Storing your strops

[Mark76]

Some time ago Clay warned in a topic about mirror edges that airborne particles (including pretty hard ones of up to 30 microns, iirc) could influence stropping results. Also a recent post by Tom showed that there might be considerable cross-contamination. I don’t know whether this was due to airborne particles, but knowing Tom’s precision, it wouldn’t surprise me.

I now store my strops in the open air on one of MarcH’s devices. At least there can be no cross-contamination between the strops.

But I wondered whether it wouldn’t be better to store strops in a close box with measures against cross-contamination due to strops that might touch eachother (or their storage material).

What do you guys think? And how do you store your strops?

Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge

[sksharp]

I have always stored my strops in the bags that they came in. I take for example my 4/2 emulsion strops and put the fine sides together always and insert both into one bag, fold the end over keeping the fine sides tightly together and then rubber band both ends so the strops can’t separate. I then store them in a tool box I bought just for this purpose. Holds 15 sets in the bottom and all the compounds in the top, completely separate from the strops. I only get one set of strops out at time, use that set, put them away and then get the next set I’ll be using out. I’ve always worried about airborne contamination because of the incredible mess when the stones were breaking in and the dust that was produced. I wipe the blade between each strop and wash my hands between each set of strops quite often. Probably overkill but that’s just who I am I guess.

So far I have had no evidence of cross or airborne contamination. I will be using a USB microscope more in the future so I’ll probably have more evidence  one way or the other to work with then.

I know that some store them out in the open air and don’t seem to have any problem. Also have seen people put the whole rack into modular storage drawers to prevent contamination as well. I also store my diamond, shapton, and ceramics as well as my newly acquired films on MarcH’s racks that he made for me. I think if your worried about airborne contamination that you could cover the entire rack with a clean cloth or plastic when they’re not in use.

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Gazillion

[Marc H]

Unless your WE Sharpening Station is in a dust bowl I think that airborne contamination on your strops is the least of any worries.  I keep everything in one very large rack out in the open air, segregated by areas, and have never had even a hint of an issue.  I continually work while visually monitoring with a USB Microscope at 250X and I’m yet to find any suggestion of cross contamination just exercising good common sense care with the stones and strops.

Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)

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Gazillion, Organic, sksharp

[Anarchy84]

I had Marc make me a stone rack and then purchased a Sterilite storage container for it. Works perfectly for preventing dust and cross contamination.

 

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Gazillion, sksharp

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