We have all seen a strop used by barbers, mostly in movies, westerns to be specific. Why do they do that and what are the benefits? How does a leather strop work?

When you sharpen a knife it produces microscopic burrs and even some thin or squared off sections that can roll over or just not perform well. The just sharpened knife will indeed have a keen edge for most applications. You will not notice these tiny imperfections much when cutting cucumbers but shaving with an un-stropped blade will produce nicks and cuts. So the barber isn’t doing that just to look cool, in their case it is necessary. Leather strops play a valuable role for almost all edges, not just strait razors in cowboy flicks.

A strop provides a final polish where the microscopic edge geometry is evened out. The main benefits are a slightly sharper than just sharpened knife and a more refined edge that will stay sharp longer. If we were to take a magnified look the stropped edge would have a more apple seed profile as opposed to a jagged (yet still sharp) edge that was not stropped.

After stropping you will notice an edge is not as prone to picking up nicks and damage when performing tough cutting tasks. The coolest thing is that if your blade barely begins to lose that just sharpened state a few swipes on the strop can easily bring that back. It will not sharpen a dull knife, it is part of a process not a be all end all.

THE SAFETY AND OPERATION INSTRUCTIONS BELOW GIVE THE BASICS OR READ ON FOR MORE INFORMATION

Sturdy construction is the key to a long lasting strop.

HOW TO USE A LEATHER STROP, TO LOAD OR NOT TO LOAD WITH COMPOUND

I make a strop using rough out leather that I bill as “one sided”. That is because there is an abrasive side (suede) where the smooth outer layer has been removed. The other side is the flesh side that will not easily take compound and best serves for a few final swipes of edge polish. The suede side may feel rough at first but will quickly soften with use-that is why I recommend you use a compound right away.

The most practical and common strop abrasive is white (fine) and green (medium). To apply compound lay the strop on a flat surface and vigorously shade like you were in a sidewalk chalk championship. Leather strop compound is much more dense than chalk and hard to transfer. You don’t need much compound so a light shading as shown below works. Some people use heat to soften compound and really load up a strop but I have found a little goes a long way.

Eventually your pretty piece of leather with compound applied will turn a shinny black color as the metal from the knife surface transfers to the strop. That is when you know you are doing it right and actually providing that final honing with a strop.

types of strop compound for Hand made, American made leather strop — A light coat is all you need, common abrasives from left to right are white (fine), green (medium), and black (coarse).

INSTALLING A FLEXIBLE LEATHER STOP PROPERLY

MOUNT THE STOP TO AN OBJECT THAT WILL NOT SLIDE OR FALL OVER
THE HOOK ON MY STROPS WILL CLIP ONTO A 1/4” SCREW EYE OR SCREW HOOK SECURLY IMBEDED IN A SOLID SURFACE (mounting hardware not included).
ALTERNATIVE MOUNTING, PARACORD OR SIMULAR CORD CAN BE TIED IN A SECURE MANNER AROUND AN IMOVABLE POST OR TREE IN PLACE OF HARDWARE

Always attach a strop into an object that will not move. For the sling style hook on my strops 1/4 screw eyes or hooks work well. (Mounting hardware not included).

HOW TO USE A LEATHER STROP SAFELY

The number one overriding concern is the way you sharpen. Many folks learned to run the blade edge forward into a stone and that muscle memory and technique is a huge no no with leather that will cut when the edge digs in. Folding blades that do not have a locking mechanism are not safe to strop. Even with a lock (which can fail) folders need to be held in a way that the blade will not cut you if the lock is disengaged. Safest to use a flexible strop with a fixed blade knife to avoid safety issues.

IMAGE BELOW SHOWS THE RIGHT MOVEMENT THAT AVOIDS CUTTING INTO THE STROP.

ALWAYS HAVE FIRM FOOTING AND SELECT AN AREA WHERE OTHERS WILL NOT BUMP INTO YOU.

CONTROL THE KNIFE AND STROP IN A SAFE MANNER

FACE EDGE TOWARD YOU AND PUSH AWAY. DON’T USE WITH FOLDING KNIVES.
USE A MODERATE AMOUNT OF TENSION ON THE STROP AND STROP HANDLE
ANGLE THE KNIFE TO ENGAGE THE EDGE
WORK THE LENGTH OF THE EDGE WITH EVEN PRESURE AND AN EVEN AMOUNT OF STOKES ON BOTH SIDES (SEE SECOND DRAWING FOR RETURN STOKE.
JUST A FEW SWIPES ON EACH SIDE ARE ALL THAT IS NEEDED

how to use a leather strop — Proper direction for leather strop use. Best with fixed blade knives. Do not use with folding knives as they could fold back with this movement.

IMAGE SHOWS THE RETURN STROKE WITH LEATHER STROP. EDGE FACING AWAY WHILE PULLING THE BLADE TOWARD YOU.

Return stoke with edge facing away and pulling blade toward you.

CARE AND STORAGE OF A LEATHER STROP

Leather is an organic material and can (will) grow mold if the opportunity presents itself. You never want to strop a dirty knife. Dirt, plant or animal matter on the blade easily transfers to the leather and could cause mold issues.

Improper storage in dry areas could cause cracking and damp ones can bring on mold, especially with a dirty strop. Basically leather likes the same climate you do so indoors is best, sheds or garages that lack climate control are bad news leading to mold or drying/cracking. You can use a small amount of conditioner on the smooth leather of the handle and hook area. Avoid getting anything on the rough stropping surface, compound is the only thing you should apply there.

A leather stop is used after initial sharpening with another method such as a stone.

DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A FLEXIBLE STROP AND A PADDLE STROP

With a flexible leather strop the main benefit is mounting it nearby for quick access and frequent touchups to maintain a sharp edge on knives that get a great deal of use. The two sided paddle strop is the less dashing and picturesque option. This gives you the ability to use two different grits for sharpening. The paddle strop offers more control which is handy for a more detailed honing process as well as smaller edges.

Handmade leather strops made in the USA with American sourced and tanned leather from Hermann Oak Tannery established in 1881

WRAP UP

I started using a strop on leather working tools and quickly put it to work on all my edges once I realized the benefits. I like the consistency, extra degree of sharpness, quick return to that level and extended time between full sharpening. I use American Made leather from Hermann Oak Leather Company that is tanned in a way that has not changed much in hundreds of years. The benefit is strong, firm and relatively low stretch leather . The result is a hand made and long lasting sharpening tool that you might be able to hand down to the next generation.

Check out my order page by clicking on the Shop Our Leather Strops tab below. I also made these for the October 2022 Apocabox which you can find below and well as a great review of the strop and Apocabox by Jamie Boggs of Burning River Bushcraft.