Strange strop

desmobob · Jun 7, 2003

I was given an old strop yesterday. It is made out of some very hard and stiff woven white fabric... fiberglass maybe?

I've learned how even impromptu stropping on my pant leg or cardboard can noticably improve the edge of a freshly-sharpened blade, so I'll be making a leather strop soon.

Does my strange strop have any value as a sharpening tool?

Thanks for any information,
Bob

desmobob · Jun 8, 2003

TTT...

Walking Man · Jun 8, 2003

You know, this question should be asked over at the
Bernard Levine ID forum
You'll most likely get a better answer over there.
MODERATOR, Where are you

rev_jch · Jun 9, 2003

canvas possibly? many old strops, and some new ones are made of canvas, or canvas backed leather (both sides meant to be used).

Cliff Stamp · Jun 9, 2003

The canvas side was usually loaded with a white paste, not very abrasive. Many current hanging strops have two sides, one canvas, one leather.

-Cliff

Don Luis · Jun 9, 2003

My 30+ years old dubl duck strop is two in one, like two strops joined together at one end, each with its own handle, one leather, one canvas, I believe the canvas is used after the leather to further polish the edge.

desmobob · Jun 11, 2003

Originally posted by Cliff Stamp
The canvas side was usually loaded with a white paste, not very abrasive. Many current hanging strops have two sides, one canvas, one leather.

-Cliff

Yup. It's a hanging dual-strap strop with loaded canvas as one strap and smooth leather as the other. The strop's leather strap says "ARABIAN CAMEL SHELL" on the top (with drawing of a camel) and:

PAGE BELTING CO.
-MFR'S-
CONCORD, N.H.
400
MONARK
TRADE MARK

I'm happy... it's in great shape. I can't wait to try it out.

Take it easy,
Bob

Walking Man · Jun 14, 2003

I just talked to someone at premiums knives about buying a strop.
The linen side is pretty much useless for anything but a straight razor.
I was told by the salesperson that the linen side is meant only to warm the razor so it takes the stroping better.
The paste is applied to the linen side, and is only to used to increase friction, and heat(I assume).
Can anyone confirm this?

Cliff Stamp · Jun 16, 2003

The paste isn't abrasive. After honing an edge on a belt sander I use the canvas side of the strop to remove the debris without effecting significantly the roughness of the finish.

Heating up the edge might make honing on the CrO (or whatever) side a little more effective because of a reduced tendancy for the abrasive to clump onto the edge as it would be melted a little by the heat.

A few passes on the canvas+paste also keeps the edge fairly clean and prevents dirt from infecting the finishing side of the strop.

-Cliff