding or making wooden planes. Would you consider doing a video on finding good steel that will hold a decent edge once you add it but you don't need to forge it and heat treat it and all that to be able to sharpen it? I love the idea of making tools myself, but I know I could never stand the heat of a forge, even though I love to watch blacksmiths make things.

[@b-radg916]

In my experience, harder is better than softer, thinner is better than thicker (both to prevent rounding), and because leather silicates are finer than essentially all compounds, a bare leather strop is my final step. I haven't done it in a while, but got very good results with compound on paper on glass. Will have to try Autosol.

[@robinalexander5772]

May I suggest between the different strops you take blade to wood and see how it goes. Cheers from Tasmania

[@mitchwoodwork]

Autosol and GT80 both came out really well when I covered household compounds for stropping on my channel. I think the motorists have it! I'm not sure the thickness of a layer of superglue is much compared to the variations in thickness of a piece of leather though.

[@Yourname942]

1) How often do you need to apply autosol? 2) How do you maintain your strop? (how long does it last/need to be replaced/how to clean it?)

[@davidhands8785]

Hello Ben, have you tried stropping a wide chisel or plane iron, after the initial strop, by flapping it backward and forward in the palm of your hand? I was shown this by your traditional old timer and I think it works. You just have to get the relative angles right, to prevent getting blood on your iron. I've found jeweller's rouge and vaseline make a good dressing, for the strop that is. Any thoughts? Cheers.David

[@Cpmnk]

As a guitar nerd whos getting into japanese kitchen knives, this is a godsend of a video, i just ordered a nice peice of veg tanned leather for making a strop, so a video from my favorite luthier is perfect

[@gonzo2695]

I have been shaving with a straight raiser since the 60's & never ever put anything on my strops, the ones that hang on one end & held in hand on the other. My shave lasts longer than any other types of shavers. A lost art in the barber shops. I also use my stops for my leather tools as I do leather braiding which requires extra sharp for making lace w/ precise beveled edges. Also use one for knives & my axes. Enjoyed your vid & yes I learned some things I might try in the future. Thanks

[@DRJMF1]

Any device on silicon carbide or carborundum powder in water as a slurry on a flat steel plate ? Can a chisel be sharpening, carborundum is very aggressive cutting agent but breaks down unlike Al2O3. We don’t hear much about using carborundum to sharpen chisels, yet should work .????

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

Yes this should work but mosern sharpening stones etc make it pretty pointless to experiment. The only real problem I see it that the steel plate will wear down too and that would be a problem long term. B

[@shanek6582]

Had to think about what you said and it makes perfect sense, too soft of leather could spring up and roll the edge! Thanks man. Wouldn't just putting the waxy compound straight on to a hardwood be best then? Thanks again, wish I watched this a few years ago.

[@justinpaquette224]

How well do you think it would work to stick sand paper to the leather side of one of those blocks to then use it to level a fretboard? (without the frets in)

[@TylrVncnt]

Why would you ever do that?!

[@grin3055]

My ultimate strop - 1mm veg.tan cow hide glued to glass/ceramic tile, thats glued to wooden block. Thicker the hide, bigger the risk of convexing the edge. Buffing compounds for SS steel seem to work very well on carbon steel.Just my 2 cents.

[@MrDoboz]

SS steel? you mean steel made of melted down MP40s and Lugers?

[@nanettebarling1222]

Some barber strops have 2 different strop sides. One has been imprinted or pressed with a piece of cloth linen. That makes the cutting strop more textured. The other is just burnished hard for finishing. Great videos!

[@Stargazer80able]

Different compounds have different qualitys. I find the green or the white does the trick for me. I do strops, stones wether they are natural or purpose made, files or mechanical sharpening systems. Every edge is different, however- a polished edge is a polished edge. How barbers, woodworkers and any person that loved a sharp edge on their tools would get the edge on their tools of trade, would get it from stoning and then stropping. Some even used a piece of wood to strop. The point was to polish the edge to some degree.

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

Years on I agree with you absolutely green or white and I get great results from leather or even MDF in a pinch. Thanks for watching! B

[@paultwiselton1996]

In my status as a chisel sharpening virgin, my observation would be that surely it's the compound that's doing all the work and making the difference as long as the surface is level and hard, onto which you apply your compound. Much as engine builder's use when prepping surfaces for mating with gaskets. My one experience of strops are those that barber's use for their 'cut-throat' razors and I don't think they use any compound, just big leather strops. Fascinating vid tho Ben.

[@Dan_Hazard]

I wonder if the autosol is better than Trend Mirror finish 😸

[@chrisbyars4422]

If Anthony Hopkins had gone goth-punk. But, seriously, very nice, very informative video. The shear amount and variety of tools you have is outstanding. Your whole workshop set up is awesome. I do appreciate this presentation very much.

