Thread: metal filings on my paddle

I was sharpening a lawnmower blade in a vise on my workbench with a file today. My SRD modular was out on the bench, but about 2-3 feet away, with the leather side up.

Later after honing a razor, I picked up the strop and it was covered with metal filings! I brushed it lightly with a damp paper towel, then a dry one, then palm rubbing. Then I used it.

Results seem okay. No huge scratches or chips that I can see. I guess it's fine but I'm a little freaked out.

Does anyone have an idea about this? Should I just keep using it, clean it a certain way, or replace the leather?

Michael

Maybe get some new leather and re-cover?

Well steel is not terribly abrasive (steel on steel)
IMO with a stropping motion it could be OK since you did
wipe it clean before subjecting it to something that
would push the steel filings into the leather.

I would use it lightly and if I hear or feel bits I would deal with
them. One or two I would dig them out,,, lots I would toss the leather
and replace with new.

You are the only one in a position to see what is needed.
Use your best judgement.

I have some strops that got "stuff" on them and it
can take a while to get them right.

For me cleaning strops often begins with common
heavy brown paper -- from grocery bags --
and rub the surface. When a strop needs more abrasion
I have found that my trusty DMT works. Sand paper and
pumice are less than ideal IMO.

Steel wool and a brass suede brush seem OK. If have used
both but leather that needs this much should mostly be
passed on.

If the steel was not stainless it will oxidize and
eventually vanish.

So for the next time.... Hunt some parchment paper
to wrap your hones and strops in it if you keep them in
the shop. Plastic bags have their place but risk problems
because they keep things like man made hones from drying
slow and steady.

on a similar note, i was refinishing an old loom strop, and i think i got a few bits of grit embedded in it.. i stropped the bejeezus out of a razor to see, and shaved with it .. seemed alright even though i could see scratches in the bevel from stropping under a 10x loupe.. ive considered putting it to use anyway, as if the edge gets too bad over many many shaves it can just be rehoned.. i'm hoping the grit will get polished through use, and become to dull to cut much.. anyone else have experience with sandpaper grit in their strop?

i've considered "burnishing" the strop, but not sure what material to use other then a razor.. like you said carbon steel will oxidize away and not be much of an issue.. i think a glass bottle is out as glass can be harder then steel and glass dust on a strop doesnt sound good..

i may try to take out the bits i think i can see with a pin.

wish i had figured out how to use my dmt8c to resurface it right off the bat.

Recently started playing with CBN strops and when you get to that level of stropping and “pastes” any airborne dust becomes a contaminant. I suspect… in fact know, if any of us wiped our stops with a clean cloth and an attractant, water, oil or leather cleaner then looked at the cloth under a microscope we would be amazed at the Cr** on your strop. All that translates to the scratches we see on the magnified photos of peoples bevels.

Clean the strop with a good leather cleaner and a clean cloth/paper towel, rubbing in one direction. Keep cleaning until the towel is clean. Then inspect the strop under magnification and test the strop on a clean and polished bevel of a kitchen knife, (stop the knife on a leather or Nylon strop, pasted with Chrome Ox or Polish to polish the bevel) look for new scratches on the bevel.

You can also lightly sand the strop with a high grit diamond plate and or burnish the strop with a sharp kitchen knife lightly held at 90 degrees to the strop flat on a flat table.

At this point you don’t have much to lose, but I think you can get it clean. You also may want to re-think strop storage.

Good Luck

Euclid,

I'm much more of a "use it and see what happens" type. So I used the strop and it works just fine. The metal must have come off the strop cleanly. I worried over nothing.

I have a multi-file folder that I keep my modular pads in. Since this incident, I'm much better about putting the strop away after use.


Michael

You could brush the leather pad lightly with a magnet. It wouldn't hurt anything and might attract some filings out of it.