Top 5 Best Strop For Knives (Reviews & Buying guide 2025)
Are you wondering, what’s a strop? Like, is there a difference between Stropping and Sharpening? Which come first, Stroping or sharpening? What are the best strops? What makes a right strop? How do I get my kitchen utensils as sharp as new? A lot of people have been in your shoes too. The first time I got my hands on a whole set of whittling knife my pal got for me as a gift. It came with this green compound.
I was confused. I didn’t know what to do with it. Like for real. Big thanks to online resources then and a little mentorship. And getting along with the right company, my teammates took me through the steps of stropping, what it means to strop, and a selection of the best strop for knives.
So all this knowledge shouldn’t rest in me when people like you are out there who need me to help them out, or don’t you think? So, let’s start with what Stropping is.
All at a Glance
What Is Stroping?
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Last update on 2025-03-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Stropping is the opposite of sharpening. It is the deliberate use of a strop to polish the sharpened blade of a knife. Stroping realigns the cutting edges of a knife, removes any excess metal, and for emphasis, polishes and smoothens the blade. There is a distinct difference between Stropping and sharpening.
You should not use these two interchangeably. When you sharpen a blade, what you do is, remove some of the metal to even out the edge. But stropping, on the other hand, doesn’t remove any metal from the edge. All it does is align the metal so that the edge is straight.
A strop (or razor strop) is a flexible strip of leather or other soft material used to straighten and polish a straight razor blade, a knife, or a woodworking tool. It doesn’t end in a knife. You can also use it to straighten chisels and kitchen utensils.
You see, the strop can be a block like a balsa wood block or just like a leather strip. Although other materials to are used, strops are most often made of leather. And the leathers come in a suede and smooth.
Which one you chose is based on preference. Strops also come with a green micro-fine honing compound. This compound is made from chromium and aluminum oxide. It gives a mirror polish to an edge and speeds up the process of stropping.
To use, you rub the bar of the green micro-fine honing compound on the surface of your strop and run your blade on the surface of the green compound. A little compound goes a right long way, and so you need to apply a little.
Strops come in two ways. You can see strops in many shapes and sizes with different combinations of surfaces. In general, they can be broken down into only two. The mounted strops and The razor strops.
The Mounted Strops
Mounted Strops are leather strops that come attached to a block of wood. Designed in different ways, it can be mounted on a bench and can also be hand-held. They’re the ones you can carry about with a handle. The mounted strop, loom, or paddle strops have a shorter, flat surface to work with.
All mounted strops are available in both suede and Smooth. I’ll be showing you a list of handheld mounted strops that come in both textures. One side smooth, and the other suede. Why is it called mounted? Because it is attached to wood.
That’s just it because the leather surface is attached to something, maybe solid maple or balsa. It’s called mounted. And can be seen in many sizes and designs. I can’t give a particular design as manufacturers work hard to create diverse styles, however, considering user’s comfort.
Razors Strop
Razor Strops are also known as hanging Strops. Razor strops are kinds of wide belts of high-quality leather on one side and high-quality heavy linen. Razor strops can be hung on a fixed vertical surface like a wall, counter, or even a wooden shelf for use. You can also store it the same way by hanging it. Now, you know why it’s called a hanging strop.
All the Strops today are made of cowhide, horsehide, bison, or at times synthetic leather. I chose the cowhide as the best because this kind of leather provides an excellent draw and works quite well. Strops made with Russian tanned leather are known to perform exceptionally well and are of outstanding quality.
You have the choice of stropping on the linen side first to clean the blade before moving to the leather for stropping. And you still can decide to start straight from the leather side.
But keep in mind, you only strip a sharp blade. If a blade is blunt, do well to sharpen it before Stroping. Stroping, as I said, is polishing the edge and working off any burr left behind by sharpening stones. Not the other way round. There’s a difference between how you sharpen and how you strop.
When you sharpen, you rub a flat stone over the side of your blade. Moving from the edge to the belly of your knife. It is after this that you Strop.
When you strop, you place the sides of your blade, not the tip but the sides of the edges, and place it on the strop leather. Then you drag slowly without pressure on the surface. As you strop, you’ll see something black filling your leather. That’s the excess metal going off. It’s just so sweet and straightforward.