[@malcolmoxley1274]

I used to have to use tallow at work to keep my drill bits cool and it smells awful, a no on that one lol,flexcut tools have the shaped block you held up and it works as long as you are carefull,nice video mate keep them coming

[@danburrill8716]

Damn, for a moment I thought I was going to get to see Ben supergluing his glue bottle to the bench, but he realised just in time.

[@b-radg916]

TeaDaemon… I was surprised it didn't stick to the various wood pieces while he was putting the leather on!

[@allynbarnes702]

Superglue won't stick the the type of plastic used to make the container.

[@andrewaporter]

@@allynbarnes702 Like the scientist who announced he's created an acid that could eat through anything. The first question at his press conference was "What do you keep it in?"

[@Thestripper1]

Autosol, to my experience, is not good for an edge. It's like there is some sort of strong chemical that will actually help dissolve the very thin area where the surfaces meet to create an edge. This might give the impression of sharpness but I belive it's best to stick with pure fine abrasives in wax (such as a good polishing compound )and nothing else. Autosol is for mirroring up your hubcaps.

[@thechumpsbeendumped.7797]

I have used Autosol and initially I got a beautiful polished surface but slightly disappointing cutting performance with slicing paper, shaving hairs and most importantly cutting wood. I found I was doing a couple of things wrong. Firstly, I was using too thick a layer of leather, but that was exacerbated by my desire to get a very quick result and also using too much pressure, this slightly rounding the edge. I found by lightened up my pressure, like magic, even with the thick leather I started getting perfect results in a couple of mins. Now I do most of my sharpening on a strop and on the rare occasions I need to use a stone, I dig out my cheap 4 sided diamond stone (200/300/400/600) grind only on the 600 grit face and straight to stropping on an old belt stuck to a board and impregnated with G6 car paint cutting compound (only because I ran out of Autosol and had a full tube of G6), a couple of minutes at most and the jobs done. When I run out of G6 I may try some purpose made cutting compound but that’ll take years at the rate I’m using it.

[@Thestripper1]

@@thechumpsbeendumped.7797 That is the same path I've gone as well. Too soft leather and too much pressure will round the edge and, although keen, the edge will be to blunt to cut well. I use a vegetable tanned (important) leather and I use some cheap blue wax stick compound. I only do a couple of light passes each side and then the knife is good to go again.

[@thechumpsbeendumped.7797]

@@Thestripper1 There is something extremely satisfying in handing back a mirror polished, razor-sharp knife, chisel or pair of scissors to a friend or neighbour and seeing their response, it's like you're practising some dark art. It’s so straightforward to do once you know a couple of simple things and yet most people haven’t a clue. I’ve not had a reason or chance to upgrade my leather yet coz I'm getting great results with my old belt but when I do, I'm going to make a 4 sided strop out of a table leg, with 3 different compounds on veg tan leather and naked leather for the 4’th side, just to see what results I can get. The only downsides with this hobby are dirty fingernails and a constantly denuded left arm, but I'm not gonna get stroppy about it.😉

[@HobbitHomes263]

The problem is not HOW you sharpen but HOW OFTEN. 99.9% of people wait too long. I;ve been timber framing houses for 50 years. I carry a two sided strop on belt. If I pause for a few seconds, I strop. I don't even think about it. It's automatic. Most people don't think to sharpen until tool performance has degraded. I do not even own a stone of any kind. I strop.

[@theone614]

What do you do if you ever get a nick I'm curious also do you have a social media page where you post your timber framing I would love to see that stuff :D

[@Watcherrye]

Very funny man! Loved your video and it answered a lot of questions I had and did a fantastic job as information. Wish I worked with you cause your a hoot! Loved it!

[@thomasgronek6469]

the intersection of two planes is a line, the intersection of two lines is a point. when two points come together, they are one point. Thanks for the video. I am happy that the winner who won this, by winning. won (lol)

[@taffwales]

the garryflex block,how would that work with various grades of compound??

[@tangosaki]

Was thinking you could try those tins of engine valve cutting compound paste not very expensive they usually have 2 courses of compound per tin mite work.

[@nanettebarling1222]

Paul Vasey I was going to say the same thing! I've used it on old stones if I have a chipped blade. Never thought of using it on my strop. Have you ever used VGC on tips of screwdrivers? Esp. Phillips drivers. Dab a little on the tip and it grabs like you won't believe!

[@midi510]

I think hide glue is the obvious choice for making a strop. That's what I used, although I wasn't in a rush.

