Peachey's peachy peachfuzz remover

[David Barnett]

While on the subject of butts in the stropping thread, I was reminded of Jeff Peachey's improved aluminum substrates and holder (http://jeffpeachey.com/tag/knife-sharpening/) for 3M lapping films. Nifty. Comes with his horse butt strop, too.

If you just want the strop, order from TFWW (http://www.toolsforworkingwood.com/store/item/MS-HORSEST).

Of course, one can just buy the film strips and have at it on other substrates, but I like Peachey's toolmaking style and philosophy.

His 10th Commandment of Sharpening (http://jeffpeachey.com/2011/10/18/peacheys-ten-commandments-of-sharpening/):

Thou shalt not insult thy neighbor by insisting on the absolute superiority of any technique or system.

[Jim Matthews]

$225 + PSA backed adhesives?

I thought my diamond stones were expensive.

[David Weaver]

David - judging by the knives, I'd assume this guy is into bookbinding or something of the sort?

I've never used TFWWs butts, but got a horse butt strip a few years ago and made a razor strop out of some of it, and have enough left for another.

I have to disagree with one thing from the text - broken in horse butt that's used for a razor strop will outdo the palm of the hand, but it takes a couple of months of shaving and stropping for it to get there. Horse butt right off of the strip is a bit abrasive, but with regular razor use (and no dirt), you can literally see a reflected image on the surface of the strop. Horween's cordovan also exceeds the hand right away, but a #2 shell costs $225 by the time you pay for shipping. I bought a shell to try, too, made a strop out of the middle longest part and then sold the sides left over to a guy who makes watchbands.

Horween shell is fantastic by virtue of the process they do to the surface of it (which wears off after a while of heavy use - I haven't used mine that much but have seen others that have). Horse butt strips do the opposite, start coarse, but become what the horween is at first, and at about a fifth or tenth of the cost.

I employ the hand stropping technique that he shows with the plane iron, though. It's especially practical if the edge is pretty fine.

None of my thoughts about the horse butt and horween can be applicable to the shop, though, the leather can't be kept clean enough there to be able to tell the difference, no matter how hard one tries.

[David Barnett]

I have to disagree with one thing from the text - broken in horse butt that's used for a razor strop will outdo the palm of the hand, but it takes a couple of months of shaving and stropping for it to get there. Horse butt right off of the strip is a bit abrasive, but with regular razor use (and no dirt), you can literally see a reflected image on the surface of the strop.

Horween shell is fantastic by virtue of the process they do to the surface of it (which wears off after a while of heavy use - I haven't used mine that much but have seen others that have). Horse butt strips do the opposite, start coarse, but become what the horween is at first, and at about a fifth or tenth of the cost.

You're right. While there's nothing to compare with hot-stuffed and glass-slicked Horween shell butt, even that requires break in. Too pricey for a woodworking strop. Beautiful stuff to work, though. I still have a few small articles—eyeglasses and binoculars cases, and so on.

I've made strops from both soft and hard jacked butts and cut down actual break in time with prepping, but it's not really necessary. These days I generally go bare butt although I still use a couple older deeply charged strops that work beautifully after repeated scrapings and brushings. It's been a long time since they were last charged and I may never again put compound to them.


None of my thoughts about the horse butt and horween can be applicable to the shop, though, the leather can't be kept clean enough there to be able to tell the difference, no matter how hard one tries.Keep your butt clean. Always good advice.

Still have several large 5 oz. strips I bought from Siegel a decade or two ago. Haven't even seen a microtome in years. Mostly vibrating disposables nowadays.

Zack White's hard rolled butts (http://www.zackwhite.com/57-oz-Genuine-Horse-Hide-Butts-avg-2-3-sf--Z4507H_p_3954.html) are good value at around twenty dollars. As for hard versus soft rolled, the soft are plenty hard and easier to prepare—less break in. Soft doesn't really mean soft when it comes to horse butts. Calendering is a surface thing—not a flexibility issue.