Dakota Day Trader
Well-Known Member
While I was cleaning up my desk today, I ran across a few old USPS Priority Mail Flat Rate envelopes and an idea hit me that I wanted to share.
After reading a lot of the great info on here, as well as watching the @Kippington videos on stropping with paper/cardboard, etc., I decided to check out the carboard used in one of these envelopes. I know a few members have mentioned cutting up cereal boxes, but this stuff is a bit thinner and easier to work with. I was looking for something to throw in the traveling sharpening kit that would work with a stone holder, and here's what I came up with...
First I cut up the envelope just inside the seems so everything was dead flat. Each envelope will yield about 6 stone sized (8 x 3) rectangles. You actually can get more if you go a bit under the 3". Just going with about a 2.75" will give you 8 total. I used my wife's paper cutter to get nice, crisp and even cuts on these:
Now on to my idea. I wanted something I could put over the top of a stone, or plate, but wouldn't get glue or tape on either. I decided to take about a 3" piece of packing tape, fold it over, and attach it to just the edges of the small ends of rectangles, thus creating little "tabs". The tabs are not sticky, and this design will allow me to quickly remove and reapply the strop as often as it lasts. Here's what I mean:
Now all you have to do is tuck the tabs under the stone or plate (I like the diamond plates) in your stone holder and BINGO - instant STABLE, yet removable cardboard bench strop made from something that most people will have in their office, or will get delivered right to their home.
And if you make these *slightly* smaller than the plate, you can store all the extras in the box the diamond plate came in.
I gave one of these a try in today's sharpening session and it worked great.
What do you guys think?
After reading a lot of the great info on here, as well as watching the @Kippington videos on stropping with paper/cardboard, etc., I decided to check out the carboard used in one of these envelopes. I know a few members have mentioned cutting up cereal boxes, but this stuff is a bit thinner and easier to work with. I was looking for something to throw in the traveling sharpening kit that would work with a stone holder, and here's what I came up with...
First I cut up the envelope just inside the seems so everything was dead flat. Each envelope will yield about 6 stone sized (8 x 3) rectangles. You actually can get more if you go a bit under the 3". Just going with about a 2.75" will give you 8 total. I used my wife's paper cutter to get nice, crisp and even cuts on these:
Now on to my idea. I wanted something I could put over the top of a stone, or plate, but wouldn't get glue or tape on either. I decided to take about a 3" piece of packing tape, fold it over, and attach it to just the edges of the small ends of rectangles, thus creating little "tabs". The tabs are not sticky, and this design will allow me to quickly remove and reapply the strop as often as it lasts. Here's what I mean:
Now all you have to do is tuck the tabs under the stone or plate (I like the diamond plates) in your stone holder and BINGO - instant STABLE, yet removable cardboard bench strop made from something that most people will have in their office, or will get delivered right to their home.
And if you make these *slightly* smaller than the plate, you can store all the extras in the box the diamond plate came in.
I gave one of these a try in today's sharpening session and it worked great.
What do you guys think?
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