Read Also: Top 5 Best Jigsaw for Cutting Curves (Reviews & Buyer’s Guide)
How To Strop A Curved Blade.
This can be one of the most challenging hits one would ever face in his woodworking life. Stropping curved tools. You just can’t sharpen a spoon knife how you’d sharpen a whittling knife. I bet you’ve thought it out to be impossible. A student of mine came by with a fierce argument that it was impossible to manually strop a hook knife.
I’d say it’s hard to do for a beginner, but it’s not impossible. Stropping a curved blade is as simple as curving a flat knife. You just need the right tool.
What tool do you need? A curved blade mounted strop. I think they come mostly in mounted strips, though You can use razor strips too. I’d say this is easier.
Now, let’s say you’ve gotten a spoon knife strop. It’s easy to identify from its shape. The strop is mounted on a wood that has a bevel in the middle. This bevel gives way for you to sweep your knife to the right side. It also has a curved tip where you can sweep your knife too. This strop is the same one you’d use for a hook knife.
Now straight to how it’s done. How do you now strop?
Now, place the mounted strop on a table. Strips like the Beaver craft**” comes in two faces. A side made of original genuine leather, and the other made from heavy leather. Rub your spoon knife through the middle of the strop. Place a few inches from the top, that’s from your side, and then slightly push it out towards the other end.
Here’s where you will need caution. Don’t go about swishing the knife like a freestyle painting. When you rub it in the strop, stop a few inches from the other end and lift your knife.
When you go swish, the tip of the knife will touch the strop, and that surely would damage the edge of the knife. Now you go again. Just once or twice is enough. That would clean one side.
Then you come over to the edge of the strop, still using the linen, place your knife about an inch away from the bottom edge and pull towards yourself. Once or twice is enough. Don’t forget what I said about sweeping.
What we just did is cleaning the blade. We clean it to prepare it for Stroping. Must you clean before you strop? It depends on choices. I would recommend cleaning before Stroping. And even now, cleaning would give you the idea of what Stroping would be like.
To strop proper. No, you move to the leather side. The same way we brushed lightly over the bevel is how you’ll strop. You just run your knife in four strokes towards your right and move over to the edge to pull it towards yourself. And that’s it! Perfectly stropped.
Can you use a razor strop for a hook knife? Yes, you can. It is an alternative to getting a mounted strop. You just have to do it right.
Hang your razor strop to a wall. Instead of hiding it straight, give it a depression-like you’d scoop something out of it.
You just bend the leather in the middle. Run your knife as you did with a mounted spoon knife strop. In the same way, push it out away from yourself without mounting pressure on it.
Roll the leather to form a dough. The edges would be kind of round by now, then send your knife through it. And there you have it. Remember not to sweep it back and forth. It applies in both strips. You don’t want to damage your knife in the process of sharpening it.
How do I strop a left-handed knife?
Do you think there are left-handed hook knives? Yes, I’ve seen left-handed spoon knives. Don’t you think it’s impossible to consider the minor ten percent who may decide to take wood carving as a hobby?
Or do you think, as lefties, you’re hopeless? Not with a brand like the FlexCut with their FlexCut Hook knife Left Hand. You can see other left-handed hook knives in stores. So how do we strop such knives?
It is just the same way as you would with a right-handed knife. But instead of pulling to yourself at the edges, you push. And instead of pushing through the curvature, you pull. That’s it. That is just it. And you are good to go.
Now that you know what a strop is and you’re sure of how to use a strop, I’ll tell you about a few strops that would make your works easier.
Top 5 Best Strop For Knives
If you’re looking for something quality, a strop that is worth calling a strop with quality cowhide leather, we have gathered based on trial and error and have hand-picked quality cowhide leather for you.
1. BeaverCraft LS1P1 Leather Strop
Now, when we’re talking about well-mounted strops with quality double sides, we should never neglect the place of the BeaverCraft LS1P1. The BeaverCraft is one tool everyone should have. It speedily gets your knives and blades sharp and accessible everywhere with its double-sided leather.
Its strength comes from the smooth double sides made from real cowhide. The features of the BeaverCraft LS1P1 are quite different from what others offer. The base of the leather strop sharpener is made firm and smooth from ashwood. It comes with a green polishing compound for immediate usage.
