The only sharpening question we have not asked yet at the creek....

[Chris Hachet]

So I like to strop when I sharpen, I find it helpful. Also, I use leather to strop.

I have a vegan friend who is an animal rights activist who does not want to use leather to strop with on moral grounds. What is the best non animal product to suggest in the place of leather?

Chris

[Sean Hughto]

A lot of folks use a chunk of dense mdf.

[Derek Cohen]

You could try lettuce leaves.

Regards from Perth

Derek

p.s. hardwood works better than leather.

[Chris Hachet]

Thanks!

Chris

[Zach Dillinger]

I have tried stropping on a piece of a brown paper grocery bag on my bench top. I forget where I heard about it but thought it was neat. It works very well but it is easy to cut them up if you aren't careful.

I agree with Derek re: hardwood. The strop that lives on my bench is a piece of quartersawn white oak with Noxon metal polish on one side and a piece of leather with yellow compound on the other. I tend to just use the oak side more often than not.

[george wilson]

I've been using an MDF strop with green LV compound on it. I like the feel of leather better,but the MDF doesn't round the cutting edge like leather can. I keep it in a shelf where dust cannot settle on it.

[lowell holmes]

+1 for mdf and green LV compound!

[Robert LaPlaca]

How about some thin cardboard from the back of a pad of paper (like a legal writing pad), charge it with some green or yellow compound, place on flat surface..

[Malcolm Schweizer]

A piece of very thick felt, and I don't mean felt cloth. You can buy felt that is like a brick and they sell it at knife stores for taking the burr off an edge. I have a felt wheel for my Worksharp 2000 and you could strop on it without the machine by hand. It is a bit small, but would work. Balsa wood works as well, and as stated, MDF.

Good question by the way. My father-in-law is vegetarian, but thank goodness he eats fish (I don't get it either, but he does) and so when he visits at least I can have fish that week. He spends his time trying to make tofu taste more like meat. I am always kidding him about that.

[Pat Barry]

So I like to strop when I sharpen, I find it helpful. Also, I use leather to strop.

I have a vegan friend who is an animal rights activist who does not want to use leather to strop with on moral grounds. What is the best non animal product to suggest in the place of leather?

Chris

What if the cow died from old age? Is that a problem to vegans?

[Robert LaPlaca]

Good question by the way. My father-in-law is vegetarian, but thank goodness he eats fish (I don't get it either, but he does) and so when he visits at least I can have fish that week. He spends his time trying to make tofu taste more like meat. I am always kidding him about that.

I hate MDF, but I got to say your FIL has a better chance of making MDF taste like meat than tofu

[Chris Hachet]

What if the cow died from old age? Is that a problem to vegans?

That is an interesting question....

[george wilson]

I don't advise the use of felt,thick or otherwise. It would be worse than leather for rounding the edge over. Paper would be fine,especially with suitable compound,but is too easily cut and destroyed for you to have to unglue(or whatever) and replace. MDF works well. I just advise keeping it where dust or abrasive dust cannot get on it. I leave mine in a shelf,user side down. No trouble getting a razor sharp edge with it and the green compound. Guess I'm a little paranoid about the dust,since it has no give to it.

[Jim Matthews]

I did a quick search on "Synthetic strop"



http://www.sharpeningsupplies.com/La...FeXm7AodHFgAsw

I couldn't say how many Naugas died to provide this "hide".
http://www.sawmillcreek.org/showthre...ing-for-Advice

[Stu Gillard]

Each to their own I suppose.

I don't know if I could go without my beeswax, hide glue and shellac.