Leather Honing Belt

So, I just ran across something interesting and wanted to run it by everyone and get their opinion. I'm sure everyone is familiar with benchtop belt sanders and one size in particular is 1"x30". I was on E-bay and ran across a seller who has a leather honing belt designed for this size sander and is meant for honing knives and all sorts of edges and was wondering what you guys think about the use of this belt for stropping straight razors. I know you have to strop every time you have to shave and going down to the shop to strop your blade would be impractical but, I was think more along the lines of using it just when your edge needs to be touched up however often that is.

I'd think that it would build up way too much heat on a razor to be useful.

I see what you are saying, but I don't think it would work because they couldn't get the seam flat.

I had thought about that to and was thinking that a very simple and cheap solution would be a simple motor speed control to reduce the rpm's.

Every time the seam went past the edge of the razor, it would cause a difference in that part of the edge unless you had the entire edge on the belt. plus, I think you would risk turning the edge over. Theseus also had a good point about the heat, something to consider. If you try it let everyone know how it works out.

I never considered the fact that there would have to be a seam in the belt and your are 100% correct in the fact it would reck havoc on the edge but I would think that since it is made for honing that detail must have been addressed. I think I will contact the seller and ask him about that. As far as rounding the edge over my sanders has a metal plate behind the belt so I would think in that aspect it would be like honing in that the spine and blade are both touching at the same time.

I have a 2 x 72 Water Buffalo belt that I use with my Bader. It is fine for stropping, but you have to be really careful you stay on each side for the same amount of time. I have tried leather and cork belts out with different stuff like chromium oxide and diamond pastes. It can work, but you really need a light touch and to be precise on how much time on each side without recking the edge. The speed of the belt needs to be slow with all of this in my opinion as well. I've had better luck with the stropping vs. the results with using the abrasives. This is really fun to play around with for those of you with belt sanders.

So far.......the seams have not been problematic on these or screwed up any of my razors.

If it is the same seller,I buy 2 in. belts from him,he has them made for him.
The seams are almost imperceptable and with a small amt.of work with a DMT 325 on what seam there is would be just about invisable.
I think using a strop in the conventional manner is far safer tho.Huge diff between a razors edge and a knife edge.

I suppose if you could ratchet the speed on a well smoothed belt to about ??? 20ft per minute? more? less? I'm sure one of the resident rocket scientists would be able to calculate a safe speed to run a belt on. ANd like Lynn says, you gotta be precise!

Was there a YouTube Video showing a razor manufacturer using a machine drive strop? I have the picture in my mind and the narration being in a language other than English? Can't remember but is seems very very familiar

Or was it one of those tv program series showing how things were made?? Don't know?

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Originally Posted by Magpie

I suppose if you could ratchet the speed on a well smoothed belt to about ??? 20ft per minute? more? less? I'm sure one of the resident rocket scientists would be able to calculate a safe speed to run a belt on. ANd like Lynn says, you gotta be precise!

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In other than the most expert of hands,this could become the giant dremel of razor rapists:) not me man.

Yeah, what pixelfixed said. Such a tool could be useful under the hands of a professional who has spent a lot of time using it, and whose employer didn't mind that he ruined the first few blades as he learned. So, knock yourself out, use it on your least-favorite razors first, and be careful that it doesn't grab and throw one.

Unless you're sharpening and stropping a large amount of razors to be sold I would just stick to hand stropping. The time and effort to tweak everything to me wouldn't be worth it for someone just using them for shaving.