The leather strop sharpener is suitable for both professionals and beginners. Know why? It comes with a free ebook on how to sharpen a whittling knife” and “5 steps to sharpen a hook knife”. It doesn’t matter if you are new to woodcarving. These eBooks will help you to sharpen your woodworking tools quickly.
- Leather Knife Strop Kit: designed for beginners and professional carvers to hone and keep knives and woodcarving tools razor sharp. Strop the blade and maintain a sharp cutting edge!
- Leather Strop with Polishing Compound: you can start sharpening your knives or other woodcarving tools immediately. Moreover, the sharpening strop with compound is suitable for all types of knives!
- Paddle Strop Ergonomic Handle: shaft made of ash allows you to use a two-sided strop in a more comfortable way than other knife honing strop and it is suitable for both professionals and beginners.
- Stropping eBooks: get eBooks with wood carving sharpening supplies. Buying a professional sharpening strop, you get eBooks on "how to sharpen whittling knife" and "5 steps to sharpen a hook knife".
- Strop Leather Made in Europe: all BeaverCraft products are made in our own factory in Ukraine. Enjoy European quality with us!
Last update on 2025-03-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
And for a professional woodcarver, the book will help you to be able to evaluate the quality of the leather strop block. If you’re not in for wood carving, you already have my word on how to strop. Just apply your attached honing compound and run your knives.
Pros
- Quality durable mounted strop.
- Super strong ergonomic ashwood handle.
- Perfect Draw.
- Do not wear or cut.
- You can pin it on a table.
- Free ebooks attached.
Cons
2. Sharp Pebble Classic Leather Strop kit
If you want a strop with a large surface that can be sufficient for your huge chef knife or an axe, then consider the Sharp pebble Classic Leather Strop Kit with its green honing compound.
The leather is made from premium cowhide, beautifully and classically designed to makes it an attractive choice for many professionals like Chefs & Woodcarvers to uphold their tools razor-sharp. The handle is made from genuine bamboo. And a plus, it is lightweight!
- Premium Quality: Our Classic Bamboo Base Leather Strop design has high build quality, lightweight & highly durable. The bamboo base has Non-Slip rubber base, premium cowhide leather & classic design makes it an ideal choice for many professionals like Chefs & Woodcarvers to keep their tools razor-sharp
- Unmatched Performance: Not all strops are created equal as not all leathers are genuine or real, our sharpening strop block uses premium quality genuine cowhide leather. Using the green honing/polishing compound included in the kit you can put a True Mirror Polish on your Blade Edges Quickly. After sharpening your knife or tool on sharpening stone finish it off with leather strop for an Extremely Sharp Edge. Imagine this leather sharpening strop as your finest whetstone
- Easy To Use: Due to its lightweight, Durable Design & large stropping leather area it's Easy To Hold in your hands without causing any strain. You can also pin it down on a working table nonslip rubber base will make it Secure & Safe to use. Imagine the green compound (buffing compound) as big crayon apply evenly on your surface this will help polish your blade edges more Quickly
- Multipurpose Use: We want you to have One Strop To Hone Them All to get a razor sharp edge quickly. You can sharpen all kind of tools like Chef’s knife, hunting knives, pocket knife, woodworking chisel, straight razors, axe & more
- Superior Bundle: Your complete leather strop kit comes with Classic Premium Quality leather strop, Green Polishing compound & a detailed Ebook with lots of Tips & Tricks which will appeal at every skill level
Last update on 2025-03-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
Are you confused about how to use their strop? That’s why they include an eBook in their package. That would help you out if you’re just starting your Stroping. The Sharp Pebble can also be strapped to the table.
Pros
- Lightweight and durable mounted strop.
- Quality leather with a perfect draw.
- Ergonomic bamboo handle.
- It can be pinned to the table.
- Padded with nonslip rubber base for secure & Safe use.
- Free ebook attached.
Cons
- One-sided strop leather
3. The Upon Leather Honing Strop
Here is what I’d recommend for you as the best if you’re looking just for a leather strop that you can apply on your block of wood. Let’s say you already have a strop that has gone out of use, and you want to change the leather. You can also unmount it and use it as a razor strop. The pack comes with two leather straps with too high vegetable tanned cowhide.
