Keeping your carving tools sharp is the key to smooth, controlled cuts and clean surfaces. Stropping is the final step in the sharpening process, ideal for maintaining tools that already have a good edge. In this guide, we’ll walk through how to strop three common carving tools: chisels, V-tools, and gouges. With just a strop and some honing compound, you'll keep your tools razor-sharp and ready for precision work.
Before You Strop: Assessing Your Tools
Stropping is a maintenance technique, not a fix for dull or damaged edges. If your tools are blunt, chipped, or poorly sharpened from the start, you’ll need to reshape and hone them with sharpening stones before stropping becomes effective.
For example, carving tools from Kirschen come pre-sharpened and only need stropping to maintain their edge. In contrast, some cheaper sets may require reprofiling and honing first. Choose tools suited to your skill level or be prepared to invest time learning to sharpen properly.
Stropping a Carving Chisel
Flat-edged carving chisels are the easiest tools to strop. All you need is a leather strop and some honing compound. Simply rub the compound onto the leather, match the bevel angle of the chisel, and pull the blade backwards along the strop. Flip the blade over and repeat on the other side. Six passes per side is usually enough if the edge is already in good shape.
Always pull the blade, never push, to avoid gouging the leather and damaging the edge.
Stropping a V-Tool
The V-tool, shaped like a narrow “V”, presents a slightly more complex stropping challenge due to its dual bevels and internal angle. A slip strop, a hybrid between a leather strop and a shaped slipstone, is ideal for this task.
- Inside bevels: Find the triangular profile on the slip strop that best fits your tool. Load it with honing compound. Place the inside of the V-tool flat against the profile and pull backward, ensuring both sides are in contact. Repeat for about 6 to 20 passes, depending on how sharp your tool is.
- Outside bevels: Use the flat section of the slip strop or a traditional leather strop. Load with compound and match the bevel angle. Pull backwards six times on each bevel, maintaining contact without raising the handle.
Pulling instead of pushing reduces the risk of tearing into the leather or wood surface.
Stropping a Carving Gouge
Carving gouges, with their curved blades, require a bit more finesse. You’ll need a rounded surface, like a dowel or the curved profile on a slip strop, that closely matches the internal curve of the gouge.
- Inside edge: Load the curved surface with compound. Place one edge of the gouge on the strop, then pull backwards while sliding sideways. This motion polishes the full inside curve and across the edge evenly.
- Outside bevel: Using a flat strop, load with compound and match the bevel angle. Start from one corner, pull back while twisting and rocking the gouge. Maintain bevel contact throughout to avoid rounding the edge or missing the cutting surface.
This stropping technique polishes the entire cutting edge, ensuring a sharp, consistent finish.
How Often Should You Strop?
For most carving tools, stropping once per day of use is ideal. It’s a quick step that dramatically improves cutting performance and reduces the need for full re-sharpening sessions. Just a few passes with the right technique is all it takes to keep your tools in top condition.