should I store my stones in the case with or without the bags or does it really matter?
You don’t need the plastic bags for the stones. If you have strops with various grit paste applied, those are better off in plastic to minimize contamination.
Welcome to our forum!
Welcome to the forum!
Welcome the the forum! As to the answer to you question, I completely agree with Alan.
Agree with all. If there’s nothing to protect your stones from, the only consideration is possible contamination. I traded off my strops to go exclusively to film, but before then I kept the strops in their original boxes.
When I started out, I bought a tool tray from Grizzly which could hold five pairs:
https://tcmeyer.smugmug.com/photos/i-vBv2Bwn/0/S/i-vBv2Bwn-S.jpg
When my collection of stones grew, I made a long block with 1/4" aluminum pins in it to hold the blocks and keep them from every touching each other. Another benefit is that I can keep left and right in the same relative positions and can keep them in a single vertical orientation if I wish. This way I can control which ends are used most heavily. I can also tell when one side or the other is performing correctly:
https://tcmeyer.smugmug.com/photos/i-9ppWq6h/0/S/i-9ppWq6h-S.jpg
Yes, it’s possible to snag yourself on the tip of a blade when reaching to exchange stones. I’ve been clipped a few times, but never when exchanging stones. Sometimes, having a hazard staring at you helps to keep you on your toes.
tcmeyer- Can you please upload of picture of it? I would appreciate it.
A picture of what? Both sets are shown as posted on my end.
I can see a place holder on my iPad that links to your Smugmug but I can’t open it. On my PC, I don’t see any photos or place holders?
I had just opened the SmugMug account and hadn’t yet gone thru the settings. Now I’ve changed them to public, so hopefully they’ll open correctly. Let me know if the link still doesn’t work. If not, I’ll probably have to repost.
I can see it now, many thanks!
I am looking to do something similar. I have seen a lot of ideas’s. So far, this one is the best.