Thread: firehose strops Filler?

I've been playing around with the fire-hose that I got from a fine member here and was thinking. It doesn't lay very flat. The edges seem to stand higher than the rest because of the roll over on the sides. I have some thick material/Cloth. Was thinking of trying to fill the inside of the fire-hose a bit with it. Just slip it inside and was thinking this might make it more uniform across the fire-hose as far as being flatter.

Has anyone tried this before? Figured if I used something very flexible like cotton material it should still be able to move easy. Didn't want to put anything hard on the insides. Comments?

Have you tried ironing it?

I've been using a fire hose for a while. When I first got it a had some concerns because, as you described it seemed to have raised edges and there were also high and low spots along most of the material. I tried a few things. I left the strop under a granite surfacing plate for a few days hoping it would flatten it. Its a double fire hose strop so I flipped the material so I was using the 'inside' of the hose (side without markings) so id be stroping over dimples instead of bumps. In the end I couldn't get it much flatter so I did some experiments which consisted of coating the bevel with renaissance wax, then stroping with the fire hose and inspecting it under magnification to see how well the bevel was being cleaned. Turned out the strop was removing the wax very well along the entire bevel. I thought the dimples and raised edge would have prevented this but since it seemed to be doing it's job I just left it alone. I know this doesn't specially answer your question concerning filler but I was on the same track and realized the strop was doing it's job as is.

Thanks for the explaination Matt. It made sense to me. I ha e tried ironing it but that really didnt do much for it at all. Ive got a drop cloth i ran across years ago i use when painting walls. Its thick window curtain and has a very wide area on the bottom that has been folded over and sewn. I might see if i can cut a strip from it (scrape off what paint might be on it) and use a yard stick to stuff it inside. Ill post some pics if i get around to it.

I figure the strop is doing what it should do. Im just picky i guess, wanting it more flat.

I had some concerns as well when I got mine off ebay, plus it was dirty. So, after every cleaning cycle, I would hammer the heck out of it with a nylon faced hammer. What worked a little better was a technique off of coticule.be for breaking in kanayama linen, where you basically fold it in half and roll the fold down the length of the strop.

Ill give it a shot. Cant hurt that for sure. Thanks dinnermint.

Have you tried washing/soaking it and then hanging it to dry with weights ? IIRC Geezer uses pant hangers and small dumb bells.

Originally Posted by Gasman

I've been playing around with the fire-hose that I got from a fine member here and was thinking. It doesn't lay very flat. The edges seem to stand higher than the rest because of the roll over on the sides. I have some thick material/Cloth. Was thinking of trying to fill the inside of the fire-hose a bit with it. Just slip it inside and was thinking this might make it more uniform across the fire-hose as far as being flatter.

Has anyone tried this before? Figured if I used something very flexible like cotton material it should still be able to move easy. Didn't want to put anything hard on the insides. Comments?

I have a 2 1/2" firehose strop that had the same problem but after a few weeks of daily use, the edges have flattened out nicely and now its as floppy as any strop I own.
The "X" strokes seemed to tame the edges down fairly quickly. Give it some time, just my 2 cents.

Filled with curtain material, Washed twice and ironed hard. Drying right now but they do feel better with the filler in them. Still a bit lumpy but they are not thicker on the edges now.

Gasman, thanks for doing ans sharing this research!
It is a very nice idea. I have never filled the firehose strops with anything cause i never seemed to have the need, much like MW76, I have checked with the microscope. If the strop was polishing all the edge and yes, i was, so i stopped worrying for the unevenness and the wrinkles some time ago.. you normally cant have it 100% flat.. but this is very nice idea indeed bro!

In fact, some of my japanese strops linen strops (you know, the old brown linen, not the new super stiff type that kanayamas come with now) are sort of a tubular strop just like the firehoses, and the sure come with some filler inside, much like what you are proposing here!!!

I´ll stay tuned to see your results man

Again, thanks for sharing!!