I was sitting lightly scraping using a ruler and said to my wife, "there's got to be a better way of removing excess compound"... Then this video shows up as a suggestion. Brian to the rescue again. Thanks for the vid.
Interesting, Brian. My old mentor always said to leave the strop as it is since the tiny steel particles contribute to sharpening. I've been using the same strop for some years now, but I've haven't seen any lessening effect. Not sure if it's due to the compound itself? I'm using a flexcut gold, I see you have the green..?
I do agree with your mentor, however I feel that my situation with stropping dozens of knives for testing does provide me with some different requirements. Most people, like yourself can get away with not having to replace the compound. But I find that my constant stropping of multiple knives at a relatively fast pace can lead to... mishaps and mishandling. Sometimes I scrape off some compound if I am going too fast and simply adding new compound over time leads to an ununiform surface. Not only that, I may have a little OCD when it comes to my knife edge (wife constantly makes fun of me for that). For me, I feel that there is a little more bite to the compound when it is fresher. It could just be the compound that I am using, but I'm not going to outright deny that it could be subconscious too. Without doing any real studies on this, I have no hard evidence to back up my reasoning's. Also, my workbench is used for multiple types of projects and my strop can sometimes get contaminated with metal shavings, plastic, dirt, or even cat hair! Now, my leather strop that I keep at work (I like to whittle on my lunch breaks) hasn't had the compound replaced in well over a year. It strops just fine, but I was actually wondering if I should redo the compound on it earlier today.
@@CarvingisFun ah, I see. Ok, It does make sense now. Most of us doesn't strop as frequently.. Yeah, I know what you mean about the freshness. I do agree it must have some effect. Since old applied compound can be mixed in with particles from weeks of stropping. Sometimes I also accidently scrape it up while stropping :D And don't you worry about that OCD, I think us whittlers all have that a little bit lol.
Great video! You seem to be using the "slick" side of the leather for your strop, I tend to use the rough side (is that called the hide or something...). Would that technique work the same way? I tend to simply try to scrap it off, then reapply some compound. Also, different question, do you apply some oil to your strops? I strop only once a week, and I usually only do it for 2 knives at max. How often should I oil my strop?
Thanks!! Yes I like using the smooth side, primarily because it is more visually appealing. You can use the rough or suede side too as it tends to accept the compound easier. Being completely honest, I have never oiled my strops. Since I use the cheaper options I am less worried about it to be honest, but haven't had any issues with it drying out. I've seen people apply some oil maybe once a year, but this also may vary from the type of leather you are using.
Excellent. How long after can you use it? Do you have to let it dry before using it after applying new compound? I got grey with my beavercraft I think that's medium? I put it on cold and it was all little valleys in it. Would the heat help this?
I use mine immediately after applying and it helps smooth out the inconsistencies. Heat will help, eithet let it sit in the sun for a bit and spread it out or use a heat gun. Beavercraft changed up the compound color a bit and it looks grey but its the same as the green I use.
Its debatable, but my goal is a thin and even layer that covers the entire surface. If its lumpy in spots then its too much in one spot so I thin it out.
@@CarvingisFun thanks for this note. My Beavercraft compound never comes out smoothly and I've managed to mess up my flexcut detail knife edge with all the little peaks and valleys of compound that built up. I'll definitely clean it off and use heat when applying next time.
I've heard that "green is dangerous", possibly due to the copper or chlorine content, but you don't seem concerned about toxicity. What are your thoughts about regular green compound?
I've heard that too but is based on misinformation and people using the wrong terminology. Most stropping compounds use chromium oxide and/or aluminum oxide as the primary abrasive. While they are indeed terrible to inhale as a powder, they are suspended in wax or a paste and cannot go airborne. So the chances of you actually inhaling them is exceptionally unlikely, even if you were to use a power strop. As to making contact with skin, you would have to personally be allergic to the compound to have an irritation. I have yet to meet someone who is so I have no first hand experience. What people were confusing this with is Chromium Trioxide (CrO3) and yes I had to look this up again as I keep forgetting the exact name. This is hella dangerous and should never come in contact with your skin.
