Fire Hose Strop

[BBS Kirk]

I just bought one and I’m super excited to test it out. I heard great things about fire hose strops. I heard it refines the edge a lot better than typical linen. Love this hobby!

Please share pics of your fire hose strop and your thoughts. I’ll share pics on this thread when I receive it.

 

[Adonay]

Cool topic. Some time ago I tried to make a fire hose strop to use, but I didn't get good results. I found the strip too hard, I tried using my diamond 1000grit plate to soften it but it didn't solve the problem. Does anyone have any tips to smooth it out? Feel free to pvt me. Thanks.

 

[BBS Kirk]

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

“Does anyone have any tips to smooth it out?”

Yup

You must wash it, and not just toss in the washing machine. You must get all the fine dust out from between the weave. I soak in soapy detergent, (dollar store hand wash soap), overnight and scrub with a stiff brush, then soak in water and vinegar to remove all the soap from the weave.

Soap attracts dirt, so you have to remove the soap to remove the dirt. Repeat until your rinse water is clear, usually a week of soaking, scrubbing, and rinsing, and that is NOS never used fire hose.

If you do not get all or most of the dust out of the weave you have a pasted strop of unknow grit and grit size.

Once you have it clean, roll it on a hanging rolling pin, (thrift store) I hung a pin from my garage door with paracord. Roll when damp, not wet every ½ hour until dry. Increase the rolling angle and pressure, as it dries, stop if you feel cracking, roll too much when wet, you will break fibers. Rolling will also make the strop soft and supple. It will also stretch the hose by loosening the fibers and weave. My strop is as floppy as a sock.

Rolling also works on leather strops, but that is another post…

I use vintage flax fire hose to strop on between stones and after jointing with excellent results. For daily use I strop on well washed vintage Kanoyama flax linen but polishes well. It is less aggressive than firehose.

 

[Zhang Doe]

“Does anyone have any tips to smooth it out?”

Yup

You must wash it, and not just toss in the washing machine. You must get all the fine dust out from between the weave. I soak in soapy detergent, (dollar store hand wash soap), overnight and scrub with a stiff brush, then soak in water and vinegar to remove all the soap from the weave.

Soap attracts dirt, so you have to remove the soap to remove the dirt. Repeat until your rinse water is clear, usually a week of soaking, scrubbing, and rinsing, and that is NOS never used fire hose.

If you do not get all or most of the dust out of the weave you have a pasted strop of unknow grit and grit size.

Once you have it clean, roll it on a hanging rolling pin, (thrift store) I hung a pin from my garage door with paracord. Roll when damp, not wet every ½ hour until dry. Increase the rolling angle and pressure, as it dries, stop if you feel cracking, roll too much when wet, you will break fibers. Rolling will also make the strop soft and supple. It will also stretch the hose by loosening the fibers and weave. My strop is as floppy as a sock.

Rolling also works on leather strops, but that is another post…

I use vintage flax fire hose to strop on between stones and after jointing with excellent results. For daily use I strop on well washed vintage Kanoyama flax linen but polishes well. It is less aggressive than firehose.

View attachment 1323681

Thanks for the detailed steps. I just received a firehose strop in the mail. It is stiff, somewhat waxy and a bit lumpy (due to the stiffness of the material, I guess) and I definitely wouldn't want to strop on these speed bumps. Mine has removeable screws, so washing and soaking should be relatively easy.

 

[H Brad Boonshaft]

Takes about a week of soaking, scrubbing and soaking in rinse water to get all the dirt/dust from a NOS fire hose strop. The fine dust gets in the weave, and you must get it all out or will act as an abrasive, of unknow grit and grit size.

You will know the strop is clean when your overnight rinse soak water is crystal clear.

Rolling the strop from a hanging rolling pin will make it soft and flat.