Sharpening your knives is a must if you want to be able to continue to use them effectively. Knowing how to sharpen your knives can seem overwhelming for a beginner and deciding which sharpening tools to use is overall a personal preference. From sharpening stones to strops with stropping compounds there are plenty of options.
We have found some of the best stropping compounds and strops that will leave all your knives sharp and polished. When getting a quality strop it’s important to consider the quality, size and thickness of the leather that it comes with as this is a key component to getting you the best finish on your knives.
The wood should also be of the highest quality with a smooth finish to be able to handle sharpening effectively. Some strops come with compounds that enhance the sharpening and polishing of your knives. Being able to use the compounds with your strop smoothly and efficiently will give the best overall results. If your strop is made of the best materials you can rest easy it will be a durable option that can be your sharpening solution for many years to come.
We have top options including all of these components in varying degrees, you are sure to find the best stropping compound and strop for your sharpening needs on our list.
COMPARISON CHART
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1. Taytools 10″x3″ French Leather Paddle Strop
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2. BeaverCraft Best Leather Strop
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3. ANGERSTONE Double Sided Leather Strop Kit
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4. BeaverCraft Stropping Leather Strop Kit
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5. Complete Knife Sharpening Stone Kit
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1. Taytools 10″x3″ French Leather Paddle Strop
Specification
| Material | Wood and leather |
| Color | Brown |
| Item Weight | 0.7 Pounds |
| Grit Type | Fine |
Features
- French 2-sided strop with 3” x 10” stropping surface
- Used to put a wicked sharp edge on knives and other edge tools
- Contains gold split suede leather on one side for use with stropping compound
- Reverse side is brown extra smooth prime leather for final honing
This French 2-sided leather strop is the premier tool for putting the final edge on knives and other edge tools. It will put a wicked sharp edge on tools after sharpening on your finest stone. This paddle strop has one suede and one smooth side. The suede side is gold colored split leather, slightly tufted and the perfect leather to be charged with honing paste.
The reverse side is brown prime leather that is extra smooth and excellent for final sharpening. The smooth side can be used with or without fine paste. The leather stropping surface is 10 inches by 3 inches. The wood base is made from lacquered European Beech with a contoured handle for a secure grip. Overall length is 16 inches. Made in France.
WHAT WE LIKE
Perfect width and length to allow for sharpening most knives. It includes suede and top grain sides and the leather quality is top notch without even mild imperfections. The wood is nicely sanded and stained. The strop edges are securely glued down to the board. It holds up to multiple sharpenings without signs of weakness. The thickness of the leather pieces is just right to get a tiny bit of give/squish when pressure is applied. It is compact and easy to store and transport.
WHAT WE DONT LIKE
This option is a little on the expensive side and at this price it would be nice if it came with compound instead of having to buy it separately.
PROS
- Includes 2 quality sides
- Leather is top notch
- Wood is sanded and stained
- Strop edges are secure
- Compact for added versatility
CONS
- Expensive option
- Compound needs to be bought separately
2. Best Budget – BeaverCraft Best Leather Strop
Specification
| Material | Wood, leather |
| Item Weight | 531 Grams |
| Product Dimensions | 15.2″L x 3.02″W x 0.7″H |
Features
- 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 suitable for all types of knives
- Paddle strop ergonomic handle for more comfortable use
- Get eBooks on “how to sharpen whittling knife” and “5 steps to sharpen a hook knife”.
Both sides of the leather stropping block are smooth, which allows you to polish your blades perfectly! The sharpening strop with compound helps you to make your wood carving projects easy because of keeping your blades very sharp. The base of the leather strop sharpener is made from ash wood, firm and smooth.
The leather strop sharpener is suitable for both professionals and beginners. The sharpening strop accepts honing compounds of various grades. Nevertheless, you don’t need to look for a polishing compound because the green polishing compound is included in the knife sharpening strop kit.
WHAT WE LIKE
The paddle strop has leather on both sides. The kit comes with a polishing compound, too, that you can put on one side. There are a couple of screw holes, one on each end, to let you mount it on a workbench or thread a leather thong for hanging when not in use. Great product for a good price. There are also video tutorials to watch to learn each edge as all the shapes require different strop methods. It has a really large strop surface that can handle all large/small size tools and knives.
WHAT WE DONT LIKE
It could use the tougher white compound as well as the green that comes with it since the leather is a little harder than the softer suede strop types. The leather is fairly thin that may not hold up long term. Additionally the leather does not go all the way to the edge of the strip which could be helpful.
PROS
- Comes with leather on both sides
- Includes green compound
- Screw holes for added functionality
- Helpful video tutorials
- Large surface for all knife sizes
CONS
- Could come with tougher white compound
- Leather is thin
- Leather does not go to the edges of strip
3. Premium Choice – ANGERSTONE Double Sided Leather Strop Kit
Specification
| Material | Wood, Vegetable Tanned Cowhide, Chrome Oxide |
| Item Weight | 0.82 Pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 14.3″L x 3″W x 1.1″H |
| Color | Light Yellow, Green, White |
Features
- After a strict vegetable tanning process, it is made into the most suitable Vegetable Tanned Leather for knife sharpening.
- The green compound is composed of Chromium Oxide, the white compound is composed of Aluminum Oxide, and you will be very easy to attach to the leather or polishing wheel.
- Ergonomic handle for comfortable use.
- Includes a detailed instruction manual to help get the most out of this stropping kit.
