It is very important to sharpen your tools (paring knife, awl, square blade, slicer, essential, etc.) before or after each use to ensure their lifespan and maintain a sharp cutting tool . Learn in just a few minutes how to prepare a strop and sharpen your leatherworking tools.
In this video we show you how to sharpen a paring knife, but the method is the same for sharpening an awl with pliers (diamond) or a slicer.
WHICH LEATHER TO MAKE A STROP?
If you want to make your own strop, we advise you to take PREMIUM vegetable tanned leather with a great thickness: at least 3.3 mm (so that the crust side is still fluffy and not split). We sell pieces of 8x50 cm in 3.3 mm.
To glue the leather to the wooden board we advise you to choose neoprene glue. Opinions vary on which side of the leather should be preferred for sharpening (crust side or full grain), we will let you form your own opinion on this subject.
WHICH PASTE TO USE FOR SHARPENING?
We recommend PUMA or IVAN polishing paste (available in several grains), the paste must be placed on the previously oiled piece of leather (grain side) by rubbing the stick vigorously. If you opt for the crust side and your dough is dry, we advise you to heat it so that you can spread it on the crust of the leather.
HOW TO SHARPEN AN OPENING KNIFE (SWIVEL KINFE)?
To correctly sharpen an open knife with a STROP, we invite you to use the Tandy Leather guide reference TL_88118_00 which will help you keep the blade at the appropriate angle during sharpening (avoid rounding the blade). Please note that each side of the blade must be sharpened in the same way on the strop (same number of passes). 
HOW TO SHARPEN AN AWL WITH PLIERS (DROMBED AWL OR DIAMOND-TIP AWL)?
Learn in a few minutes how to sharpen the 4 sides of an awl with pliers (also called a diamond awl or diamond point awl). This very useful tool for piercing leather when saddle stitch sewing is often sold pre-sharpened (you must therefore finish sharpening it).
HOW TO SHARPEN A ROUND COOKIE CUTTER OR A BISSONNET?
We offer you a specific tool for sharpening your round cookie cutters ( diameter 4 to 16 mm ) and bisonettes. The sharpener (ref. TA759) is made of stainless steel and coated with emery powder inside and out.
LEARN MORE ABOUT SHARPENING THE LAMP SQUARE >
KNIVES FAN VIDEO:
We also invite you to watch the “Knife Fan” video which approaches the sharpening technique from another angle.
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