So I thought I would give it a go to make a denim strop. I figure if I failed, well I was was going to toss out those old jeans anyhow. Made by stuff I had around the house. Eye hole is just a coat hanger wire wrapped in to a loop and rewrapped in twine. If I keep it, I might redo it in leather for longer durability. I did not feel like making a leather handle at the bottom so I polished and glued a metal rod at the bottom. This way I can pull and have even tension as I hold the fabric taut. Rubbed some green paste on it and so far, it seems to do the job. What you gents think? IAN
Looks good Ian. I've never seen denim used for stropping but since linen is common, then denim isn't a stretch. Let us know how it works out and how the denim holds up.
That looks pretty good man. Please report back and let us know how it works and holds up. I was just looking at making myself a strop. If mine looks anywhere near as good as yours, I will be a happy camper.
I stole the idea from this place http://straightrazorplace.com/forums/workshop/40931-my-fave-way-make-linen-old-jeans.html I saw one some where else where the guy made a really Rube-goldberg like handle and hook. I figured I could make one better and it went together as I watched one two hour movie. (not counting glue dry time) It is a bit ugly looking now that I put some green paste on it and threw off the color scheme it had going, but that is the way it goes. I am reading alot about these diamond sprays and wondering if I should make one to use with that spray. Just not sure the spray is crucial. IAN
Good job! :happy096 Yeah, I wouldn't try making a strop out of girl jeans. You wouldn't get 10 laps out of them. :angry019
That is friggin schweet! It reminds me of my denim quilt when i was a kid! It was made from hundreds of squares of old jeans and sooooo heavy! But it was nice and toasty,especially with the windows open during the cold winters in Colorado!
Neat! First I've heard of them, but $40? OK, major jean rant from a short woman; 31 inch inseam on all PJJ's??? What the hey?? I'm not even 5 feet tall people. Woman are not all the same size! [/rant]
I'm very interested in a long-time usage report on that denim strop. Never heard of anyone using a strip of jeans-cloth as a strop before.
JoAnna, I feel yer pain. Women's clothing and shaving accoutrement are way overpriced. That's why my wife dropped the carts and went with the Lady Gillette. I can't help her with clothing prices, though. I wear a 28 inch inseam and have a hard time finding jeans with the right inseam to waist ratio. You can buy canvas and denim at Hobby Lobby. IIRC, you can get linen there, too. I think I'm going to make my own paddle strop. Leather on one side, Denim on the other. I bought some white denim from Hobby Lobby to use for shooting and cleaning patches for my muzzle loader. I think I'll use a strip of it on a paddle strop. I also bought a big chunk of blem leather from Tandy to make holsters/sheaths. It's a blem due to a couple of holes in it. Otherwise it's perfect.
The denim is folded over to make a sort of hiem (sp?). It is actually denim wrapped around another piece of denim cut to the exact size I wanted the strop to be. This gave it a bit of heft without being too stiff that it would not flow with the blade. I then take the back side of the strop and glue everything flat. I left it over night with some 2X4s pressuring it down. If what you mean is why does it not fray due to rubbing from the blade? Well, I just have not been using it more then a week, give it time. I have no solution for wear and tear. I will just have to make a new one should I decide this one served me well. So far I have no complaints.
You just answered my questions about how to make one. I like how you made it 2 layers with the top layer larger than the bottom, and hemmed over the bottom. I have some fabric glue that would work perfectly. I got my cheap Pakistani strop out and conditioned it, then applied mink oil to it. It's hanging in the closet to straighten out overnight. It has a cut in it that I hadn't noticed before. At least, when I accidentally cut it, I won't feel so bad. I'll just get some leather rivets or use some cutler's rivets and make a new one. I need to make a loop to attach to the swivel so I can attach it to the doorknob. I figure I'll use welding rod or coathanger. I have plenty of coathangers. I'm sure I can scrounge up some jeans that don't fit anymore. My son outgrows jeans almost as fast as we buy them. An old, heavy army jacket would be good, too. How about heavy cotton canvas? Does thread count matter?
I am not an expert , but I have read about Denim, Linen, Canvas, and wool. They are all so very different in texture. I assume as long as it is smooth enough to not have any speed bumps on it, your blade won't know the difference. Plus, the paste fills in the mini dips. Just don't go get the burlap of an old coffee bag shipped from who knows where. I would be willing to bet that is too rough. The inner layer of denim so far works well as long as I hold tension to it. I was almost afraid it would still be too flimsy. I might make a second one with a leather core instead, but i suspect the thickness of both the cloth and leather might make it too heavy. If I make one, I will let you know. IAN
