A place to put leather strop

[Richo B]

I haven't posted for awhile and I don't think I've posted on this particular topic. But now that I'm at home with a broken arm I don't have as many excuses not to.

A couple weeks ago while working on my current project I had the sudden Eureka moment of realizing what I could do with the leather strop I bought more than a year ago. I decided to glue it to the top of the lid of the wooden box that holds my sharpening stone. That way it can be kept near the stone while sharpening or even placed in the vise.

Certainly not a new concept but a simple one that works well for me.

 

[LeftyTom]

The small moments of inspiration often yield big results. :icon_thum

 

[danmart77]

Your set up is the most often used method for stropping but I would like to introduce another technique for stropping that works a little better for me when touching up carving tools.

I don't like having the strop mounted on something that remains fixed(in a vise). I have my stropping leathers glued to sticks 12"long and around 1-2 inches wide. I use the tool like a file essentially. I hold the tool(strop) in my right hand and roll the bevel of the carving tool as I work it with the strop.

Why do it backwards? You can see the edge as you work. Consider that as a second strop.

I have a fixed strop as well and I use it. The hand held strop is priceless for some carving tools and small chisels. You grab it off the wall touch up the edge and back to work.

 

[Mike Davis]

I have a few strops that I use that way. Especially for my spoon knives.

 

[danmart77]

Mike I like the handles on the strop in the center but truthfully mine look like the one on the left. I think yours might be a bit longer but essentially they would work the same.

I like to take my cut off hickory ramrod pieces that I have soaked in kerosene to charge with pumice, rottenstone or auto body abrasive(liquid stuff) for doing gauges. I have a box of them on the bench while carving and it keeps me pretty sharp for some of the detailed stuff.

The rifle here is one built by Gary Brumfield. My reason for showing this one is the low relief carving on a rifle. Most of it is not more than a 1/16" proud.

The carving on the cheek piece and around the wrist is fun but remember... you have 100 hours in the thing and mistakes at this point are dreadful.

while inletting a pierced patch box, you are touching up the tools frequently. if the tool does not slice through the curly maple, it gets ragged.

left hander patchbox with 9 piercings

​

 

[Steve Martin]

Seems like a good solution but can you protect the leather so it does not get contaminated with "stuff" that will reduce its usefulness as a strop? Old timey strops used for honing razors were hung up so heavy dust and other particles did not collect on the strop. The top of a box suggests a horizontal surface that will collect all sorts of dust and other material, creating a surface that is not smooth enough to do final honing, especially if you use a jewelers rouge or other emery-style material which will grab the "dust" creating a rough surface for honing.

 

[Jim M.]

Good solution...wait, what??? broken arm? what happened Richo

 

[Richo B]

Good solution...wait, what??? broken arm? what happened Richo

Ah someone was actually reading the initial thread. I was returning turned chairs from a recent exhibit and tripped on a raised potion of someone's front walk and fell forward. The chair I was carrying bounced on the pavement, surprisingly unscathed while I braced my fall with my arms creating a radial head fracture in my left arm. Didn't realize this until I went to urgent care and the Xrays showed the truth. I thought I just had a really bad sprain. Again, the chair survived better than me which is shocking, since the chair is much older than I.

 

[Richo B]

Seems like a good solution but can you protect the leather so it does not get contaminated with "stuff" that will reduce its usefulness as a strop? Old timey strops used for honing razors were hung up so heavy dust and other particles did not collect on the strop. The top of a box suggests a horizontal surface that will collect all sorts of dust and other material, creating a surface that is not smooth enough to do final honing, especially if you use a jewelers rouge or other emery-style material which will grab the "dust" creating a rough surface for honing.

The whetstone case is kept in a cabinet most of the time. I don't use power tools so sawdust isn't a concern. Also I cut the strop to fit on the box top so there is some strop kept elsewhere. I'm not experienced in sharpening to be doing some of the fancy things that have been suggested. This is just a simple strop for chisels.

 

[Jim M.]

Sorry for your troubles, my friend, heal well.