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This balsa strop pad has a magnetic back and can easily be used with the Richmond hone base. The idea behind balsa wood as a strop medium is that a balsa surface is soft but rigid. When you apply compound you are creating a custom honing surface. The compound particles embed and stay in place while you are working, and it’s easy to sand the surface clean and flat when the compound is spent. This provides a cheap and easy way to experiment with a variety of different honing compounds that you can mix and match with low cost and good results.
Reviews
28 review(s) WRITE A REVIEW (Reviews are subject to approval) works well with metal base Balsa StropPosted By: JOHN
2 people found this review helpful
I use CBN product no contaminants very excellent compound paste use it on all straight edge Razors to bring it to a fine edge .5 &.25 cubic boron nitrate paste this is an excellent paste,I like cutting balsa wood length in half and stacking them together to make it a little thicker say 2 inches or more it works so good it is very hard Bolsa which is what you want to use on a straight edge Blade no complaints whatsoever fantastic medium to use you can also use on leather & Suede works excellent on that also,I have use many different Paste & I found this to work the best Try the Balsa wood from this Company you will not go wrong.
2 people found this review helpful
I use CBN product no contaminants very excellent compound paste use it on all straight edge Razors to bring it to a fine edge .5 &.25 cubic boron nitrate paste this is an excellent paste,I like cutting balsa wood length in half and stacking them together to make it a little thicker say 2 inches or more it works so good it is very hard Bolsa which is what you want to use on a straight edge Blade no complaints whatsoever fantastic medium to use you can also use on leather & Suede works excellent on that also,I have use many different Paste & I found this to work the best Try the Balsa wood from this Company you will not go wrong.
Excellent Magnet backed balsa Balsa should be in every serious sharpeners kitPosted By: Scott Marshall
4 people found this review helpful
Most impressive especially with diamond spray. Extremely versatile.
The Balsa medium can do a lot of things, from fairly aggressive scratch removal to ultra fine polish, depending on the abrasive used, it's concentration, and it's age. The Balsa takes your palette of abrasives and adds another character to them, just as changing leathers does. Every person who is a sharpening enthusiast or professional should have a few Balsa strops ready to go. After some experience, you'll know when it's time to go to the Balsa to bring the edge in.
I'm a carver and while I like roo with flexcut gold (or some green stuff of unknown origin that I've used for years) for day to day use on my carving knives, Balsa with .5um diamond is quickly becoming my favorite 'touch-up' strop that I keep on the bench while carving. It gets to looking kind of rough after some use, but still does a great job. The Balsa/.5um diamond combo seems to cut a bit faster (especially when fresh), and the edge last a bit longer before needing a touch-up. Balsa excels for gouges, as it will almost completely form itself to match a profile if you dedicate a "slot" to the tool. The only 'downside' is that it's best to dedicate a pair of grooves to a specific tool shape, so you'll want several balsa pieces to cover your favorite profiles. Each piece will usually have room for several tools.
4 people found this review helpful
Most impressive especially with diamond spray. Extremely versatile.
The Balsa medium can do a lot of things, from fairly aggressive scratch removal to ultra fine polish, depending on the abrasive used, it's concentration, and it's age. The Balsa takes your palette of abrasives and adds another character to them, just as changing leathers does. Every person who is a sharpening enthusiast or professional should have a few Balsa strops ready to go. After some experience, you'll know when it's time to go to the Balsa to bring the edge in.
I'm a carver and while I like roo with flexcut gold (or some green stuff of unknown origin that I've used for years) for day to day use on my carving knives, Balsa with .5um diamond is quickly becoming my favorite 'touch-up' strop that I keep on the bench while carving. It gets to looking kind of rough after some use, but still does a great job. The Balsa/.5um diamond combo seems to cut a bit faster (especially when fresh), and the edge last a bit longer before needing a touch-up. Balsa excels for gouges, as it will almost completely form itself to match a profile if you dedicate a "slot" to the tool. The only 'downside' is that it's best to dedicate a pair of grooves to a specific tool shape, so you'll want several balsa pieces to cover your favorite profiles. Each piece will usually have room for several tools.
great new way to sharpen Best products Best products
Balsa strop Solid strop Great stones Great strops Balsa wood strapPosted By: R Cosner - verified customer
2 people found this review helpful
I like the balsa wood strap and emulsion. Seen to work great for finishing my edges. Only complaint I like to keep my straps in the plastic bags, no risks of contaminating when not in use. The supplied bags are almost too tight to get back in the plastic. The base is the same. Use the next size up.
2 people found this review helpful
I like the balsa wood strap and emulsion. Seen to work great for finishing my edges. Only complaint I like to keep my straps in the plastic bags, no risks of contaminating when not in use. The supplied bags are almost too tight to get back in the plastic. The base is the same. Use the next size up.
