How do you make a old belt into a GOOD strop? I have several old belts (70's). that are Good leather- Slick one side -rough on the other. I know the oldtimers made them into really good strops. Soo.. How ?? I KNOW there are some VERY SHARP oldtimers out there ! Please share your Knowledge with us young'uns..  

use a belt that has no decorations on it, just plain leather.
or use your leather boot top.
use the back of a knife blade that is smooth as a butcher steel also.
don't really need all the fancy sharpening gizmos.

Not to high jack the thread, but have you just tried cardboard?  It works just as well for me as using a leather strop.

Take one of those nice old belts and clean it up real good with saddle soap. Put some polishing compound on the rough side and use the smooth side plain.

I like a compound called "Yellowstone". You can Google it for a source.

Simple as that.  

Thank's Fellas. Charlie I KNEW I could count on you. I made the mistake of putting the compound on the slick side- but it's easily remedied. Yes , I've tried cardboard. It just does'nt seem to have the same effect. When you pull a strop REALLY tight you can feeeel a really sharp edge and I can't do that with cardboard. THANK'S  

Pretty simple and some put rouge on both sides of the belt - others do not.  IF you want more info from some knife experts post this in the knife makers forum.

Pretty simple and some put rouge on both sides of the belt - others do not.  IF you want more info from some knife experts post this in the knife makers forum.

Charlie nailed it.

My favorite sharpening compounds are from Bark River Knife and Tool. Check them out...

Jewelers rouge is a great compound for stropping. I keep my leather tools surgical sharp with it and its cheap.
In a pinch I've even put in on my knee while wearing heavy blue jeans and it polished up a blade edge very well. Be careful stropping, when that edge gets sharp.....well, you all know.

I'm a barber and you really have to treat your strop with saddle soap or just plain shaving lather. I used to take a bottle and after lathering my strop rub it the length of it to clean it and condition it and make it mor supple. Most of your best strops are made from the horses rump area and are called Russian strops. You can still buy strops at Barber supply houses fairly cheap. A leather strop will not sharpen but will keep a edge sharp. It appears to sharpen because it is cleaning the edge of your blade.

Wollelybugger is right.  Don't confuse honing and sharpening.  When you sharpen something you remove metal and create what they call feathers on the edge of the blade.  Over time these feathers lay down and require some honing with a steal or a strop to realign the feathers making it sharp again.  Eventually these feathers will wear down and you will have to sharpen the edge again to create new feathers.  If you sharpen something then just keep honing it when need be as long as you can before sharpening again it will greatly increase the life of your knife or what ever else you sharpen.

What is the correct way to use a strop ,using 2 and 3 blade heads?

What is the correct way to use a strop ,using 2 and 3 blade heads?