Thanks: 0
Likes: 0
Needs Pictures: 0
Picture(s) thanks: 0
Results 1 to 9 of 9
Thread: Kangaroo Leather Strop
-
3rd February 2013, 05:00 PM #1Rank Beginner
- Join Date
- Jun 2011
- Location
- Melbourne
- Posts
- 484
Kangaroo Leather Strop
A little while back I purchased myself a nice vegetable-tanned horse leather strop from toolsforworkingwood, with a bit of Veritas green. About $30 including postage. Couldn't get it to work for me - eventually moved to using a 10,000 Chosera from Stu for blades that need the extra polish (spokeshaves, end grain shooting, smoothing etc.).
The Chosera does for me what the strop doesn't, although admittedly without as much romance.
I eventually cannibalised the strop for other things. I decided not to go back to stropping...
Until I discovered that I can purchase high quality vegetable-tanned kangaroo leather strips for $5 each (look on eBay).
I know roo leather is damn hard, fine-grained stuff. It should be supple enough to fold over the spine of a straight razor nicely - which is what I have in mind for it. But it should also be nice for sharpening tools.
Has anyone tried this?Cheers,
Eddie
-
3rd February 2013 05:00 PM # ADSGoogle Adsense Advertisement
- Join Date
- Always
- Location
- Advertising world
- Posts
- Many
-
3rd February 2013, 07:59 PM #2SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Dec 2011
- Location
- Buderim qld
- Posts
- 842
Back in the late 1960's I befriended an old whipmaker. He used the tanned tail of the kangaroo for his strops which he added valve grinding paste.
-
3rd February 2013, 09:50 PM #3China
- Join Date
- Dec 2005
- Location
- South Australia
- Posts
- 4,475
'Valve grinding paste" great if you were stropping hedge shears, just about any fine grained leather can be used as a strop
-
4th February 2013, 07:59 AM #4GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Apr 2011
- Location
- McBride BC Canada
- Posts
- 3,543
The very last thing that I would ever wish for in a strop is "supple."
What goes wrong, in particular if you apply pressure, is that the leather deforms under the tool and rebounds right at the edge you are attempting to hone.
That will round off the bevel to something too big to be the least bit useful.
All my crooked knives (both single edge and double edged) are sharpened to 12 degrees, total included bevel. Because of the sweep of the blades (eg Mora #171 & 188), I use breakfast cereal box cardboard wrapped around a piece of 18mm Al tubing and 50,000 grit chrome oxide green honing compound. Works correctly, every time. That edge is a dream to work with for no more than 30 minutes max then do it again.
-
4th February 2013, 09:27 AM #5Rank Beginner
- Join Date
- Jun 2011
- Location
- Melbourne
- Posts
- 484
Kangaroo Leather Strop
I agree, Robson, supple - in the sense of too soft to resist compression - is bad. Will dub the edge. However, I think leather can be supple (rather than stiff) and still make an excellent strop. Think of a barber's strop. They can feel as hard as glass, but will deform - bend over - the spine of the razor nonetheless.
Cheers,
Eddie
-
4th February 2013, 11:40 AM #6GOLD MEMBER
- Join Date
- Apr 2011
- Location
- McBride BC Canada
- Posts
- 3,543
While that's true, don't forget what that razor is designed to cut: wet protein.
Consequently, the barber can lay that flat on the leather for a very, very slim profile. Clearly the barber isn't pressing with two hands to try to get a shiny shank!
I wonder, despite the apparent flexibility, if a barber's strop is really all that pliable.
I made a really nice, soft leather strop, on an 18mm dowel, for my crooked knives.
The knife is clamped to the bench and you move the strop. Dreadful edges! Really frustrating. When I finally smartened up and threw it in the trash, got busy with the cardboard and the pipe, my worries were over.
Recently, I've used the crooked knives to carve my first spoons in birch hardwood (PIX later) and my current method really held up well. The frightening thought is that it all went so well that I just might make some more spoons.
-
4th February 2013, 04:44 PM #7SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Dec 2011
- Location
- Buderim qld
- Posts
- 842
-
4th February 2013, 06:15 PM #8SENIOR MEMBER
- Join Date
- Jan 2004
- Location
- Bellingen
- Posts
- 587
I guess he learnt to get the best out of what tools he had! Roo leather for whips is surprisingly supple and the way they taper it by hand is tough art! If the knife is not super sharp you can forget it! Cutting shoe leather is easy when you compare it to free hand tapering whip leather.
I have heard others talking about valve grinding paste as a stropping compound. I always assumed it was far too aggressive.
Maybe it breaks down rapidly to a finer grit?
I did make a roo leather Barber style strop once but I did not get great results with it. I tried it pulled tight over a flat hardwood block with better results but to tell you the truth, I can't help but be too heavy handed when I strop. It did not suit my style.
Probably a better strop would be an old stiff belt from an op shop. By all means give the roo leather a go though! Maybe the soft leather and valve grinding paste might be a great combination!
-
4th February 2013, 09:49 PM #9China
- Join Date
- Dec 2005
- Location
- South Australia
- Posts
- 4,475
It is most likely more a matter of feel as to what you charge your strop with I have tried valve grind paste and personaly I find it too agressive for stropping, I like a finer sdge on my leather working knives
Similar Threads
-
Honing chisels with a leather strop
By Dengue in forum SHARPENINGReplies: 32Last Post: 29th December 2012, 04:59 PM -
Whittlin' tools: Pfiel or Carvin' Jack, Strop or Power Strop?
By TheWhittler in forum WOODCARVING AND SCULPTUREReplies: 17Last Post: 29th August 2010, 02:05 PM -
Charging a new strop
By Enfield Guy in forum SHARPENINGReplies: 8Last Post: 17th June 2010, 10:05 AM -
Leather strop in Brisbane
By Jerry Crockford in forum SHARPENINGReplies: 0Last Post: 20th October 2009, 10:13 PM -
Leather strop - which side?
By rodm in forum HOMEMADE TOOLS AND JIGS ETC.Replies: 24Last Post: 11th March 2005, 12:51 PM