Even the best knives go blunt after a certain period and need maintenance. This is true even for more expensive high-end knives. Sometimes blades become so bad that you cannot even cut something quite simple like a slice of bread. In such cases stropping is the only solution if you do not want to buy new knives every couple of months.
Of course, not all knife sharpeners will do a good job and keep your knife razor-sharp. Some cheap strops would even damage the blade, and we are sure that you do not want this to happen to that expensive knife you got last Christmas, right?
It hurts us to see people who damage their kitchen knives because they have bought some cheap stropping kit and want to prevent such occasions. This is why we will share our list of the most selling leather strops that you can buy.
We have featured different stropping surfaces because we aimed to include a good option for everybody. That way, you can save your time, and instead of browsing through millions of websites, you can just select one from the options we provided for free. We are sure that you will not be disappointed.
Best Leather Strop
Leather Paddle Honing Strop Kit with Sharpening Polishing Compound 14″ x 2″
This double-sided BeaverCraft leather paddle strop is suitable for both beginners and serious knife aficionados in the United States. Its high-quality cowhide leather provides ultra, precise sharpening that you never experienced before.
The natural ashwood ergonomic handle of this paddle strop is durable and will serve you right for many years to come. Another advantage is that this strop will allow you to sharpen your blades on both sides. Use two different compound grids on the two sides of the strop.
It is easy to use for both right and left-handed people, providing great comfort.
The kit includes a green stropping compound not to waste time and sharpen your knives and other cutting tools right away. The company also provides free ebooks on “how to sharpen a whittling knife” and “5 steps to sharpen a hook knife” with every purchase. So even if you have never used a strop, you can quickly learn.
BeaverCraft produces their tools themselves and guarantees the finest quality of their products. Still, the manufacturer provides a money-back refund if you think paddle stropping is not the sharpening method for you.
- Size: 14.57 x 1.97 x 0.9 inches
Sharp Pebble Classic Leather Strop kit with Polishing Compound
Our search for the top leather strops on the market starts with a solution from Sharp Pebble. This leather strop kit has a classic bamboo foundation, meaning that it is very lightweight. It is built in a high-quality fashion and guarantees high durability.
If you are a minimalist fan, this classic-looking leather strop will surely be the preferred way to keep your knives sharp. One side is made from premium cowhide leather, while on the other, it has a rubber backside, which prevents slipping during usage.
When it comes to leather for strops, it is valuable to know that not all leather types will guarantee real sharpening, but Sharp Pebble claims that the genuine cow leather used here will provide the best strop possible.
To help get an idea of what you will receive, the manufacturer compares this leather strop to a fine whetstone. Its dimensions and bigger stropping area make this strop comfortable to be held in hand. This stropping kit features a green compound, which will aid in reaching the perfect razor-sharp edge in a timely manner.
The package also includes a detailed eBOOK with tips and tricks that will help users from different skill levels.
- Size: 9.7 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
Sharp Pebble Complete Sharpening Stone Set
It is always a good idea to have more strop options available when it comes to knife sharpening. This is the case with Sharp Pebble’s complete sharpening kit.
It includes a non-slip rubber base, a bamboo wood base, two sharp pebbles (1000 and 6000 grit), and a silicone holder allowing the chosen pebble to be placed steady wood base.
It is essential to notice the quality of the sharpening stones as not all stones provide high performance. The whetstone’s aluminum oxide included in this set is premium quality and will provide that long-awaited extra sharpness. It delivers Japanese grit precision for #1000/6000 grit.
The manufacturer recommends soaking the whetstones for around 10 to 15 minutes before sharpening. You also have to make sure they are kept wet during the process. On the other hand, the leather strop is made from genuine cowhide leather, which is an excellent material for such purposes.
The package also includes an angle guide that helps in maintaining the sharpening angle and a green stropping compound for that excellent mirror polish on the edge of the blade. You will also get the tips and tricks eBook mentioned in the previous item.
- Size: 7.2 x 2.2 x 1 inches
The Viking Edge Leather Strop
When searching for a strop, you could go with some more modernly-advertised solutions. We could place the Viking Edge leather strop in this category. It is finished quite well, has a nice logo, and would be a perfect present for passionate cooks, professional chefs, hunters, and barbers. It will look good in everybody’s kitchen for sure.
