Blank Nano-Cloth Strops Pack

[ken vanderhamm]

Has anyone used these and is there any real advantage over the glass with diamond films or leather? Are they worth the $$ ? I am putting together a package and trying to decide what is necessary and what is just exotic. Also, how long do they last? Thanks for any comments,

Ken

[Todd Simpson]

Nanocloth is a excellent polisher if you want a true mirror finish. Likely you would need a microscope to distinguish this finish from those produced by stropping on leather or honing on sub-micron film. The strops should last a long time if you don’t cross-contaminate them.

This is the type of polishing cloth used in the final polish of metal for metallurgy and microscopy work.
You could also find similar material (search for Alpha-A polishing cloth) with PSA backing and put it on a blank platen.

[ken vanderhamm]

Thanks for the reply Todd. Can you comment on the kangaroo strops, what is the advantage of using that instead of a good quality cow hide or horse leather for stropping, with or without diamond spray? Is it just a money issue, profits, and marketing, as kangaroo leather will cost many, many times as much as cow leather? Thanks again for your input,

Ken

[Todd Simpson]

Kangaroo isn’t that expensive. I bought 6 large strips of kangaroo tail leather from the fellow on ebay – it worked out to about $10 each with shipping. Some had more creases and blemishes than others, so finding a ‘perfect’ piece could drive the cost up.

The fibers in kangaroo leather are no finer than in other leathers, but they are more interwoven. I believe this is why the leather is so tough and pliable. On a paddle strop it is nearly as firm as wood. Anecdotally, I have had some outstanding results with 0.25 diamond on a kangaroo paddle strop. A well prepared strip of cow hide (actually processed into a strop) is likely just as effective and likely costs about the same.
I have not personally used the WE leather strops, so I don’t know how compressible they are.

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