Couldn't you just heat it (heat gun/hairdryer) and use a spackle knife, I can't remember what they are called, or back of a butter knife and just scrape it off?
can green compund go bad? mine seems crumbly and dosent soak into the leather. When i heat it it melts but i cant get even layer, and then the strop is light green with long dark streaks and it comes off on the blade.... Ugh i spent hours trying to do this and hone a blade and just cant get anywhere.
Go bad, no. Det dry and harder to apply, yes. It also doesnt "soak" into the leather but sit on the leathet in a thin layer. Discoloration is normal, especially when you start stropping with it. Focus on getting a smooth layer, sometimes you will need some heat to make it easier
I've had a couple of compound bars go dry over time. Even oils and waxes can do this over long periods of time if not stored properly. And really you kind of want this to happen you only want it to remain tacky or wet when applying to your strop. You can simply add a minuscule amount of mineral oil to your strop to rewet your compound as you work the compound across it. The friction plus the added wetting agent should do the trick. Mineral oil will also dissipate or "dry" quickly as well. I typically dry mine in my dehydrator or oven on warm if I ever have to re-wet them like this. In about an hour it will be "dry" and able to use once cooled. But honestly heating is not really necessary if you use the right amount of oil it will dissipate on its own or pull into the leather leaving a dry compound on the surface. The green compound I use is sold on Amazon by the brand "Taytools"it is a good brand. Not wet but not dry, easy to apply, very smooth, and comes in at 0.5 microns which is roughly 49,000 grit. Not sure if you need a grit that high, I do it because I hand sharpen all of my blades from 600 grit all the way up to 10,000 grit whetstones . Then I strop with a red compound, then my green. My blades become literally as sharp as a surgical scalpel at this level, and the higher polish allows it to glide through almost anything im cutting like butter. Enkay and zephyr are two other good brands. Most of the modern compounds are meant for buffing wheels and made with compounds that require heat to make them pliable such as the friction heat from a buffing wheel. As such when doing it by hand you either need to be generating enough heat by either heating the strop or the compound when applying, or to add a wetting agent like mineral oil.
Probably different words needed to be said. I said I'm pushing the compound into the leather, but Im not "pushing" the knife into the strop. Its more like Im helping spread the compound into the leather. Little to no force is needed to do this
I like it all, I would have been wasting time on that "Green compound" I have in a knife kit coming from Walmart, "They accept My First Montana Master Card". Yup,! G-G 😁
For most, this is true. As I am typically stropping every day with new knives I am testing, the compound I am adding starts to build up and get lumpy in some spots or I accidentally remove some compound with the back of the knife. It's these situations that I feel it is best to just restart from the beginning and remove all the old stuff.
I was sitting lightly scraping using a ruler and said to my wife, "there's got to be a better way of removing excess compound"... Then this video shows up as a suggestion. Brian to the rescue again. Thanks for the vid.
A newbie, just getting into carving. I put the strop and paste in a sunny window and it worked not too bad. A lot to learn.
That is a neat trick! Never thought to use the natural heat from the sun, it reminds me of when I use to melt old crayons together together as a kid.
Thank you! This has taught me something new 🤣 Love the videos man, you deserve much more publicity!
Have you considered painting carvings tutorials?
Thanks!!
I have considered them, but need more practice :). My wife is way better at it than I am, maybe I should haver her do it for me....
Good video, I have the same flex cut knife. Stays sharp with a good stroping.
Thanks!! Their sloyd knives are quite nice :)
For your next video can you show how to carve a mini boat because I’ve been anting to but it doesn’t end out to good
I may be able to whip one up this weekend. Do you have any particular type of boat in mind and what tools do you plan on using?
Interesting, Brian. My old mentor always said to leave the strop as it is since the tiny steel particles contribute to sharpening. I've been using the same strop for some years now, but I've haven't seen any lessening effect. Not sure if it's due to the compound itself? I'm using a flexcut gold, I see you have the green..?