Outside of its visual features, this razor strop block would bring a sharp finish to all your pocket knives, razors, and woodworking tools. Made out of sturdy but light bamboo, this strop is user-friendly and very practical.
You can use the strop surface with two types of thick cow strop leather. Depending on your needs, you can use the smooth or the suede side of the leather.
The product comes with 1oz of both green (1.3 microns) and white (2.6 microns) compounds that will surely improve your polishing process. If you are new to this, the green, approximately 10 000 grit, should be used for the finest of cutting gear such as straight razors, for example.
Clients share that you need to draw your knife 6 to 8 times on each side, and you are ready to cut.
- Size of the strop: 3 x 10 inches
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DONGRTON Knife Sharpening Stone KitÂ
This Dongrton complete stropping kit is for those of you who need the full sharpening arsenal. If you never tried sharpening your knives and would like to try different approaches, this is the product for you. With this kit, there will not be a blunt blade in your house anymore.
This set is advertised as complete because it includes double-sided premium whetstones of 400#/1000# and 3000#/8000# grit, two no-clip mats for steady sharpening, a bamboo foundation that holds the whetstones steadily.
If you are not aware, 400# and 1000# are used to repair more significant gaps and restore sharp edges, 3000# is used for improving small holes, blade consolidation, and smoothing the edges. 8000# and the leather belt type strop are needed for the final polishing touches. Knife sharpening deserves a nice polish, right?
This kit is straightforward to use. It hides no risk for beginners because of its silicone bottom and anti-slip mats. You can be sure that all your fingers will be there, no matter the level of your stropping technique. The whetstone is made from white corundum and does not require any grinding oil. Just water the whetstones for 10 minutes before usage.
- Size: 7.25 x 2.25 x 1 inches
Taytools 2 Piece French Leather Strop Kit
We advise just buying the leather strop part for those of you who already have a proper foundation or a handle. This premium Taytools handcrafted strop is made from the finest French leather and will allow you to put a nice cutting edge on your cutting tools.
The kit includes one suede and one smooth leather piece with sizes ten by three inches. The suede slice is colored in gold; it is tufted and can be treated with honing paste. The smooth leather slice is colored in brown and will be perfect for that mirror finish sharpening effect.
You will easily sharpen your straight razor or pocket knife, so you can always cut fast and precisely. You need to pull the knife backward with slow strokes while maintaining the initial wrist of your wrist for better results.
These leather pieces can be the perfect addition to the custom strop that you always wanted to have. Another use case would be to wrap the stropping leather around a dowel and carve or lathe tools. Trust these high-quality strops for the best possible results. Your favorite knives deserve nothing less than a great cutting edge.
- Size of package: 7.2 x 2.2 x 1 inches
Lavoda Leather Honing Strop
The last member of our reviews is the Lavoda leather strop, which provides excellent quality at a reasonable price. Whit its 3 x 8-inch surface, you will find this leather strop quite suitable for all sorts of knives, plus more specific tools like straight razors and hook knives.
The stropping surface is made from vegetable-tanned leather and, upon purchase, is ready for easy application of the compound. It has two sides, with a smooth and a suede surface, which will do wonders with the straight razor you use for shaving.
Finding the perfect strop is not an easy task, but with this razor strop, you will be able to achieve crisp angle edges for all your razors.
The manufacturer advises that all users should treat the strop with a couple of drops of mineral oil and add honing compound. The good thing is that every product comes with a set of green and white compounds.
The white compound contains 1-micron aluminum oxide, while the green compound has 0.5 microns chromium oxide. You can always decide to treat your strop otherwise and use diamond paste, for example. You can still treat your knives and other cutting tools once in a while.
- Size: 8 x 3 x 0.2 inches
Wrap Up
We believe that all strops that we featured in our might well be crowned the number one leather strop. It all depends on what exactly do you need. We have gathered razor strops. Of course, sometimes, the price also pushes you in a direction.
Inform yourself about their characteristics and go through the product information that we summarized in our reviews. The truth is that most people have personal best strops based on their preferred way of using them. This is why you need to make an informed decision on razor strops and be happy about it. We just save you some time.