Strop Cross Contamination

[Rich]

I’m curious how everyone prevents cross contamination of your strops. I have put each one in a Ziploc bag.  This is helpful but not foolproof.  I would have to use a new Ziploc every time AND ensure that the stop orientation is the same as when it was removed.

I have also thought of wrapping in saran wrap but this brings the same potential contamination issues.

I will be storing everything in a hard case with foam and that has it’s issues if they are not protected…

[Snecx]

I have them in storage boxes, always with the grit orientations fixed (coarse to fine, bottom to top). Seemed to work pretty well.

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Organic

[Organic]

Snecx wrote:

I have them in storage boxes, always with the grit orientations fixed (coarse to fine, bottom to top). Seemed to work pretty well.

You’ve got a really nice setup there. I like the panavise modification and the lamps on either side.

[tcmeyer]

I think you’re better off keeping them in a hard box or tray, with something to tell you to always place them in the same orientation.  I think the best arrangement is with the stones and strops stored vertically, on pins.  Contaminants would seem to fall away from the stones.

This all assumes that the cross-contaminant is coming from the grit on the opposite side of the strop handle, but I don’t think you’d really notice 5 micron scratches when you switch to the 3.5 side.  Or any grit, since the grit from the coarse side is really pretty close to the size of the grit on the fine side.  I think the main source of contamination comes from stray grit or metal particles floating around the WEPS and/or on the blade itself.  An 800 grit particle, however, would show up like a sore thumb when you’re stropping.  This would be a good argument for keeping the working area clean by using a Swiffer duster or something similar to pick up all the loose dust and grit when you’re about to change grits.  I use mine with every ‘scope inspection and grit change.

I pulled out my old ceramic stones yesterday to attempt a restoration by lapping them on diamond film of equivalent grit.  I took photos of an edge I was using as a “mule” before and after and was surprised to see than one of my 1600 grit ceramic stones has a huge amount of contamination.  Lots of deep scratches.  Gonna have to take a closer look.

[Rich]

How about in the WE hard case or a Pelican Case?  I understand that paddles need to go back into the same spot but I would think strops need to not only be in the same spot but turned the same direction (or keep them in plastic).

[Marc H]

tcmeyer wrote:

I think you’re better off keeping them in a hard box or tray, with something to tell you to always place them in the same orientation. I think the best arrangement is with the stones and strops stored vertically, on pins. Contaminants would seem to fall away from the stones.

Something like these:

Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)

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[Josh]

I put mine in a ziplock, always with the two finest strops facing each other held tight, then wrapped tight and put in one of the plano boxes. I figure this keeps them pretty clean. Plus like Tom said you likely won’t notice a 1-2 micron difference, what I would be more worried about is cross contamination when you have them out of the bag (i.e. making sure your hands are clean, the blade and vise areas are clean, etc.).

[Molon Labe]

I built a rack for mine and made the spacing so they would not touch even if rotated.  I also printed labels for the handles so i could easily see what micron film or paste was on each.  The Diamond stones are in the base, but I am building another smaller rack just for them.  I want to keep the coarser ie. dirtier stones seperate from the fine lapping strops/film/cloth/etc.

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[tcmeyer]

I made mine with 2″ long, 1/4″ diameter aluminum pins spaced 1.5″ apart.

Since the photo was taken, I’ve rearranged them to start at the outsides and make them symmetrical.  This was suggested by another forum poster and it avoids needing to reach across the tip of the knife mounted in the vise.  Safety pays.

[Rich]

I finally have everything in a hard case. I decided to wrap the strops in a new sheet of paper every time I put them away.  This way they can not get cross contaminated. Simple. (I wish I had space to leave everything out and have the paddles on pins like you guys have shown.  Maybe one day…)

[Marc H]

Rich wrote:

I finally have everything in a hard case. I decided to wrap the strops in a new sheet of paper every time I put them away. This way they can not get cross contaminated. Simple. (I wish I had space to leave everything out and have the paddles on pins like you guys have shown. Maybe one day…)

I too tried that method. I used Saran wrap figuring it would hold tight since it clings to itself. I found the square holes in my WE Hard Case were just to tight and the wrap pushed off when sliding them in and out. When I tried to wrap it around to cover the bottom so it wouldn’t push off it, the paddle was so tight in the hole I couldn’t easily slide it in or out. From my experience you may need to cut some foam off around the sides to facilitate sliding the paddles in and out easily. I hope it works well for you.

Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)

[Mark76]

There happens to be a thread on this on a rack so the stones don’t even touch: https://knife.wickededgeusa.com/forums/topic/we-stone-racks-for-sale/

Molecule Polishing: my blog about sharpening with the Wicked Edge

[wickededge]

We’re getting close to releasing some strop covers to prevent cross contamination.

-Clay

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Marc H

[Marc H]

wickededge wrote:

We’re getting close to releasing some strop covers to prevent cross contamination.

Will the holes be left unhindered so we can still use a rack?

Marc
(MarcH's Rack-Its)

[Rich]

I look forward to their unveiling…

[Author]

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