Get a Sharp Edge on Knives, Chisels, and Planes with a Homemade Strop
Keep this simple tool in your nail pouch and you’ll never have an excuse for working with a dull blade again.
Drywall and carpet work are really hard on utility knife blades, you could change out the blades all the time or try to muddle along with a dull edge, but there’s a better way.
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This tip comes from Mark White from Kodiak, Alaska. He created a disposable strop that allows you to put a really sharp edge on a utility knife blade in a couple of seconds.
Starting out with a standard strip of 8×11 sandpaper and using a utility knife with a sharp blade, soon to be dull to cut strips the width of the stick you’re using. Staple the pieces of sandpaper to the end of the strop. You now have a handy surface where you can touch up the dull utility knife blade.
In no time at all you’ll have a serviceable cutting edge on your utility knife. When the sand paper gets dull, simply tear it off and there’s another sheet underneath ready to go.
300-grit or 400-grit sandpaper will work well for plane irons. Also, gluing a piece of leather to the backside of the strop will allow you lay down some jewelers rouge and use it to put a sharp edge on a plane iron or chisel.
View Comments
Great tip but what grit and type of sandpaper are you using with that utility knife? It looks like wet and dry is that right ?
great tip chuck, always good to know your polarity. but what i really liked was the suprise ending. reminded me of the belt sander drag races we used to have in a cabinet shop i worked at years ago. you just couldn't beat an old porter-cable.