Leather strop?

[brsnow]

Any suggestions for a light easy to pack strop for sharpening? I carry a havalon and spyderco knifes spyderco stays sharp with a couple passes on a strop I picked up for solid broadheads but it is pretty long. Could cut it, but was curious what else is available.

Thank you

 

[muddydogs]

Do you wear leather boots or wear a leather belt? They make a good strop. Other then that all you need is a piece of leather, cut it to whatever length and width you want.

 

[Tufrthnails]

I got a couple off amazon I think one is 18" but the other is like 14" might be able to find a smaller one.

 

[Lawnboi]

Sandpaper. Paint stick with leather glued to it.

I haven’t purchased a field strop that has really pleased me. This last year I started just making my own. Made a pretty slick paint stick strop, and am going to experiment with a little better wood in a smaller lightweight setup.

That said I’ll take sandpaper for the most part, the high grit stuff you get in the automotive dept. 1000 grit gets it more than sharp enough. A strop is nice to have if I’m doing multiple animals and want to touch up at the truck, but then I’ll just take my big 4 sided.

 

[ozyclint]

as a trad bowhunter i use my leather arm guard.

 

[tdot]

Leather belt! I like it more then my bench top strops.

 

[RockChucker30]

I use a 5 gallon paint stick with leather glued to both sides. Make it whatever length you want. I rub compound in each side at home.

Also take a DMT diamond sharpener and honestly use that most. "Sharp enough" is as good as "hair popping" when you're dismantling a buck in the dark on a 30-40 degree slope. It's a lot faster to get to sharp enough with the DMT than hair popping with the strop.

 

[Lawnboi]

Paint stick makes it pretty easy

 

[Tufrthnails]

View attachment 122214

Paint stick makes it pretty easy

That is pretty slick. I might try that out. I use hanging stops.

 

[Lawnboi]

That is pretty slick. I might try that out. I use hanging stops.

Little contact cement on both the leather and stick, trim it up and your good.

 

[Tufrthnails]

Little contact cement on both the leather and stick, trim it up and your good.

Thanks I have some leather remnants on the way already for another project I am working on. I'll report back how I like it compared to the hanging strops I use now.

 

[Blockcaver]

And the strop will work better if you rub jeweler’s rouge into the leather. I used to build a broadhead sharpener and strop system and always pre-coated the strop with rouge. I bought one stick of rouge and still have a fair bit left after many years.

When building a strop always install the leather on the stick smooth side up and rough side glued down to the stick. Good luck!

 

[jmoots]

And the strop will work better if you rub jeweler’s rouge into the leather. I used to build a broadhead sharpener and strop system and always pre-coated the strop with rouge. I bought one stick of rouge and still have a fair bit left after many years.

Is jeweler's rouge the same stuff that's in the cheap buffing & polishing kits at home stores?

 

[Blockcaver]

Not sure? Jeweler’s rouge came in stick form and is rust red in color, at the least stick I bought in a hardware store in Colorado about 40 yrs ago.

 

[orionsbrother]

Herb’s Yellowstone Honing Butter

 

[Lawnboi]

You can also just get stropping compound or better cbn emulsion in whatever grit your prefer. Some of the harder steel out there requires the cbn in my experience.

Iv got a bat strop I made with 4 sides of leather. 1000,2000,4000 and 8000 grit cbn

 

[1000yrds]

I use a leather belt and a canvas belt. Both work as well as any strop you can buy, give a longer stropping area, and cost a heck of a lot less than a "official" or "real" strop.
I picked the belts up at a second hand store for about a buck each.

 

[Bigwindymt]

I've been stropping on my pant legs for years; just on my thigh. It's more effective with cotton or wool pants than my high speed, low drag kit, but it still works well either way. A small strip of non corrugated cardboard works well too, but I find that I am usually wearing pants.
If I'm planning on dealing with more than one critter, I sometimes drag along a small chunk of hardened drill rod to use as a steel.

 

[drmikeyj]

The leather on a stick works amazingly well! I had mixed results gluing my own and ended up buying one from knivesshipfree.com and it has been awesome!!

 

[Fireman5569]

I glued 3m trizact to a paint stick and it gives better edges than anything else i have tried.