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KNIVES PLUS BIG STROP BLOCK, 12" KP-STROP12

  • KNIVES PLUS BIG STROP BLOCK, 12" KP-STROP12
  • KNIVES PLUS BIG STROP BLOCK, 12" KP-STROP12
  • KNIVES PLUS BIG STROP BLOCK, 12" KP-STROP12
  • KNIVES PLUS BIG STROP BLOCK, 12" KP-STROP12
Average rating:
average rating 99%
35 reviews
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SKU: KP-STROP12
$39.97
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BRANDKnives Plus Strop
ORIGINUnited States

How we make them.

KNIVES PLUS Leather strops are the best thing in the world for finishing the edge of your knife. Here in Texas, saddle and boot makers use them everyday to put that slick edge on their leather working knives.

Our strops won't cost you a fortune and should last you the rest of your life if properly cared for. We manufacture these here in the KNIVES PLUS shop and have experimented for about 10 years to come up with the finest finishing tool available.

We hand pick leather from a little home owned leather supplier here in Amarillo. We have found that a good quality chap leather is the best.
Chaps are the soft leather that Cowboys wear over their Levi's to keep the Mesquite bush thorns and prickly pear cactus from eating their legs up. It's soft but tough.

We use contact cement to glue this leather down to a 3" X 12" (approximately) particle board base. When the glue is dry, we raise the leather's nap.

Next, we melt down a high chrome rouge until it is the consistency of thick vasoline. We smear and work this preparation into the leather surface with a hard rolled shop rag until the surface of the strop is thoroughly saturated and coated. Then we let the polish sink in and set for two days under low heat.

Finally, we rescrape the surface of the strop to remove excess polish and reset the nap. We run the edges of the base on a Burr King grinder to smooth and round the sides for comfortable use, and remove the green polish that gets on everything.

Remember these strops are hand made and are not the prettiest things in the world. They are also subject to the availability of the right piece of chap leather, and making them depends on what materials are available.

We use particle board base material. Width may vary from to 3" and length may vary from 12". Leather color may vary from cream color to dark brown which will affect the color of the finished product. Each strop is hand checked for "nap and grab" before being packaged.

How to use them.


All edges come off of your sharpening stones with a fuzzy uneven edge. The edge can be straightened out with a fine ceramic or steel, if you have the right touch. The problem is, with too much pressure, a hard ceramic or steel will roll that edge to one side or another and possibly break it off. To get that shaving sharp edge, it helps to have a soft polishing surface that "gives a little" as you straighten that fuzz out. The surface of our leather strop cushions your finishing strokes to prevent rolling your finished edge, as you might on a hard ceramic or steel. Always be sure to pull your knife edge backward four or five strokes on one side, and then on the other. Always make sure your knife is clean before stropping as a dirty knife will clog up the strop surface.

Remember! Always pull the knife edge backward to strop and be sure the knife is clean. A dirty knife will clog up the strop surface!

 

EDITOR'S NOTE: HERE'S A QUOTE FROM A NEWLY PUBLISHED BOOK BY STEVEN ROMAN, WHO WE WOULD LIKE TO THANK FOR HIS REVIEW AND RECOMMENDATION OF THE KNIVES PLUS STROP BLOCK.

“First, I want to mention that I am partial to a pre-fabricated stropping product called a Strop Block from knivesplus.com. Each strop block is tested before it is shipped and you can see from the block itself that much care has been taken in its preparation. … I own several and use them often.” From A Primer on Folding Knives by Steven Roman (www.knifeprofessor.com).

 

KP-STROP12, STROP BLOCK

Average rating:
average rating 99%
35 reviews

Write a review | Read all reviews

Featured Reviews:

average rating 100%
MUST BUY 08/19/2018
By Brian Young
Absolutely *THE* best tool to finish, and maintain, that hair popping razor sharp edge we are all searching for on our knives and tools.

I have been eyeballing these strop blocks for years (back when they just had the one) and I fervently wish I had purchased one sooner.

After years of trial and error with various products I have settled on 3 Chosera waterstones for my sharpening needs. 400 grit for redefining edge geometry. 1000 for establishing the wire edge. 5000 for polishing to remove wire edge, or when a rolled edge needs just a bit of honing rather than true sharpening.

After going through the series of stones I would always finish with a couple gentle draws of the edge through natural cork and the results were quite good. However, replacing the cork with just a few passes on this strop produces an edge that is on a completely different level. AND, maintaining that edge is as easy as just a few strops and quick clean of the blade prior to use.

Worth every penny!
average rating 100%
Easy to use and fantastic results 02/28/2017
By Kurick1
I just recently started researching different grinds and ways of sharpening those edges on hunting and general purpose knives. I kept coming back to stropping as a great way to get the best edge and not stoning my favorite knives to death. I ordered the Big Strop because I have some larger knives I wanted to sharpen. This product is very forgiving, unlike a stone that can actually dull the knife if you are a little off on the angle. I have used this on Flat, convex, scandi and Knives of Alaska 15 to 20 deg bevel grinds. The results were so much better with this strop, especially on the Bark River Convex grind, no scratches on the blade, and it was shaving sharp in minutes. Instead of supporting overseas, I bought this made in the USA product. For me it was worth every penny, for those that don't like the price, make it yourself. I like supporting small businesses and the people that work there even in a small way like purchasing this product. Great as a present or save up!
average rating 100%
Strop Block 09/29/2019
By Sgt Brandon Tull
I have been sharpening my mind's my entire life over 45 years. My father and grandfather taught me that a Dull Knife is a dangerous knife. I have always used a diamond steel to sharpen my pocket knife my fillet knives in my kitchen knives and any other knife I can get my hands on that needs some attention. For me sharpening knives is a relaxing location. Well I bet some horse-trading and I have in my possession one of the strop blocks. Absolutely hands down unequivocally the best sharpening instrument I have ever possessed. A few passes with your blade down it and you could go and shave your beard in the mirror without cutting yourself ones! I recommend this and would give it four hundred stars but they don't let me do that. Even the most inexperienced person with sharpening their own knives can do this in almost no time to understand it. A very very very good product.
average rating 100%
It's A Big Strop 03/23/2016
By Kushie
I've owned the Knives Plus 2 1/2 x 8" Strop Block for a few years and have been very pleased with the quality and results. I have been looking here and there for a larger one but just didn't hit on one I liked. I received a email from Knives Plus showing their strop blocks and was thrilled to see them offering the 3 x 12" size. I jumped on it and ordered right away. Received it in a few days and put it right to work with great results. I like the extra room to work the large folders I own. It is a true 3 x 12". The quality of this hand built strop is excellent with the smooth chap leather and green compound used. Knives Plus is fussy in picking their leather as it soft and there is not a blemish on it. Whatever size strop block you pick you won't be disappointed. Grab em' while they have them in stock.
average rating 100%
Top strops! 06/26/2017
By Smokey
Most strops have no abrasive, they're just used to remove tiny irregularities on the sharpened edge.

But the Knives Plus strops have abrasives already impregnated, which works better than plain leather. I have both the white and the green strops; each one has a different grit.

However, the strops quickly developed a shiny patina. I'm not sure if this affects the result. I don't think I can tell the difference from when I first used them.

But they do create a sharper edge, so I'll use them to finish my knives after routine sharpening—even after they start to look like the butt of a bank manager's pants.
 
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