What's New?
ShavingUniverse.com

Register a free account now!

If you are registered, you get access to the members only section, can participate in the buy & sell second hand forum and last but not least you can reserve your preferred username before someone else takes it.

Fabric strop

M

mysteryrazor

Well-Known Member
I have noticed that some fabric strops are flattened tubes. These strops resemble sections of fire hose. I remember seeing fire hose about this size at school in fire stations at one end of the hall. That goes back quite a few years so I do not know how accurate that memory is.
 
BlacknTan

BlacknTan

Well-Known Member
You're memory is quite accurate, Jay! I remember that also..

But, as I remember that canvas was extremely heavy duty. I don't know if schools still have them or not... It's been a while since I've been in one! I probably paid more attention to those hoses, and whatever was going on out the window than what a teacher was attempting to instruct.
 
Emmanuel

Emmanuel

Well-Known Member
I have one tubulus fabric Jay is 3" w.,but is 5 mm thick .It is not bad ,is very shoft .If you like i can post pictures.
Best regards
Emmanuel
 
M

mysteryrazor

Well-Known Member
I have noticed before that some strops were tubular and they looked like fire hose. I just had a lot of time to think wile I was cleaning the half dozen strops. I have a lot to do this coming week. I would like to stop in at the fire house and ask about the hose. It would be interesting to find out if it comes in small sizes.
 
vgeorge

vgeorge

Well-Known Member
Jay,

I just checked and discovered that one of my fabric strops also is tubular like a fire hose!! It seems to be canvas without any inside rubber lining, although the print outside says linen! Interesting!!

ADDED LATER:

Well, the
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
says:

[box] Around 1895, unlined fire hose made of circular woven linen yarns began to replace leather hose. It was certainly much lighter. As the hose fibers, made of flax, became wet, they swelled up and tightened the weave, causing the hose to become watertight. Unlined hose, because of its lack of durability, was rapidly replaced with rubber hose in municipal fire service use. It continued to be specified, however for use on interior hose lines and hose racks until the 1960s[citation needed], and is still used in some areas for forestry applications. [/box]

So, mine may be linen after all!!! If you find some source for the 'forestry applications' let me also know.
 
M

mysteryrazor

Well-Known Member
I called the fire station most of their hoses are lined. I have some feelers out to see what is available. I am busy preparing to cook for a TWA retirees lunch tomorrow. The strop is on my to do list.
 
M

mysteryrazor

Well-Known Member
Called American hose. That is called the jacket and they only make it in Poly now. Also called National webbing they do not make 2.5 inch canvas webbing but it can be made on special order $250 min order.
 
vgeorge

vgeorge

Well-Known Member
Jay - somewhere there is a source for linen tubes. Based on my research, Canadian Forestry Dept (and US too) extensively use this. It may be commercially known as "Flax Hose."

For all I know, it may be made in China or India.

Where is Chris when we need him? ;)
 
wdwrx

wdwrx

Well-Known Member
Haha. I did spend two summers planting trees in BC, and another year and a half counting trees on the eastern slopes of the Rockies, came away with a bear story or two, but, thankfully, was never involved in any fire-fighting!
I have done a few google searches in the past in the past, but all I ever came up with was some cotton webbing in huge quantities, good widths, but huge lengths, and lots of money.
Someone should get a call out to Torolf, he's got a Textiles background and I'm sure would know much more about it than I would. Heck, I'm a red-neck! i didn't even know you could buy a linen shirt... most of mine are polyester!
 
Emmanuel

Emmanuel

Well-Known Member
Oh. If you like to find a tubular linen to morrow ill post pictures giving the supplier for 2,5 " . OK ?
Rgds
Emmanuel
 
vgeorge

vgeorge

Well-Known Member
Thanks, Chris!

[box] It [x]unlined fire hose made of circular woven linen yarns[/x] ... is still used in some areas for forestry applications. [/box]

Torolf might have a high end source. [x]Ya, I know, possibly Versace and Torolf might be sourcing from the same company.[/x] We need a blue-collar source.

[small][sub]We don't really need it, but we cannot help ourselves. [/sub][/small]
 
wdwrx

wdwrx

Well-Known Member
I'd be interested in a group buy if anyone comes up with a good source. Not for any real reason... mostly just because i can't help myself.;)
The fire hose I've seen seems as if it would have a nice texture, and weight, if only it was in a material I had any faith in. I've experimented with some cotton canvas, but I can't say i'm really impressed with it, but I really should do more with it before I write it off. it was never a good candidate for strop material because it wasn't tubular, which i think is key if it can't be woven with a heavy enough weave like the Kanayama.
 
life2short1971

life2short1971

Well-Known Member
If you find a source I would like a fresh piece. I have a vintage strop with a piece of the hose and it is like stropping on fine leather.
 
wdwrx

wdwrx

Well-Known Member
This is it:
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
It's all I can find.

It is exactly as I thought; the only place to find this stuff, I figured, would be to salvage it from an old building.
My google-fu has turned up this lone eBay sale, hundreds of misspellings of the word "flex", and very old references. I have a feeling that this stuff hasn't been made since the '50's.

Near as I can tell, this hose in the auction might yield 22, 20" lengths. Fewer if one cut at a place other than the fold, but the fold might be permanent after having hung there like that for 60 years. So that would work out to $6/length (if the auction stays at that current price)
Normally, I can spend $140 without even leaving the house, but this seems like a bit of a gamble... it might suck as a strop, and then how the hell would we unload the other 21 lengths? Plus, then we'd have wrecked a nice antique.
 
life2short1971

life2short1971

Well-Known Member
Come to think of it I have seen some Canvas tarps at Tractor supply Company and Lowes that were heavyweight. Not expensive either. Hmmm I have to go to town later if they have one in stock I may pick it up for testing purposes.
 
vgeorge

vgeorge

Well-Known Member
Fantastic, Chris! :thumbup:

I just asked the seller if he will consider selling just the hose without the fittings. The seller might have other options for the metal fittings.

I think it would really work as a fabric strop. The surface will be still pretty unpolished.

Absolutely great find!

Long term prospects, I found this:
Please, Log in or Register to view URLs content!
.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Top