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Jack Edmondson wrote:
Dennis Barrow wrote:I need to find a big piece of leather that I can make into a strop.
Dennis let me add this: When I was involved in bow making, keeping a SHARP draw knife was important. I learned to strop then. It was much easier than I thought. He is what I would suggest. a piece of wood, anything will do. I used a 1x2" construction grade piece of furring I had in a scrap pile. An old leather (real leather not synthetic) belt that was showing age. Some adhesive. I think I used contact cement because it worked well on the rough unsanded wood.
If you don't have a leather belt, hit the thrift shops or goodwill. One can pick up a belt for maybe 5 bucks with enough material to make a couple and give one away as a gift. 8" of lenth is plenty for a strop. a 2 foot barber's strop was the only one I had ever seen but is longer than necessary. The contact cement goes on both the wood and the leather. Let it get tacky for 15 to 30 minutes before joining (if I recall.) Set a weight on the two pieces to cure. Then you have a piece of wood with a strop that can be moved or stored as space requires at whatever size is most convienent. Then add a little jewler's rouge or metal polish. I had a friend who liked to use Flintz metal polish because he could get it locally in the grocery store cleaning aisle, rather than a specialty shop. I found harbor freight carries multiple grits/colors for a few bucks.
Using it is as simple as swiping the bevel over the belt following the angle of the bevel. Both sides, a dozen light passes on each edge. Makes for a sharp edge. Cost is minimal to zero depending on what you have on hand. I can litterally shave with my draw knives.