nateswoodworks Posted July 17, 2011 Report Share Posted July 17, 2011 I am going to order a new strop and I was wondering what compound you guys/gals use. I have always used Flexcuts Gold but I was thinking about going with green compound. My other question is I think that I have heard before that some makers have different quallity grades of compound (same grit but better and best kind of thing). Is my memory right and if so where do you get your from? Thanks so much. Nate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aengland Posted July 17, 2011 Report Share Posted July 17, 2011 I am going to order a new strop and I was wondering what compound you guys/gals use. I have always used Flexcuts Gold but I was thinking about going with green compound. My other question is I think that I have heard before that some makers have different quallity grades of compound (same grit but better and best kind of thing). Is my memory right and if so where do you get your from? Thanks so much. Nate That's exactly what I read last night--some as low as 5%; others, as high as 90%. LV was recommended as a good place to purchase. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nateswoodworks Posted July 18, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 18, 2011 Thanks Archie, do you remember where you read it?? Nate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onboard Posted July 19, 2011 Report Share Posted July 19, 2011 Thanks Archie, do you remember where you read it?? Nate Nate, I found one reference. The title of the post is: “Sharpening compound/ Strop question”. Go down a little more than half way and read Loup Garou’s second entry. You might want to read the whole thread as well. Looks like it was posted 2 years ago. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nateswoodworks Posted July 20, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Nate, I found one reference. The title of the post is: “Sharpening compound/ Strop question”. Go down a little more than half way and read Loup Garou’s second entry. You might want to read the whole thread as well. Looks like it was posted 2 years ago. Thanks Onboard, I was shocked when I read "A single US company makes 6 different bar compounds of green rouge, with 5 to 90% abrasive content" It seems like the more I learn the more confused I get! I was reading on a bunch of chef forums about stropping and came across this about lee valley's honing compound and my jaw hit the floor. You can read it here I am probably going to go with the compound from highland because everybody has good luck with it and because I am sick of researching it Nate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Onboard Posted July 20, 2011 Report Share Posted July 20, 2011 Thanks Onboard, I was shocked when I read "A single US company makes 6 different bar compounds of green rouge, with 5 to 90% abrasive content" It seems like the more I learn the more confused I get! I was reading on a bunch of chef forums about stropping and came across this about lee valley's honing compound and my jaw hit the floor. You can read it here I am probably going to go with the compound from highland because everybody has good luck with it and because I am sick of researching it Nate Thanks for the enlightening link Nate. Or maybe I should say sobering. I noticed he refers to “Hand American Chromium oxide” honing compound. I went to their site and they say their products are largely carried by chefknivestogo.com. I did see this on the Chef Knives site, and just maybe it's pure 0.5 micron Chromium Oxide. Maybe an MSDS would say. The Highland compound looks promising. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bob Rozaieski Posted July 21, 2011 Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 I'll add to the confusion a little more. The stick honing compounds like the green waxy crayon most of us use were originally designed for power buffing wheels. It takes heat to melt the waxy base and spread the compound evenly on the buffing substrate. Felt wheels on a grinder/buffer generate the heat required to do so when the crayon is held to the spinning wheel. Manual leather strops do not. Now don't get me wrong, a lot of folks use the crayon style compounds on a manual leather strop very successfully, including myself. They seem to work better when a little honing oil is rubbed into the strop after scribbling the crayon on top. A dry strop with dry waxy crayon compound isn't as effecient at providing the final strop and polish to the tool as a strop with honing compound and a little oil. However, I have recently begun experimenting with different types of compounds. Specifically, paste style metal polishes (I've been using a tube of Maas metal polish). These are not solid crayons but rather pastes in a tube, like toothpaste. My initial experiments with them are very encouraging. After completely cleaning my strop of the old green compound, I put a small amount of paste style metal polish on the center of the strop and spread it around with my fingers to cover and rub it in to the whole strop. The paste style compound spreads easier and seems to cut and polish the edge much more quickly and effeciently than the green compound. I still need a little more time to experiment with the pastes to decide for sure, but I'm beginning to prefer the paste style polishes to the crayon. Just more food for thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nateswoodworks Posted July 21, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 Thanks for the input Bob. I have read many contradictory statements about the pastes, some love them and some say it is the worst money they ever spent. After hearing your input I think I am going to buy a tube and experiment on my old small strop and then use my prefered method on my new horse butt strop. Amazing how complicated we can make even the small things!! Thanks again for all the input and e-mails, they have helped tremendously. Nate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
