How To Make A Strop For Knife Sharpening SUPER EASY

Summary

This video tutorial guides viewers through the process of creating a DIY strop for sharpening blades. Addressing common questions about cost-effectiveness and the quality of homemade versus store-bought strops, the host shares insights on materials, including the best types of leather and compounds. The step-by-step guide covers everything from choosing the right leather and compound to constructing and applying the strop, concluding with a comparison test between the DIY strop and a store-bought alternative, revealing no discernible difference in performance.

Takeaways

• 🛠️ The video is a tutorial on building a DIY strop in response to questions from a previous video.
• 💰 The cost of materials for a DIY strop is comparable to buying a store-bought strop, but DIY allows for more straps to be made from the same amount of leather.
• 📏 The required materials for the DIY strop are simple and likely already available to most viewers, such as glue and a flat surface.
• 🐂 Any type of leather can be used for the strop, as the choice of compound is more crucial than the type of leather.
• 🔨 The presenter prefers green chromium oxide as a compound due to its balance of cutting and polishing capabilities.
• 🔩 The build process involves attaching leather to a piece of plywood and can be done without fancy tools.
• 📝 Contact cement is used to glue the leather to the wood, with specific instructions to let it dry before application.
• 🔪 The DIY strop is tested against a store-bought strop, and the presenter finds no significant difference in performance.
• 🛡️ DIY stropping allows for customization, such as applying different compounds to different sides of the strop for various sharpening stages.
• 📈 The presenter emphasizes that sharpening technique is more important than the specific strop or compound used.
• 🌟 The video concludes by encouraging viewers to try DIY projects, starting with something as simple and useful as a strop.

Q & A

What is the main purpose of the video?

The main purpose of the video is to demonstrate how to build a DIY strop and to answer common questions about stropping and the materials used.

What are the two main materials needed for a DIY strop according to the video?

The two main materials needed for a DIY strop are leather and a sharpening compound.

How much did the leather and compound cost in the video?

The leather cost twelve dollars and seventy-five cents, and the compound cost thirteen dollars and ninety-five cents, totaling twenty-six dollars and seventy cents.

What is the approximate cost of a DIY strop compared to a store-bought one?

The cost of making a DIY strop is about the same as buying an Ives Plush Drop Block, which is around twenty-six dollars and seventy cents.

What types of leather have been used for stropping in the past according to the video?

The video mentions using various types of leather such as old tool belt leather, boot leather, welding gloves leather, and old belt leather for stropping.

What is the preferred sharpening compound used in the video?

The preferred sharpening compound used in the video is green chromium oxide, which is considered a good mix of cutting and polishing.

What is the importance of the technique in stropping according to the video?

According to the video, technique plays a significant role in stropping, more so than the exact compound or leather being used.

What is the process of attaching the leather to the wood in the DIY strop?

The process involves cutting the leather and wood to size, drilling a hole for hanging, and then using contact cement to glue the leather onto the wood.

What is the purpose of running the finished strop through a table saw?

Running the finished strop through a table saw is done to clean up the edges that are sticking over the leather, purely for aesthetic purposes.

How does the video suggest applying the sharpening compound to the strop?

The video suggests using the 'old crayon method' to apply the compound, or using a heat gun or hair dryer to melt the compound, or using a drop of oil, cutting board oil, mineral oil, petroleum jelly, or leather conditioner as a thinning agent.

What is the conclusion of the video regarding the effectiveness of a DIY strop compared to a store-bought one?

The conclusion of the video is that there is no noticeable difference in effectiveness between a DIY strop and a store-bought one like the Knives Plus drop block.

What are the advantages of making your own strop according to the video?

The advantages of making your own strop include the ability to customize it with different compounds on each side, a longer stropping surface, and the satisfaction of creating a useful tool yourself.