Professional leather sharpening strop set includes, strop paddle, one green stropping compound, one white stropping compound, and detailed instruction manual with lots of tricks which will appeal at every skill level. One side of the separate slip strop is rough, the other side is smooth, you will get a mirror-like edge after stropping your knife or tool with our stropping block. The ergonomic handle allows you to use a two-sided strop in a more comfortable way than other strops.
WHAT WE LIKE
Made with the highest quality both for the leather and the wood. It’s a nice bamboo paddle, very smooth and ergonomically designed. The weather is amazing. It’s a perfect napping side and a very smooth grain side. That leather is over 4 mm thick which means if you take care of it, it is built to last. Comes with 2 compounds, green and white, and it comes in a little plastic case to help keep it clean.
WHAT WE DONT LIKE
The white is definitely a little harder to apply and gums up when you try to apply it to the smooth side. The leather is pretty hard so be aware of this when applying pressure. Leather is not always lined up between the top and the bottom which does not look great.
PROS
- Good quality leather and wood
- Ergonomic design
- Leather is thick and durable
- Includes 2 compounds
- Helpful carry case for compounds
CONS
- White compound hard to apply
- Leather is on the hard side
- Leather is not always lined up
4. Best Lightweight – BeaverCraft Stropping Leather Strop Kit
Specification
| Material | Leather |
| Item Weight | 59 Grams |
| Product Dimensions | 8″L x 3″W x 0.2″H |
| Color | Green |
Features
- Convenient size and diameter, so you can strop your tools in woods or any other place.
- Stropping compound comes with this stropping kit and allows you to make your tools and knives razor-sharp with minimum effort.
- Leather Honing Strop From Europe.
- Includes free eBooks with instructions on how to use the leather strop kit.
Strop leather with a polishing compound for stropping and polishing all your knives. The smooth side of the leather strop is used with a polishing compound while the rough one can be used even without it.
WHAT WE LIKE
Dimensions were true from the description – a nice sized leather strop. Ideal for a travel sharpening kit due to its compact size. Works well on both sides with the included compound. This strop is easy to use and it works, it leaves your knives sharper and more effective. The compound spreads easily on the leather which is helpful.
WHAT WE DONT LIKE
You will need to mount a board yourself or have a flat edge table or countertop to use it on. It is a little messy when using it. It’s a little odd to strop on the smooth side, but it does work. Instructions could stand to be clearer especially for beginner users.
PROS
- True to advertised dimensions
- Compact, ideal for travel kit
- Easy to use
- Sharpens knives well
- Included compound spreads easily
CONS
- Needs a flat surface or to be mounted
- Messy to use
- Instructions not clear
5. Best Complete Kit – Complete Knife Sharpening Stone Kit
Specification
| Material | Silicon carbide, white corundum |
| Item Weight | 5.62 Pounds |
| Product Dimensions | 7.08″L x 2.36″W x 1.18″H |
| Color | Whetstone 400/1000+3000/8000（red) |
Features
- This knife sharpening kit can sharpen any blade
- Non-slip Bamboo Board and Silicone base keep the knife whetstone safely in place while sharpening
- Vegetable tanned leather honing strips uses premium quality genuine cow hide leather
- One side of the stropping leather is smooth, the other side is rough
All the sharpening stones you need are here: 400/1000 grit wet stone to sharpen dull knives, 3000/8000 grit water stone to refine the edge, coarse Flattening Stone to keep your sharpening stone flat all the time, Angle Guider to hold the knife on the correct angle, Leather Strop to polish knife and removing burr, Gloves to make sharpening safe.
WHAT WE LIKE
This set of whetstones and accessories is great for a beginner/novice to learn and develop skills to properly sharpen any knife correctly and get it really sharp. This set is more than adequate to obtain great results regardless of your skill level. Great value for the money. Sharpens knives quickly and easily. Quality stones and everything you need to keep your edge.
WHAT WE DONT LIKE
The bamboo stone holder slides all over the place which is not ideal when sharpening. The strop isn’t anything to write home about, it’s fairly thin, 2″ wide, with 11″ of stropping length. The rubbing compound and stropping is not great, it just doesn’t seem to perfect the edge and polish. Instructions are fairly basic with this kit.
PROS
- Most comprehensive sharpening set
- Ideal for beginners
- Value for money
- Sharpens knives quickly and easily
- Quality stones
CONS
- Bamboo stone holder slides
- Strop is not ideal size or quality
- Rubbing compound and strop does not sharpen well
Conclusion
If you want to keep your knives in the best working order and for years to come maintaining and sharpening them is essential. Our top choices for strops and stropping compounds are all up to the task but Taytools 10″x3″ French Leather Paddle Strop has to be the best choice.
Made with top quality and wood and leather this strop is built to last. Two sides offer a smooth and rough side for all your sharpening needs whether you use compound or not. The leather is of the highest quality and without imperfections. The strop edges are securely glued down to the board and hold up even after multiple sharpenings. It is the perfect width and length for sharpening most knives but compact enough for easy storage and transportation. With this great quality strop your knives will remain sharp for a long time to come.
I am a woodworker with over 19 years of experience crafting everything from furniture to ornamental pieces. I take pride in my ability to bring out the beauty of the wood I work with, creating unique and lasting objects. My passion for woodworking has been a life-long pursuit and I strive to push myself further and further with each new project. I am dedicated to the craft and take great satisfaction in the final product that I create.Read More.
