I bought one of your rolled Buffalo leather strop, this is an outstanding strop made of the highest quality one of the best strops I have found and I have several of them. This strop was shipped from Hong kong and was at my house in 5 days. Your shipping is outstanding because you fly it to America and it gets here very fast. I am a very satisfied customer and will by from you again
hey, I really like your channel. I'm a Chef that has been working in the industry for around 15 years. Your info pretty much lines up with what I've learned about sharpening and knife care through the years. recently I picked up a new set of stones and used info on your channel to help me reach my decision. My Imanishi 400 Arashiyama 1k, 6k suehiro 3k and kitayama 8k are beyond belief. You have earned my sub. Keep up the good work!
I have soooo many handmade strops. It's fun to play around with different leathers and compounds. It's hard to do that buying already made strops, expensive as well. Thanks for the great content! Very informative
I realize the video is two years old. Rick's comment about marks on horse vs buffalo leather reminded me of a conversation I had with a saddle maker. He only uses US horse hide which is smoother with less imperfections. He said horses raised in Mexico and many other countries are not sprayed for insect control like they do in the US, so they have more surface blemishes from insects bites. He said there seems to be more scars on imported hides, as well. I would imagine the water buffalo hides are coming in from SE Asia where spraying for insect control is either cost prohibitive or just not done, can lead to surface imperfections.
Rolled Buffalo: “... people who like to set micro-bevels on their knives and then strop afterwards.” - Ryky That was my reasoning to get rolled buffalo when I first saw the video on strops. I have been using it since I got it yesterday and it’s been a blast and strangely satisfying with working on something so smooth and dare I add forgiving(?). Thank you very much!
Wondering if by buffalo you mean water buffalo hide, and equine meaning horse hide. Not positive, but I think the upholstery type leathers have 'filler' in them so they have a memory and don't stretch and distort with hours of sitting. Looked up latigo, and only thing I could find was the strap on a horse saddle. I would think cow hide would be most common leather.
Get the dlt trading 2 sided strop, comes with bark river compounds, green compound is 6k grit, white is 12k grit. I sharpen my knives to 3k grit on a shapton glass stone, then finish with 6k and 12k strop, puts a nice mirrow on the edge apex, produced scary sharp convex edges and scandis.
It appears to me that you hair always has that natural wild look at any time of the day, LOL!! Thank you very much Ryky, for all your educational videos. They have helped me out tremendously. Because of you and your videos I have been able to maintain my self defense knife collection like never before. Keep um comin.' Take care and GOD Bless!! SuperSniperSal USMC Disabled Vet
I have the burrfection Buffalo leather strop with the polycarbonate base and it's fantastic even without stopping compound. I find I don't have to sharpen my knives as often after incorporating stropping into my knife maintenance regiment
I’m a beginner with knives and sharpening I enjoy your videos and and I just ordered my first strop through your Etsy website, what compound do you recommend for me to use?
Ok...still not sure which to get. I’ve got a Miyabi Black, miyabi birchwood, Kramer damascus, and some wusthofs...no clue which material is the right one.. help!
I'm buying the equine leather strop this week on your website. I really don't want to use a compound. So my two questions are. Can I use the equine strop without compound and should I protect the strop with mink oil.
I am new to sharpening and I was wondering about compounds and dime in peace compound how to tell which Grit is which I've tried looking online and I could not find something to give me a straight answer
Nice video, as many others you have shared with us - posters. These strops look really sweeet. There is one remark though - IMHO: In the video it seems that these wooden blocks are covered by the leather on one side only - the other is left uncovered. This difference may cause warping, not immediately, but perhaps in long run. A good strop must be straight and flat. Again, thanks for sharing great videos.
Ryky I have a question. Recently I have gotten into whetstone sharpening to decent results(the knives are sharper but still can't cut paper). Even when I try to rock the knife to keep the belly, the edge always becomes flat. Do you have any advice for a novice moron like me?
make sure the bevel is perfectly flat, 10 goes on each sides is a good starting point, the use your thumb to tell if the sides are even. You can do this by rubbing the blade sideways with your thumb from both sides, then on to the next stone! practice makes perfect !! soz idk why this is so poorly typed ahha . sorry edit time
I'm really confused. I thought compound is used only on the rough side of the leather and the smooth, finished side is for final polish. But it looks like you use compound on the smooth side. I've never seen it like that.
I just purchased a couple of nice sakai Takayuki knives. One is made of hammered damascus steel. What kind of strop should I buy to keep them in good condition?
can u tell my why my knives wont cut trough carrot otr onion haha i mean i sharpen them at around 20 degree angle and they do cut paper nice but stil wont chop...
Hi Ryky another grate video can you tell me what side of the strop is better to use the shiny side or the suede side? I'm new to good knives and I have heard a lot of different things some say shiny some say suede thanks.