Better than expected Made to lastPosted By: Ray M - verified customer
3 people found this review helpful
This is a really nice balsa strop. Well made and durable. Use with your favorite paste or spray. I use the CKTG 1 micron paste. Gives a wonderful polish to the edge especially followers by a horse butt strop. The back magnet sticks securely to my diamond plate. Great value.
3 people found this review helpful
This is a really nice balsa strop. Well made and durable. Use with your favorite paste or spray. I use the CKTG 1 micron paste. Gives a wonderful polish to the edge especially followers by a horse butt strop. The back magnet sticks securely to my diamond plate. Great value.
Product ReviewPosted By: bobluhrs - verified customer
2 people found this review helpful
I use two of them back to back. They stick right together, and I put .5 micron boron nitride and .1 on opposite sides. Just a couple of wipes on each side and knife is razor sharp. No need for support bases with these balsa strips they hold fine to cutting board or other surface if you stick 2 of them together. the minor bits of junk on them don't affect the sharpening effects.
2 people found this review helpful
I use two of them back to back. They stick right together, and I put .5 micron boron nitride and .1 on opposite sides. Just a couple of wipes on each side and knife is razor sharp. No need for support bases with these balsa strips they hold fine to cutting board or other surface if you stick 2 of them together. the minor bits of junk on them don't affect the sharpening effects.
Product ReviewPosted By: bob luhrs - verified customer
2 people found this review helpful
I use a 10k stone followed by balsa wood with .5micron ken schwartz boron nitride, and balsa with .1 micron ks boron. The edge on both white and blue steel comes up to a 2 inch pinch distance paper edge cut with ease. Don't think of balsa like the stuff from your model airplanes, this is hard balsa. Balsa ranges from 2.5 lbs/cu ft to 10 times heavier. This is almost like very soft pine, nothing like the balsa on kids toy airplanes where you can bite through it. Great stuff!
2 people found this review helpful
I use a 10k stone followed by balsa wood with .5micron ken schwartz boron nitride, and balsa with .1 micron ks boron. The edge on both white and blue steel comes up to a 2 inch pinch distance paper edge cut with ease. Don't think of balsa like the stuff from your model airplanes, this is hard balsa. Balsa ranges from 2.5 lbs/cu ft to 10 times heavier. This is almost like very soft pine, nothing like the balsa on kids toy airplanes where you can bite through it. Great stuff!
Product Review Product Review Product Review Product ReviewPosted By: Donnie - verified customer
3 people found this review helpful
VERY rigid. This can be good or bad depending on what you're expecting. There is essentially NO give on these. However, as a wood medium, it's excellent and completely free of natural defects. Seems to work well with the .5M chromium oxide paste.
3 people found this review helpful
VERY rigid. This can be good or bad depending on what you're expecting. There is essentially NO give on these. However, as a wood medium, it's excellent and completely free of natural defects. Seems to work well with the .5M chromium oxide paste.
Product Review Product Review Product ReviewPosted By: Aaron - verified customer
2 people found this review helpful
Very inexpensive form of strop. Works well with diamond spry. Soft to where if you want to try different pasts or such simply sand down and ready to go. And as always awesome service from Mark.
2 people found this review helpful
Very inexpensive form of strop. Works well with diamond spry. Soft to where if you want to try different pasts or such simply sand down and ready to go. And as always awesome service from Mark.
Product Review Product ReviewPosted By: Miles DeCoster - verified customer
2 people found this review helpful
I think this is the perfect beginners strop for someone interested in serious knife sharpening. The balsa is stiff enough to prevent edge rounding and the surface can be loaded and reloaded with all sorts of stropping compounds. Fantastic value.
2 people found this review helpful
I think this is the perfect beginners strop for someone interested in serious knife sharpening. The balsa is stiff enough to prevent edge rounding and the surface can be loaded and reloaded with all sorts of stropping compounds. Fantastic value.
Product Review Product ReviewPosted By: Mark - verified customer
2 people found this review helpful
I read a lot about the quality of Hand American (HA) products on Bladeforums. I'm so glad I tried them out. I applied 1 micron HA Diamond Spray to the Balsa Magnetic Pads for stropping and was wonderfully surprised with the results. It has clearly taken my stropping and edge refinement to the next level. Perhaps the ultimate level!
2 people found this review helpful
I read a lot about the quality of Hand American (HA) products on Bladeforums. I'm so glad I tried them out. I applied 1 micron HA Diamond Spray to the Balsa Magnetic Pads for stropping and was wonderfully surprised with the results. It has clearly taken my stropping and edge refinement to the next level. Perhaps the ultimate level!