The pair of leathers come with no green compound but a double-sided tape just if you want to mount it to a surface for better Stroping. Using a compound is based on personal preferences. Some professionals don’t care about the compound, while some take it as a necessity. The compound only speeds up the polishing process and is not compulsory.
- ◙ SUPERIOR: KIT of 2 Leather Honing Strops with 3 One Oz. of Black, Green and White Polishing Compounds (one oz. of each). Highest Quality Vegetable Tanned Cowhide Ready for an Easy Application of Compound | You will receive 2 Large Strops PLUS 3 pieces of different Compounds PLUS 2 Mounting Tapes, that way you can apply various types of Compound and make your own BIG stropping blocks!!. | You will get a BRILLIANT RAZOR SHARP EDGE.
- ◙ INCLUDES: We also provide 2 double-sided adhesive tapes FOR TROUBLE FREE operation, easily adhere these strops to a piece of wood, board, kitchen table or whatever, BASE NOT INCLUDED!!. Avoid troubles with glue!! Strops come in suede and smooth options, apply compound to one side for the first polishing step and use the other side for the final stropping touch. Polish your edges in 3 Steps. Everything inside a beautiful gift box as shown.100% hand finished leather embossed with our logo.
- ◙ DIMENSIONS: LARGE!! 3 inches wide x 10 inches long (Stropping Surface: Smooth Side: 3" x 9" | Rough Side: 3" x 10"). According to our experience these are correct dimensions for mostly blades. THICKNESS: As prove of authenticity of vegetable tanned real leather skin the thickness may vary from 1/16” to 3/32”, but 90% of strops come in 5/64”= 2 mm. approx or more, more than enough to be stuck to a board or USED DIRECTLY AS IT COMES. Compounds size 50x25x10 mm approx.
- ◙ EASY TO USE: Stropping is the act of aligning the fine edge of a straight razor, woodworking chisels, hunting knives, fillet knives, pocket knives, kitchen knives, tactical knives, etc. Our Leather Strops GIVE & MAINTAIN a highly polished sharp cutting edge. Sequence: (Step 1) Abrasive Black, (Step 2) Medium Green and (Step 3) Fine White. Compounds weigh more or less 1 oz each and come in transparent plastic bags hermetically sealed and labeled with conservation instructions & sequence of use.
- ◙ PREMIUM QUALITY: Our products have been checked one by one during the entirely handmade manufacturing process. NO COMPROMISE on quality! I am a Master Leather Craftsman since 1.989, Several Awards and Official Recognitions Guarantee our Products, Expertise and Trajectory; We manufacture and sell our leather craft products DIRECTLY to the customers under our own brand ; Don’t forget to buy this product as a PERFECT GIFT for yourself or for your family & friends.
Last update on 2025-03-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The leather is three by 10 inches which is the average size of most strips. Be sure that you use a board that is at least 50mm thick when you mount these leathers. That is 2 inches. So when you’re using them, you’re not dragging your knuckles on the bench or cabinet. It comes in both suedes and smooth textures. You can decide to make the pair smooth, suede, or both textures.
Pros
- Quality Durable product.
- Genuine Vegetable tanned cowhide leather
- Comes with double-sided tape for mounting.
- No mount or handle.
Cons
- Lack of mount can be stressful as you’d need to get a block yourself.
- Comes with no green compound.
- Even if the green compound is not necessary, you still need it. That’s one area.
4. BeaverCraft LS4P1
This is the next tool that you must find in your camping bag and among your kitchen tools. If your carving tools are without BeaverCraft LS4P1, I bet it’s not complete.
The BeaverCraft LS1P1 is a genuine leather strop with a green polishing compound that will make your knife razor-sharp. Because of its stropping block’s superior quality, it has won the choice of many professional woodcarvers.
- Strop Block Premium Quality: leather strop with a green-gray polishing compound will make your knife razor sharp. The strop is ready to be used straight out of the box!
- Genuine Leather Strop: we figured out what will be an appropriate size of the strop to sharpen all your tools with stropping leather made of genuine cow leather.
- Knife Strop Kit Easy to Use: leather strop block was created especially for woodcarvers, beginners and professionals, to apply only a little effort when sharpening tools.
- Polishing Compound Included: various abrasive compounds may be applied to the leather stropping block to aid in polishing the blade while stropping to obtain a mirror-like finish.