[@benjarvis2424]

You sir are talking my language, I personally use jewellers rouge on a piece of thick pig leather, works a treat to get a shaving edge :) great video

[@dixie55rersar]

Thanks for the video Ben, I have a few strops in my wood shop that I use. I only have used the green charging compound, I have heard and wanted to use the autosol but haven.t yet. I guess will give it a go on a new strop. One thing why do you preheat the leather before applying your compound?

[@allanmowz]

The heat melts the wax holding the compound.

[@allenshaffer1150]

How about jean denim I recently got a rockstead and they suggest making a denim strop

[@dandildarious4849]

Yes, it absolutely works... I use it with Pikal (also suggested by rockstead). Works exceptionally well on ZDP 189.

[@danceswithaardvarks3284]

Thanks Ben, thats a great video. I am just about to make a new strop and a jewellers ring clamp and the video answered most of the questions that were floating around in my head. Just one complaint though, now I have to make a veneer hammer first ; )

[@BEEJAYEEEEEEE]

where can I get one of those chisels?

[@kennethmays8059]

Remember sharpness is two points meeting at an angle not two and a half. Hilarious but serious good info here was in the market for a strop and wasn't sure what to buy this gives me an idea of where to start thank you.

[@agent7796]

Very in depth and informative, outstanding! 😎👍👍

[@christophereverett8385]

Green compound on MDF is my go to. I hear good things about kangaroo tail leather.

[@vinniejackson8327]

Thoroughly enjoyed the video. Learnt some things and loved the sense of humor! Keep up the great work! On a side note... you remind me of Bill Bailey lol.

[@SpeckledFeathers]

Im curious, the auto sol is a fine abrasive, I also know that tooth paste is a well. So my question is would tooth paste work better?

[@kennybrown6110]

Toothpaste is an abrasive on plastics so will not work with metal. It's great for taking very light scratches out of sunglasses and cleaning them. NB Do not use Autosol on your sunglasses.

[@blackfender100]

Great tips Ben.quick question.should a plane blade be stropped.there are many knowledgeable people on both sides of the fence.Is it personal Preference or a steadfast Rule ?

[@alphanumeric1529]

You're the ultimate authority, find out for yourself.

[@mattfleming2287]

Thanks! I was wondering about strops and guess what? I have an old belt that I'm going to experiment on. As always, great video.

[@metallitech]

30:43 That's what she said.

[@theone614]

what is talo?

[@georgekatsinis5224]

Tallow - rendered fat.

[@Expedient_Mensch]

trick is to us thin leather glued to a flat hard materiel or MDF with cutting compound on it. Both work well IME.

[@InefableTheo]

Interesting. It would be cool to have seen you using a reproducible and objective measurement of sharpness, such as when using the machine with the string for measuring sharpness.

[@friedmule5403]

Great video, thanks! I wonder about the solution without leather and just mdf, have you any opinion on that?

[@scottmoore765]

Please could you tell me the make of chisel you are sharpening with? The rounded one. Thank you and great vid. I enjoyed the humor to.

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

It is by Ashley Iles, fantastic hand made in the UK Chisels and carving gouges!

[@nanettebarling1222]

Try latex when you glue your leather. With that you're able to peel it back off and replace old leather.

[@act.13.41]

I was sitting here saying, "Just lick it off Ben," when you said, "No. I'm not going to stick my finger in my mouth." I must admit I was taken aback for a moment. LOL

[@donboggs3880]

Greatly enjoyed your video. I am beginning to be interested in sharpening and appreciate finding your informative video. Nice presentation, even if I do agree an extreme close-up of the edges would be greatly helpful. Have not seen the metal polish suggestion so far, nice bit of information. I am grateful you made a few mistakes. I prefer opportunities to learn and we do not without mistakes. Besides, I also prefer humans and not feigned perfectionist. It is easy to shout "Cut!" "Take it from the ...." Thank you for your time and experience as I am looking to purchase leather for stropping. Good show!

[@lroy730]

Yep the final sharpness should be from Strops. The owner guitar shop in witch I worked in the 90's asked me to sharpen his chisel , (no pun please). I did , it was so much sharper he cut his finger then complained thats too sharp. Yes he was a Dumbass , I didn't work there long.

[@donchristie420]

Too sharp,ha ha ha ha,what a dumbass!!!!

[@benfox9382]

Brilliant stuff! thanks for sharing.

[@simonmarsden66]

Ben, try cardboard like the inside of a cornflakes box and autosol. it works a treat.

[@behemothokun]

I have to try that :O

[@malcolmoxley1274]

the old soldiers used cardboard to shine their buttons

[@lazycarper7925]

thats what i use, and high gloss magazine page as my final hone

[@morodochable]

lol babywipes - so true, never had them in the house until we had a baby. 11 years on and wouldn't be without them!