alindsey Posted July 21, 2011 Report Share Posted July 21, 2011 Thanks for the input Bob. I have read many contradictory statements about the pastes, some love them and some say it is the worst money they ever spent. After hearing your input I think I am going to buy a tube and experiment on my old small strop and then use my prefered method on my new horse butt strop. Amazing how complicated we can make even the small things!! Thanks again for all the input and e-mails, they have helped tremendously. Nate I use the Flexcut Gold compound to hone my chip-carving knives. One thing I've found that really improves the stuff for me is to not rub it on the leather like a crayon but instead to grate a little bit onto the leather with a cheap hand cheese-grater then add a few drops of water and work it into a paste before honing/stropping. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nateswoodworks Posted July 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Allen I currently use the Gold compound as well and I found out the same thing but I actually use a couple drops of honing oil, may have to try the water! Thanks Nate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ChrisG Posted July 22, 2011 Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 Gerorge Wilson, who I believe is the former luthier and tool maker at Colonial Williamsburg, has posted on another forum a number of times that he use Simichrome polish instead of honing compound. He swears by the stuff. I've also heard that Flitz will work - never tried either though. Glad to hear your having good luck with stuff Bob. EDIT: Also, the WoodIsGood folks sell a powder specifically for strops. Seems like it might be an improvement over the crayons. I'll add to the confusion a little more. The stick honing compounds like the green waxy crayon most of us use were originally designed for power buffing wheels. It takes heat to melt the waxy base and spread the compound evenly on the buffing substrate. Felt wheels on a grinder/buffer generate the heat required to do so when the crayon is held to the spinning wheel. Manual leather strops do not. Now don't get me wrong, a lot of folks use the crayon style compounds on a manual leather strop very successfully, including myself. They seem to work better when a little honing oil is rubbed into the strop after scribbling the crayon on top. A dry strop with dry waxy crayon compound isn't as effecient at providing the final strop and polish to the tool as a strop with honing compound and a little oil. However, I have recently begun experimenting with different types of compounds. Specifically, paste style metal polishes (I've been using a tube of Maas metal polish). These are not solid crayons but rather pastes in a tube, like toothpaste. My initial experiments with them are very encouraging. After completely cleaning my strop of the old green compound, I put a small amount of paste style metal polish on the center of the strop and spread it around with my fingers to cover and rub it in to the whole strop. The paste style compound spreads easier and seems to cut and polish the edge much more quickly and effeciently than the green compound. I still need a little more time to experiment with the pastes to decide for sure, but I'm beginning to prefer the paste style polishes to the crayon. Just more food for thought. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nateswoodworks Posted July 22, 2011 Author Report Share Posted July 22, 2011 My wife stopped at hobby lobby and found that they have several types of leather scraps, she picked up a 12x12 piece and a 2 pieces of 8x11 all different levels of smoothness all for $10. At least at the store by us it is not by the fabric area, they actually have a leather works area where there are several different color and tanned choices. I hope to be able to start experimenting this weekend, wish me luck. Nate Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jHop Posted August 1, 2011 Report Share Posted August 1, 2011 I use a jewlers rouge compound I picked up from my nearby Tandy Leather store. This was part of a leather crafting kit (of which I already owned 90 percent of the tools, ironically) that included a small leather strop and the compound to sharpen the carving knife. I figured if it did such a good job on the carving knives (I have three: two steel and one ceramic), then it probably would work on the larger blades I have. I've yet to regret using it to sharpen two chisels, but I haven't finished grinding (or rather, regrinding) the bevel on the other two, or my two planes. I've been stuck doing other things for a while, and haven't gotten to sharpen my tools yet. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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