Thread: Fire hose strops

Hey guys. Got a question about old fire hoses.
How wide were these.
Did they have a rubber core inside.
Questions being, i might have found some, and wanted to ask if it was the right stuff.
Its about 4" wide when flat.
Woven material outside, nylon type, not for sure.
And a rubber core inside.
I'll get pics sometime today.

Thanks
Mike

Originally Posted by outback

Hey guys. Got a question about old fire hoses.
...snip...Thanks
Mike

Early fire hoses were made of heavy cotton or linen thread, tightly knit into tubes.They were knitted as a tube and can be knitted as a tube or flat. There are companies that make various knit tubes and flats and sell them for various purposes. Only problem, you may need to buy 2000 yards or more to get some. What we now know as fire hose is a rubber or Gutta Percha and now plastic lined knit tube of modern materials which stand up to the job.
I received this information from a guy that did a study and collected a lot.
~Richard

I was told many moons ago that it might just gave way too many impurities to chance it, my son got me a hose, !( lots of fireman paramedics in the family) so I still have it and haven't done anything with it , buts it's cool! Tc

Here are the pics of the hose in question.
It is double walled, the inside wall has vulcanized rubber the outside is material

I know nothing about firehouse but I would not put one of my blades on that.

If it has been used as a fire hose and drug over the pavement there could be embedded gravel which might not wash out. JMO

Thats why i would use the inside of the outer case.
To my knowledge it was never used, except the pieces we cut off of it years ago to cover the chains on our boat lift. Protection for the gelcoat finish of boats.
Other than that, its been sitting in a building for the last 16 yrs. Maybe 20, but 16 for sure

Why not sharpen one of your practice blades and strop it with the hose and see what happens. Please let us know how you fare.

Fire hose would have to be clean for use with a straight. All shiny and new.

Originally Posted by RezDog

Fire hose would have to be clean for use with a straight. All shiny and new.

That's why mine is still in the garage ,, and it's a fairly new piece that they kept clean at the academy for training purposes , but it's still been dragged around and sat with dust on it for years, tc

If it is still new but a little shelf dust on it toss it into the washer. We had a small piece at work that was left over from making chaffing gear and I put it in with my laundry and it came out quite nice, too small for a strop, but it made nice hinges on a box.