I prefer not to apply a second compound grit on old strop leather. You could never be sure with unexpected results whether that was due to bad technique or contaminated old leather. It’s easy enough to replace the leather strips. You can adhere the new leather with a hot glue gun or compound cement. (“airscapes’ the forum member who makes the strop and stone covers attaches new leather strips with double sided carpet tape)**.
I had a set of Balsa Strops, early on. They are touted as being stiff or hard, and non-compressing. I found the balsa wood to flake and peel apart in thin layers leaving an uneven surface with rough furrows. I prefer to use the cow leather strops for most of my stropping. My results are consistent and predictable. I save the other strop mediums for the finer grit compounds. The kangaroo leather is thinner, smoother, less compressing and also more expensive. The nano cloth I reserve for the ultra fine grit compounds. I generally use at least a 4µ/2µ strop pair on every knife I sharpen. This is for enhanced sharpness and improved cutting. If I was striving strictly for an ultra polished mirrored bevel I look to use kangaroo and nano cloth. The nano cloth supposedly can be washed out. I can’t attest to how well or how thoroughly it comes clean. When you’re dealing with ultra tiny diamond abrasives it hard to know.
The best tip I can share for stropping is to clean you knife well before stropping. This is an attempt to remove and steel dust that will embed on the strops and turn them black. I use a microfiber towel with rubbing alcohol. The bevel shoulder seems to be a collection place for the steel dust so I wipe it horizontally and thoroughly. The next suggestions is to always wash your hands after cleaning the knife before stropping and again between grits. It easy to collect stropping compounds on your finger tips when using the strops and transferring it to the knife sides or cross contamination the strops.
**I try keep all the strops I’m not using covered and the side I’m holding in my fingers, is also covered.
I suggest you read the section on “How to Strop” in the W.E. Knowledge Base to help you learn the technique. Stropping is separate skill set from sharpening.
.