I do agree with your mentor, however I feel that my situation with stropping dozens of knives for testing does provide me with some different requirements.
Most people, like yourself can get away with not having to replace the compound. But I find that my constant stropping of multiple knives at a relatively fast pace can lead to... mishaps and mishandling. Sometimes I scrape off some compound if I am going too fast and simply adding new compound over time leads to an ununiform surface. Not only that, I may have a little OCD when it comes to my knife edge (wife constantly makes fun of me for that).
For me, I feel that there is a little more bite to the compound when it is fresher. It could just be the compound that I am using, but I'm not going to outright deny that it could be subconscious too. Without doing any real studies on this, I have no hard evidence to back up my reasoning's.
Also, my workbench is used for multiple types of projects and my strop can sometimes get contaminated with metal shavings, plastic, dirt, or even cat hair!
Now, my leather strop that I keep at work (I like to whittle on my lunch breaks) hasn't had the compound replaced in well over a year. It strops just fine, but I was actually wondering if I should redo the compound on it earlier today.
@@CarvingisFun ah, I see. Ok, It does make sense now. Most of us doesn't strop as frequently..
Yeah, I know what you mean about the freshness. I do agree it must have some effect. Since old applied compound can be mixed in with particles from weeks of stropping. Sometimes I also accidently scrape it up while stropping :D
And don't you worry about that OCD, I think us whittlers all have that a little bit lol.
Great video!
You seem to be using the "slick" side of the leather for your strop, I tend to use the rough side (is that called the hide or something...).
Would that technique work the same way?
I tend to simply try to scrap it off, then reapply some compound.
Also, different question, do you apply some oil to your strops?
I strop only once a week, and I usually only do it for 2 knives at max.
How often should I oil my strop?
Thanks!!
Yes I like using the smooth side, primarily because it is more visually appealing. You can use the rough or suede side too as it tends to accept the compound easier.
Being completely honest, I have never oiled my strops. Since I use the cheaper options I am less worried about it to be honest, but haven't had any issues with it drying out.
I've seen people apply some oil maybe once a year, but this also may vary from the type of leather you are using.
Card scraper for woodoworking works well if you have it
Excellent. How long after can you use it? Do you have to let it dry before using it after applying new compound? I got grey with my beavercraft I think that's medium? I put it on cold and it was all little valleys in it. Would the heat help this?
I use mine immediately after applying and it helps smooth out the inconsistencies. Heat will help, eithet let it sit in the sun for a bit and spread it out or use a heat gun.
Beavercraft changed up the compound color a bit and it looks grey but its the same as the green I use.
@@CarvingisFun many thanks I'll take your advice, I'm only new to all this stropping etc. Thank you..
Is there such a thing as too much or too little compound then? I'm a beginner and have been using quite a thick layer
Its debatable, but my goal is a thin and even layer that covers the entire surface. If its lumpy in spots then its too much in one spot so I thin it out.
@@CarvingisFun thanks for this note. My Beavercraft compound never comes out smoothly and I've managed to mess up my flexcut detail knife edge with all the little peaks and valleys of compound that built up. I'll definitely clean it off and use heat when applying next time.
Can you use a different compound after cleaning it or is it better to stick to same one???
Either way is fine, it doesn't really matter after you clean it.
@@CarvingisFun Thanks!!!
Great idea! I have a heat gun but didn't even think to use it like this! (Duh!)
I've heard that "green is dangerous", possibly due to the copper or chlorine content, but you don't seem concerned about toxicity. What are your thoughts about regular green compound?
I've heard that too but is based on misinformation and people using the wrong terminology.
Most stropping compounds use chromium oxide and/or aluminum oxide as the primary abrasive. While they are indeed terrible to inhale as a powder, they are suspended in wax or a paste and cannot go airborne. So the chances of you actually inhaling them is exceptionally unlikely, even if you were to use a power strop.
