A leather strop is an invaluable tool in the home and around the shop. Its perfect for getting a nice sharp edge on almost any cutting tool. I have made a few different strops before, all of them being handheld. One downside is that a handheld strop is a bit tricky to keep stable if you’re trying to sharpen something like a hand plane iron, that requires 2 hands. I decided I needed to make a bench strop that I could clamp in the vise.

This was super easy to make. I used some reclaimed 1/2″ plywood to make the base. I doubled it up when I glued it together to make it super strong. This could be overkill but I wanted to make sure it stayed nice and solid. I used some pin nails to hold it together while the glue dried.

Next I cut a piece of leather for the top and glued it on using some regular wood glue. I have had great results using wood glue on leather. It seems to hold well, especially on a piece like this that isn’t going to have any force trying to tear it apart. Now all I need to do is charge the leather with some buffing compound and start sharpening.

This strop works so well. Its great to be able to clamp it into a vise while sharpening. Its nice and stable, and I don’t have to try to hold it still while using it. It was well worth the time taken to make one. If you don’t have a strop around, I highly recommend you make one. I’m sure you’ll find yourself using it all the time. Thanks for stopping by.

Here’s the handheld strop video

— Affiliate Links to Products Used —
Titebond 2 Wood Glue – https://amzn.to/2YtX7vD
Green Buffing Compound – https://amzn.to/37oGLZm
Small Irwin Bench Vise – https://amzn.to/2YpgqpK
Stanley Utility Knife – https://amzn.to/3fkyNTH
23 gauge pin nailer – https://amzn.to/2MTCzax
3/4″ Pin Nails – https://amzn.to/37tov0X

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