- Strop to a Mirror Finish: our stropping paddle can be used with any buffing compounds, but the one included will certainly help you reach that hypnotising mirror finish.
Last update on 2025-03-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
It is a valid cowhide leather. Sturdy ashwood handle like every other BeaverCraft strops. It is super quality and does perfectly what other strops usually do.
Pros
- Quality strop made from Cowhide
- Comes with a green compound for honing
- Do not wear or tear.
Cons
- It can’t be pinned to the table.
- Does not come with an eBook.
5. The Viking Edge double Sided Leather Strop
Suppose you’re looking for a quality strop with its full guide on how to use it. This might be your last stop. The Viking Ede comes with a book on frequently asked questions and a how-to guide with your strop.
Another Vegetable-tanned Cowhide leather comes with the best options on its sides. The suede on one side and the smooth on the other. It comes with two Stropping compounds for an easy Sharpening process. White and green compound. Now, you have a choice when you’re stropping.
- GIVE YOUR BLADES A RAZOR SHARP MIRROR-LIKE FINISH that can Split Hairs!
- BIG PRACTICAL DESIGN - Light and Sturdy Bamboo Base, Large 3" x 10" Vegetable Tanned Leather Surfaces. Durable 1/8" Thick Rough Grain Side and 1/8" Thick Smooth Side.
- TWO GRADE COMPOUND KIT to Enhance the Polishing Process - Fine White and Very Fine Green
- STROPPING BASICS BROCHURE to get you started. Answers to some frequently asked questions and beginner techniques for those new to stropping
- GIFTABLE PACKAGING for Chefs, Cooks, Craftsman, Hunters, Barbers or any Knife Enthusiast
Last update on 2025-03-10 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
There is instability in the wood-based handle based on the availability of the preferred wood. However, the Viking has ensured quality by using either quality bamboo or quality beechwood, which are the best handles.
Consideration for Picking The Best Strop for Knives
There are certain things you’d see in a strop that will make you know it’s worth having. Not every leather can polish your metal. That’s why it comes in two textures. The suede and the smooth. You need to first consider what you need versus what you want. Do you want a good-looking strop or you need serious razor strops?
Width
You may want a strop but first, look at the width. Will it be able to satisfy your request? Strops generally come in two and three inches width, but some come with bigger width, like the sharp Pebble Classic Leather.
If you’d choose, go with 3 inches width as you can use them for any kind of blade. If you chose something small because you have small knives, you’d need to buy another when you get a giant knife, blade, or ax. But getting an ample width will help make the best out of your strop.
The Draw
The most straightforward explanation I give about the drawback is that it is the leather’s grip on the blade when you slide it along. A very smooth strop may have a little draw, which may not do much good at aligning and polishing your blade.
It’s the reason why we have the smooth and the suede option. On the other hand, if the leather has too much draw, it may be hard to slide along the blade, and you may completely lose control over it. All the above strips have been examined to have a smooth draw to accompany good polishing.
The Leather
The most important and most exciting part I the leather. It is the thing that matters most. There are a lot of leathers out there for Stropping, but the most perfect is the cowhide. It is the reason all the above strips are cowhide.
Like I said earlier, they usually give you a friendly draw. They are relatively cheap and, to crown it all, they do a great job at cleaning and aligning your blade. Some professionals prefer others like the horsehide and the bisonhide. But the horsehide strops tend to be slicker and, as a result, have less draw than the cowhide.
Other things to chose outside this is based on preference. You just can’t miss if your strop has these qualities. Right width, perfect draw, and the best leather.
Conclusion – Best Strop For Knives
The sharpest carving tool, camping tools, best kitchen utensils, and barber blades don’t just go through regular sharpening. That would reduce the edge and reshape the blades. The secret is nothing but Stroping. Slightly brushing your blades over a selected piece of leather.
Stroping might appear to be simple, but there are certain things to avoid. You don’t want to destroy your blade’s sharpened edge by making it blunt again, so don’t face the edge to the leather.
When you pull away from yourself or when you push your blade to slide over the strop, make sure at the end, the edge of the tip is not touching the leather. Just the sides. Otherwise, you’d be doing what you don’t want to. Filling the edge of your blade. These and nothing else are what makes your blades always as good as new.
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