Jason Bainbrigge Just thought I'd add my opinion in the absence of a reply yet. Not a professional, this is just having made several different scrap leather strops. I think the rough side can soak up more compound and will be equivalent to lower grit. Probably best for convex / scandi grinds with larger bevels and when u still want to remove a bit of metal and/or burr, wire edge. The smooth side more for polishing/honing and final polishing and without compound even. For example, a 3 strop system u might start with rough side + compound, move to smooth side with finer compound & finish with smooth side zero compound. I use smooth side of normal belt leather with no compound as final clean up. I find it can creates that sticky feeling sharpness that really digs in. Thinner & more glassy leathers will be more straight polishing similar to the very high grit stone that feel like marble.
Adam Smith this is good info thanks I need to make some but there's no leather shops where I live I see you can buy leather scraps on Amazon will these make a good strop or will that be to thin like furniture leather?
it really depends if you plan on loading with compound and they type of compound you use. some pastes will not adhere evenly when used on suede, and some sprays need the surface to roughed to properly absorb. so, what type of compound are you planning on using?
Matthew M thank you to everyone who has replyed your information has been really helpful I think I just need to go and experiment and see what works best for me. Thank you all
Hello Ryky, I’m just starting to learn how to sharpen my knife, how much is one of your 3.5 by 10 leather strops. I thank I better purchase one to start off with. Thank’s so much for your videos. I enjoy them so much. Don Powell, Tyler, Texas, USA.
This may surprise you but leather conditioner works pretty well for that.. I use leather conditioner made by Chamberlain's Leather Milk and when I accidentally made a cut into my bovine leather strop I pressed it back down so it wouldn't come off and applied some of that leather conditioner to my strop.. Minutes later the cut was done.. No sign of a scar or anything.. Sealed up like it was never there.. And if you put too much conditioner on there.. Just let the leather strop absorb it.. Spread it out over the surface of the strop from time to time as it absorbs it
Hello! So i decided to try and make a strop. I used vegetable dyed cow hide. I noticed you never mentioned it. The lady at the leather shop seemed surprised when i asked for latigo. Any ways on veg dyed leather ok? Do i need compound for that? Also im in Canada. Do you have recommended sites for your Canadaian viewers on where to purchase stuff you use. A few items on Amazon.com does not ship to Canada. Amazon.ca does not carry the said items. (For example).
Informative content sincerely delivered - great job man. Can't get equine shell here in Ottawa. The staff brought out 2 square feet of a leather that was shiny hard and looked like boot sole leather. No way to tell the flesh from the hide side. Hard as plywood and around 4mm thick. Can you believe it is Emu hide from Australia? Can't wait to lay it up on a slab of 3×12 black granite backed by a substrate of hard maple. Will let you know how it turns out. All the best - James.
Rycky, Thanks for all your great videos. Is there any benefit to stropping with the grain or against the grain of the leather? Or doesn't it matter. I haven't heard this discussed in any of the videos or literature I've reviewed about stropping. If there is a difference, how can you confirm which direction the grain is going, especially with the very compressed and dense leathers I've seen on your videos? Thanks very much. Regards, Andy
I just watched your video about whetstones, and have collected your recommendations at the various grits. I inherited two DMT whetstones, their coarse 325 grit one in blue, and their medium 600 grit one in red. Any comment on this line?
hey man, i bought one of your buffalo strops. i must be doing something wrong, because i struggle to get a razor sharp edge on it. I use a chosera 3000, and your strop on a wusthof ikon and my kuma. perhaps my technique is off? Are the rockwell scales of these knives not suitable for stropping?
Johniscoolimo… how sharp are you getting your knives off the 3000? Cleanly slicing newsprint? I find that while I can cleanly slice newsprint, I might not be able to pushcut everywhere along the edge until I strop (first on leather with green compound, then bare leather). Stropping makes the final difference, but you need to have a pretty good edge going in.
it gets pretty sharp off the 3000. will slide cut but not push cut. cant get it to push cut off the buffalo strop either, but theres no compound on it.
Johniscoolimo… I use VERY light pressure on alternating sides, easily 20 strokes on each side. If you want to use compound before your bare strop, I've used compound on paper on glass before with good results.
Thanks for the break down on stropping. I have only done a little sharpening with a lansky 5 stone sharpening system. Has built in angles for the guy that can’t get it right. I would like to move into something that is a little more time efficient but also produces a better edge. I use my knives for field dressing, butchering, and bush crafting. So a wide range of abuse from bones to wood. If you have any suggestions or helpful videos that would be great, THANKS.
Hi Rycky, I am loving your channel after I discovered it. Very relaxed and not at all authoritarian! Keep up the great work. I have a little question, how do you find stropping on a barbers strop (a hanging 20" strop)? They are a lot cheaper than using a block, although the carbon fibre ones look lovely!!