As to making contact with skin, you would have to personally be allergic to the compound to have an irritation. I have yet to meet someone who is so I have no first hand experience.
What people were confusing this with is Chromium Trioxide (CrO3) and yes I had to look this up again as I keep forgetting the exact name. This is hella dangerous and should never come in contact with your skin.
@@CarvingisFun fantastic response, thank you so much for your thorough research! I wonder if a hair dryer would work as well?
A hair dryer will help, but just a bit more than nothing. Here in Florida, I could probably just leave it outside and it will melt on its own.
@@CarvingisFun that depends on the hair dryer. I have one that will give you third degree burns.
Couldn't you just heat it (heat gun/hairdryer) and use a spackle knife, I can't remember what they are called, or back of a butter knife and just scrape it off?
That you could! Probably would be faster too.
Have you ever tried a pencil eraser?I use one and the compost rolls off with some rubbing.
How often do you have apply compound after the first time it is applied?
I usually keep mine on or a good 6 months before adding more or replacing
It's not wax, though. It's grease, right? Is it safe to heat grease like that? Any bad fumes?
I havent had any issues with fumes from my experiences, but each company does make it different than the others so I can only say it depends
can green compund go bad? mine seems crumbly and dosent soak into the leather. When i heat it it melts but i cant get even layer, and then the strop is light green with long dark streaks and it comes off on the blade.... Ugh i spent hours trying to do this and hone a blade and just cant get anywhere.
Go bad, no. Det dry and harder to apply, yes.
It also doesnt "soak" into the leather but sit on the leathet in a thin layer.
Discoloration is normal, especially when you start stropping with it.
Focus on getting a smooth layer, sometimes you will need some heat to make it easier
I've had a couple of compound bars go dry over time. Even oils and waxes can do this over long periods of time if not stored properly. And really you kind of want this to happen you only want it to remain tacky or wet when applying to your strop. You can simply add a minuscule amount of mineral oil to your strop to rewet your compound as you work the compound across it. The friction plus the added wetting agent should do the trick. Mineral oil will also dissipate or "dry" quickly as well. I typically dry mine in my dehydrator or oven on warm if I ever have to re-wet them like this. In about an hour it will be "dry" and able to use once cooled. But honestly heating is not really necessary if you use the right amount of oil it will dissipate on its own or pull into the leather leaving a dry compound on the surface. The green compound I use is sold on Amazon by the brand "Taytools"it is a good brand. Not wet but not dry, easy to apply, very smooth, and comes in at 0.5 microns which is roughly 49,000 grit. Not sure if you need a grit that high, I do it because I hand sharpen all of my blades from 600 grit all the way up to 10,000 grit whetstones . Then I strop with a red compound, then my green. My blades become literally as sharp as a surgical scalpel at this level, and the higher polish allows it to glide through almost anything im cutting like butter. Enkay and zephyr are two other good brands. Most of the modern compounds are meant for buffing wheels and made with compounds that require heat to make them pliable such as the friction heat from a buffing wheel. As such when doing it by hand you either need to be generating enough heat by either heating the strop or the compound when applying, or to add a wetting agent like mineral oil.
I thought pushing the knife into the strop was bad because it rounds the edge?
Probably different words needed to be said. I said I'm pushing the compound into the leather, but Im not "pushing" the knife into the strop. Its more like Im helping spread the compound into the leather. Little to no force is needed to do this
I didn't know Toby from The Office (us) carved wood.
I like it all, I would have been wasting time on that "Green compound" I have in a knife kit coming from Walmart, "They accept My First Montana Master Card". Yup,! G-G 😁
This is needless, just add more compound !
For most, this is true.
As I am typically stropping every day with new knives I am testing, the compound I am adding starts to build up and get lumpy in some spots or I accidentally remove some compound with the back of the knife.
It's these situations that I feel it is best to just restart from the beginning and remove all the old stuff.
I use mineral oil.
Yep, you can prob get it cleaner with mineral oil too.