Strop Question ...

[bill#1]

Re: Strop Question ...

I would like to interject this small but resourceful tidbit from Harold Enlow that some of the famous carvers are using good ol' toothpaste ( found at your nearest medicine cabinet near you) as a stropping compound around # 8000 ..Paul, your right its the compound that does the work..it actually polishes the steel..as for the black accumulating on your strop ..let it ride..you will get more of it as you add more compound..you wont see it out of an airplane..

Bill#1

[Paul_Guraedy]

Re: Strop Question ...

Don't know why I did not think of posting a photo of one of my strops before.

[Hi_Ho_Sliver]

Re: Strop Question ...

I think I have raked the back of a knife across my strop a couple of times over the years, only because I noticed some buildup or lumps of old compound....thats most likely from not being more careful about evenly spreading the compound in the first place lol imagine, not spreading it evenly.......it usually gets spread pretty thick around here LOL

[Thomp]

Re: Strop Question ...

maybe another reason to clean your strop occasionally

my big strop is 18" long 1-1/2 wide mounted on hardwood,

as it turns out i mounted it rough side up, and its oil tanned leather, i only use flexcut gold strop compound, but the buildup apparently soaks oil from the leather, it transfers to my hands, jeans and when i dont really wipe off the stropped tools, it dose transfer to my carvings, which will effect the finish if not removed.

when i see this pasty buildup i get out the scraper and paint thinner or alcohol and get busy..

[Canopener]

Re: Strop Question ...

Paul,
First off, Lucky you to get to work with Harold Enlow, if you see him again, give him my regards and let him know that he started some thing I can't seem to quit. Quite a guy!
It would seem that the one thing we all have in common, is the thick black buildup of compound, no matter what the surface. I like to get it good and thick, so that you get a bit of a chirp when you draw the tool across. In my mind, that tells me I am at the edge of the tool to be sharpened. Like a harmonic tone. Just me.
The part about using webbing from old lawn chairs; well, far be it from me argue with the master, and I just happen to have a few junkers ready for the dump that I might take a slice from. Who knew?????
Jim

[Paul_Guraedy]

Re: Strop Question ...

Jim, I have never had the pleasure of carving with Harold. He lives a few miles south of me here in the Ozarks and I see him at a number of seminars, etc. About the time I really had an opportunity to attend one of his classes, I decided to concentrate on birds. Now and then I think about joining a caricature class or taking Wanda Marsh's flower carving, but, invariably someone offers an interesting bird and..............

Thomp, when I was into leather work I concentrated on vegetable tanned because it is the only kind that you carve. I did use some chrome tanned but have never fooled with oil tanned. My strops are from vegetable tanned leather.

[Thomp]

Re: Strop Question ...

yea, paul i know it should have been vegg tan, but sometimes you push the edge and use what you got on hand... grin... all my other hones and slickums are vegitable tan, but the big'un...

this oil tan leather might be good made into a thumb protector if cooked a little to toughen it like roman leather armor.. but it dont make good strops..

[Vaquero]

Re: Strop Question ...

Just for another view on cleaning strops, Keith at Hand American recommends using Goop waterless handcleaner to clean strops. I don't know that it makes that much difference, as one of my buddy's strop looks like it has never been cleaned. Alan