Diy denim strop

So on my way home after buying a new pair of jeans I thought about making my first strop from the old pair instead of throwing them away to no use. So now I'm pondering how to attach the fabric to some kind of base and I'm not sure how. I don't think glue would work, so anyone got a suggestion? :scratchhead:

I've never done that, but my first try would be 3M Super 77 spray adhesive. It mists on a surface layer of very tacky adhesive that sticks well. (I'd worry liquid glue would soak in and ruin the other outer surface of the denim.) I'm not sure what an equivalent product would be in Europe though.

Second thought is that upholstery is attached by stretching the fabric over one or two edges and fastening with staples or tacks. If your substrate would hold the staples or tacks securely, I don't see why that wouldn't work.

Good luck.

Just grab a block of balsa, cut the denim so it wraps around the block and staple the fabric to the block on the underside with wood staples.

+1 to the spray adhesive. It doesn't soak into the fabric but grabs the outer layer. Just pull it tight and voila!

I have a magnetic strop base. Grabbed some magnetic tale with adhesive backing, slapped it on the denim, trimmed the edges. Instant denim strop

I'll go with the staples idea! Sounds easier for me at least plus I wouldn't know what adhesive spray to use.
Thanks guys!!

Just hang a strip of denim from something. Voila, hanging strop

StonedEdge said:

Just hang a strip of denim from something. Voila, hanging strop

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Hanging strops and knives are a quick way to rounded edges. Any stropping material is best over a hard, completely flat surface.

tripleq said:

Hanging strops and knives are a quick way to rounded edges. Any stropping material is best over a hard-backed, completely flat surface.

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No. All stropping technically rounds the edge. Hanging strops less so.

StonedEdge said:

No. All stropping technically rounds the edge. Hanging strops less so.

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How did you arrive at this conclusion?

I use a scrap piece of 3/4 veneer (8’’x3’’) as the substrate with linoleum dual sided tape (tarkett) and just lay the piece of denim on it. It is easy to replace the denim when it’s dirty. I don’t use any compound or spray.

StonedEdge said:

No. All stropping technically rounds the edge. Hanging strops less so.

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I've always used my left thigh. Sweat pants work pretty good too.

Salty dog said:

I've always used my left thigh.

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Would that be shaved or unshaved? :scratchhead:

tripleq said:

Hanging strops and knives are a quick way to rounded edges. Any stropping material is best over a hard, completely flat surface.

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StonedEdge said:

No. All stropping technically rounds the edge. Hanging strops less so.

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Knife bevels likes flat surfaces that why we flatten stones. I'm going to agree with tripleq. In a pinch, I'd strop on a glass bowl before I'd use a "hanging" strop or left thigh denim.

But as Jon mentioned the best stropping surface are your sharpening stones.

Interesting choice. Mr. C.K. admitted guilt to super creepy and possibly criminal behavior today.

unprofessional_chef said:

But as Jon mentioned the best stropping surface are your sharpening stones.

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That is interesting. Many of us here know Jon from forums that predate this one by many years. I don't think I've ever heard him speak in absolutes about what is the best. I'd be interested in the larger context of that statement. Would you mind pointing it out?

tripleq said:

That is interesting. Many of us here know Jon from forums that predate this one by many years. I don't think I've ever heard him speak in absolutes about what is the best. I'd be interested in the larger context of that statement. Would you mind pointing it out?

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Listen to the whole stropping lecture. Jump to 36 minutes into this video.

https://youtu.be/-fKY617j10A?t=2195

Also here:

http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/s...-a-micro-bevel?p=511046&viewfull=1#post511046


I fine tuned and perfected my stropping technique on stone after I heard Jon's theory. This was something new I picked up after joining this forum.

unprofessional_chef said:

Listen to the whole stropping lecture. Jump to 36 minutes into this video.

https://youtu.be/-fKY617j10A?t=2195

Also here:

http://www.kitchenknifeforums.com/s...-a-micro-bevel?p=511046&viewfull=1#post511046


I fine tuned and perfected my stropping technique on stone after I heard Jon's theory. This was something new I picked up after joining this forum.

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Yeah. I'm still not hearing any declaration that the best stropping surface is stones. Is it possible you misquoted him?

tripleq said:

Yeah. I'm still not hearing any declaration that the best stropping surface is stones. Is it possible you misquoted him?

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Be patient and listen to the entire lecture on strops. Don't just listen for what you want to hear. The earlier youtube link was earlier in the lecture because I don't want to take anything out of context. He first talks about using leather, denim, and towel strops. But sharpening, finishing, burr removal by stropping on stone is much better. In my journey I have confirmed his theory. This is the same video just 3 minutes later:

https://youtu.be/-fKY617j10A?t=2359

had already listened to that before you linked it. I hear the typical talk of an experienced individual expressing what he prefers, the alternatives and the possible pitfalls of both. Good, sensible information about practices within a specific context. Again, I don't hear any general declarations like:

unprofessional_chef said:

But as Jon mentioned the best stropping surface are your sharpening stones.

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It is fine for people to indicate what they prefer or what is best for their use. It's also fine for people to interpret something they see in a video a certain way but I don't think it is particularly good form to quote someone as saying something that they clearly haven't.

Reviving this old thread as I'm thinking about making a denim strop of my own.

First question: Is all denim the same? New or old better? Levis or Wrangler or Toughskins? What is it about denim, versus other cotton cloths, that makes it optimal for stropping?

My plan is to make something portable, out of scraps here at the house, that I can take easily between the house and the job.

No need for staples! Don't use em. They scratch. Get a 12" piece of 1x4 or 2x4. Make sure its not cupped. Get gorilla glue, and a cheap plastic disposable putty knife. Smear a thin coating over the face, and about 1/8" over the edge, just past the rounded edge. Clean the blade, and gently squeegie the denim to smooth and flatten. Once dry, trim so the ends are flush... the glue won't let it unravel, and you don't strop over the end corner anyway. After denim side dries overnight, attach a non slip rubber pad on the bottom with same glue method. A thin, 1/32" coat of gorilla glue won't soak through, and i guarantee the denim will never come off. Dry each side with material side up (so the glue does not run down into it. ) No glue will seep through as its kinda thick.

For me, works best on carbon, not the best on stainless.??

If you don't want to deal with hassle of glue soaking into your material and possible uneveness, double sided carpet tape works well. It's sticky enough to hold for your stropping needs but also can be removed if needed.

Yeah I was looking at gorilla glue double sided tape. Thanks @1315 for the easy tutorial. I think I’ll start a couple DIY strop projects this week

If you're looking to play around with multiple pastes or stropping mediums, you can buy sheets of adhesive backed magnets and just cut to size for your piece of wood + strop material. Then you can easily just peel + replace the strop and it saves space

Not that I have any experience with them, but hanging strops are a thing and hanging denim can be as simple as taping one end to the counter. Science of Sharp has a tutorial on hanging strops and facinating analyses of strops if that's your cup of tea.

The finished product. Came out pretty well I think.

Cost me nothing as I used all the materials I had here in the house.
The green, bottom material is a rubber-like 'shelf-lining' that works great for keeping stuff from sliding around on the workbench.