SHIPPING INCLUDED in the US

Each order includes a 1oz bar of Formax Green Chrome Oxide Microfine Honing Compound

The surface of these strops is made from a type of linoleum—linseed oil, cork, rosin, and pigment—adhered to a block of solid hardwood (species will vary based on local availability), then milled to a uniform flatness and smoothness. All edges of the strop are slightly rounded for comfort and added durability.

I have found these strops to be equal in performance to fine-grained leather strops: The linoleum is stiff, with just a little bit of give. It takes honing compound well, is quite durable, and they can be used with any honing compound or paste. They are an excellent alternative to leather strops, especially for those who prefer to avoid buying or using animal products.

Double-sided strops are particularly useful if you like to use two different grades of honing compound in succession, or if you like to finish your blades on a naked strop surface; The strop surface with no compound applied is good for a final round of burnishing and removing any honing compound residue from the blade.

Single-Sided Strops are adhered to a 1/2” hardwood backing block, making them about 3/4” thick total. This lower profile size makes them great for travel kits, stowing in a tool roll, etc.

Double-Sided Strops are adhered to a 3/4” hardwood backing block, bringing total thickness to about 1 1/8”. The added thickness on larger strops makes for a nice experience at the bench, as the thickness allows plenty of clearance for the knuckles of your stropping hand. It also provides a little more material to hold onto if you are moving the strop across a larger, stationary blade like an axe or drawknife.

Additional Notes:

Just as with a traditional leather strop, the longevity of your synthetic strop depends, in part, on using good stropping technique. This means avoiding gouging or cutting the surface with the tip or edge of the blade, or resting it on surfaces contaminated with grit or debris that could damage or become embedded in the surface. The linoleum stropping surface is quite durable but, just like a fine-grained leather strop, it can be damaged and rendered less useful if it is abused.

Honing compound will eventually build up on your strop and will need to be cleaned off periodically. While some people remove the build-up by scraping it off, there is a gentler method that will reduce the risk of damaging your strop. I have found that Citrasolv, a mild citrus-based solvent, easily and quickly removes any honing compound build-up and will not damage your synthetic strop or the wooden backing block. Simply wet a paper towel or rag with some Citrasolv, rub off the built up compound, wipe the strop clean and allow it to dry before adding more compound to the surface. Repeat if necessary.