honing strop question

[Dan Herda]

When using a leather honing strop,is it necessary to roughen up the surface every so often to make it effective? It seems to be kind of glazed and blackened. I am new at this so any help is appreciated.Thank you,Dan

[Acer Saccharum]

Maybe it could be cleaned somehow, wiped with WD-40, or something, to get the dirty gunk off the strop?

I use wooden strops, and just add more compound when they seem to need it.

roughen up the surface

When you say roughen, I am thinking the surface will become spongy, which will wrap around the tool as you strop it, rounding the edge, which is not in your best interest. A firm strop will minimize the rounding of the edge.

[Kentucky Jeff]

You can take a green scotch brite pad and clean it up a little with that.  Be sure to re-load it with some new compound.  I find it helpful to use a hair dryer to heat it up then rub in the compound with my fingers.  

[Steve Bookout]

I back my strops with a piece of walnut.  Red jewler's rouge is what I use for compound.  A smear of that will usually last me 2-3 weeks.  The strop for my straight razor is unbacked and it gets a dose of shaving soap when stroping.  The final strop is with a linen strap or strop.  Cheers, Bookie

[Dan Herda]

Thank you,I should have specified that this strop is a store bought flexcut slipstrop,so it is backed with wood.Where there is no leather ,there are shapes,convex,concave and angular in the wood itself.But I was mainly talking about the leather areas,which are convex and flat.The compound that was provided is a yellow stick.

[Dennis Glazener]

I have one of those and have never cleaned it. Might need it but it seems to work as well as ever. All I do is load it up with abrasive from time to time.
Treat the rough and smooth sides the same.
Dennis

[Dan Herda]

Thank you Dennis.I just started using it this morning and it seemed to glaze quickly but I guess thats ok as long as I get sharp tools !

[Dr. Tim-Boone]

When it gets really black, put more yellow compound on it. I have had mine 5 years and it works OK.  It looks a little disreputable and I have some nice heavy veg tanned leather I am thinking about gluing to a paddle to make a smooth strop, just to see if it helps.