Hi! Thanks for your another informative video. I am wondering about optimum strop length. There are two leather strop options available for me. One is about 20cm long the other is about 28 cm long. I am wondering which length is most suitable for gyutos I have between 21-24 cm long?
i have used my Masamoto KS which measures 270mm tip/heel, on the 10" very comfortably. for my yanagi,, 270mm and 300m,. i like the 16" version better, since I really like the long straight linear pulls you can do.
Thank you very much for the information. So by extrapolating your data it can be said that 8'' strop will be fine for my Kurosaki R2 210mm and Sukenari AS 240mm which are my preferred lengths. Please correct me if I am wrong.
Great stuff, Ryky! Is it true that natural silicates are essentially finer than the finest compounds? I typically strop on a loaded strop and then finish on a bare one. I got confused as to which you said has the highest silicate concentration… is it the shell cordovan, or are both equine leathers the same? Thanks!
the leather strop is deigned to GRAB micro-materials.... the stone will grind and polish..... but can still leave micro-materials on the edge.... make sense?
Can you help me with my problem of sharpening knifes without any stones or sharpening tools, I only have a steel and maybe a 1300 stone once a month Thanks
Hi Ryky :) Thanks for the info, really helped out! by the way, have you ever got to use a Shibata chef knife? I really wish you would review their Bunka/Battleship, beautiful knives in my opinion
Hey! Just bought a Yanagiba, it's a Hammered Black Forged Yanagi by Yoshihiro. I don't recall seeing any Yoshihiro reviews but I may just not have noticed the video. Anyway, what do you think of that company? and will you perhaps review Yoshihiros in the future?
Hey riky I have a blade that I have no knowledge of ,would like to see if you can help with any knowledge of it . It is a knife straight from Japan so it is hard to find information of it.
What do you think of masakage knives ? Ever held any ? What do you think of the lines ? Would you rather go yuki white #2 or Koishi super blue stainless clad ? I'm looking to get a nakiri. What would be the best knife to pair it with ? Something that can slice definitely, but other than that, I'm not sure. Thank ytou very much
I can vouch for the Masakage Koishi! I have the full line-up and absolutely love them. The Nakiri and bunka are my personal favorite. I’m not a fan of the Koishi gyutos. The blade isn’t tall enough for my hands. I prefer my Takeda San 210mm AS gyuto when needing to use one. The Koishi’s are easier to maintain than the yuki and stay sharp with a very long time if maintained properly. Hope this helps.
lafo0100 thanks for your reply, it's actually what I was looking into, really. What do you think of the fit and finish on this line? Especially in the handles and roundness of edges etc.?
The fit is awesome. The wa profile is comfortable in my xl sized hands. They are blade heavy but that works in my favour. The finish is flawless on the handle and steel. If you’re in Canada, there’s a specific store who’s got the whole Masakage line for 15% off until the end of the month. Just look it up on google ;)
lafo0100 I know about it, that's part of why I'm interested in it! I'm not from there but can have it sent to the US and someone will come where I live some day haha Amazing, thanks for the info!
I enjoy all your videos. I tried to purchase the Equine Strop "BUT" that Etsy program is NOT like a GOOD AMAZON or EBAY set-up. Perhaps I'm just not used to the RUN-A-ROUND from Etsy. For one that writes a hundred go elsewhere. Give me a place to order it easily -- Please - thanks...
I'd like to purchase one of your leather strops off etsy. Was wondering what would be best for a Masamoto Wa Gyuto 24 cm. Will be used in a professional kitchen. Preferably not having to use compound. Just need to maintain the edge on my knife.
I swear by my Marbles paddle. Retails for $12.99 i occasionally load mine with red compoumd. From my EDC folders to my custom Katana, she will put a fine edge on every one of my blades.
How do you sharpen serrated knives?! I’m about to buy some Dalstrong knives and I want to learn that skill for the bread knife. Love your videos by the way. I’m a new subscriber!
Serrated knives are really hard to sharpen consistently. People usually dont spend too much on bread knives because they are really only good for cutting bread
need to make one! actually ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-KP-GakfiNDE.html, full video ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-RSmXC4Y_Klc.html
Thanks for the your time explaining strops to me. Im new to stropping and was going to purchase some leather to make one. I enjoy the video and am looking to purchase some leather or a strop. Was curious your etsy sight so i could buy from you?
Hey Ryky thanks for your videos. I've definitely fallen inside your rabbit hole. I'm taking your advice on the Chosera 3k and Herold's Red combo. This may sound silly, but I'm vegan and wondering if there's an alternative stropping material to leather. Thank you for your videos and your response :)
Hi Ryky, I'm a fan of your videos, I work in the meat processing industry and would like to get one of your strops, I tried the link that you posted but it doesnt work.
Oww i'll see them so i can learn of what you say about the reprofiling thanks Ryky :), i was asking maybe a How To video of all about reprofiling that would be really useful, thanks again Ryky for all your videos