[@christianentertainmentoutdoors]

I put my strop in the vise to use it

[@mikewest3828]

NICE VIDEO , electrian taught me about hps filament to sharpen with

[@jamesbarisitz4794]

Try a piece of kangaroo hide glued to a granite stone. Charge it with that green chromium dioxide bar hiding behind the yellow jar on the left in the shot. I cut squares of black granite for flooring found at big box home improvement stores into strips with a cheap diamond water saw. The green bar is 10,000 grit. It cuts aggressively and leaves a mirror finish. ✌

[@kevincharliefoxtrot9792]

Informative yet comical.👍

[@dalyjolly5891]

Man, you're hilarious. Thanks for sharing all this.

[@ericaltpeter9047]

Ben, are your fingers just constantly crusty with super glue? the stuff is great but i hate the feeling of it on my skin

[@michaelidarecis]

you might like my sharpening compound. It is a rouge based with a few secret ingredients that creates a shark took edge which we appropriately named "Shark Tooth" sharpening compound. Just google the name it will pop up by Elegant Utility

[@mjallenuk]

Very very helpful!

[@roscocsa]

Oh, yellow Buffing Paste. I thought you said something entirely different.

[@robinalexander5772]

Hi. Take your time, spread it over a few episodes. I like to watch how other people do things, solve problems etc TV is shit, reality tv is more shit than every day tv, go figure that out. Can it get worse! Make some pre made strops so as a chef does (one I made earlier). Cheers from Tasmania stay safe.👻

[@kenowens2706]

That green bar you didn't use chromium oxide works best for me. I use the rough side of the leather charge it and go to town on it. I use it like a chef uses a steel. I will go to it at first sign of change, and it will bring it back.

[@jdog4534]

Chrome oxide powder is about 10,000 grit. Try some of that on your oiled strop. ..or on some MDO / MDF. LOL 🤭 I can't help thinking that you would make a great real life, all grown up Stewie Griffin. I can't be the first one to say this... 😁😋✌

[@ureasmith3049]

1200 grit is not for polishing.

[@scottmoore765]

Cuz i dont have enough chemicals in my life either... lol. i loved that.

[@rb032682]

Good video.

[@langdenulger7225]

Look up a Starcraft 2 player "DeMuslim" - he's a brit who could be your skinny twin brother!

[@scottbrown3444]

thanks

[@CrimsonCustomGuitars]

You're welcome! B

[@RobFeldkamp]

love the intro and love your video's but IMHO you should really invest in an editor

[@MrBillUp]

They are filming in a workshop with lots of power tools and machinery all being used at the same time. You are going to get interference unless you want to spend £1000's on a dedicated cinematic camera. This video was shot on the fly as well. No camera stands, all hand held and as such the auto focus on the camera struggles. In editing terms, there was very little editing done. As I said, shot on the fly.

[@RobFeldkamp]

No argument here. I.like to.concept. and it being on the fly. I only say they could do with a little more editting

[@jassin1]

Autosol on Granite tile ! ;-)

[@bobbybob3679]

I was generally interested in this vid Ben but you fried my swede with 20mins of pointless "digression" so I gave up.

[@mkien2005]

Baby wipes, fathers know. I keep them at home, at work, in my car and in my work bag.

[@richardhunter9779]

Would a crappy hard leather strap would make a good stop?

[@theblokevlog352]

Why does everybody test the edge using a bit of paper? It's a crap idea 'cos paper is an abrasive...don't ever, ever clean your glasses with tissue or loo paper! The best way to demonstrate a really sharp edge is get hold of a horrible, nasty bit of cheap pine and take a slice off the end grain at about 45deg. A really, REALLY sharp edge will slice through the grain with next to no effort and leave a clean, polished surface behind; there will be little or no degradation of the wood fibres. Easy when you know how!

[@91donwilson]

Charge the leather? What did it do? Thanks for the vid Ben!

[@olannakprasitno.5312]

You look like Boozer from Days gone.

[@ringaleavo]

I listened to this babbling for a good 6 minutes, now I'm looking for a ledge to jump off of !!!!!!

[@thechumpsbeendumped.7797]

RIP.

[@bentyreman5769]

what's the opposite of a nono? a yesyes

[@broken1965]

The word is APEX

[@wjombat]

all that nice supple leather wasted. it was a good idea but you should have tried much harder leather not this luxurious stuff.

[@shabehalre711]

.

[@randym1317]

Poor demonstration very fractured and not very informative

[@randym1317]

Sotty

[@rasc0030]

Too long.... And very annoying tattoos!

[@georgekatsinis5224]

This... from God's gift to mankind. Thanks for sharing with us.