Fire Hose Linen

Yes - why?

Bleach can change the fibers integrity.

I think any chemistry could probably mess with the fibers.
I haven't had any issues though. I don't use high concentrations of anything though.

So far I'm liking the SG to start off the gunk removal and then TSP with Oxy Clean long-term soak in the washing machine.
Using a stiff brush after the hose is soaking for a couple of hours helps get the crud out of the weave. That's actually one of the most important steps.
Letting the hose dry between cleaning cycles helps the cleansers in the next round work better.

Got some wider leather to make a bolster for the very wide hose strop - added a swivel snap hook.
That's a prototype bolster, I freehanded the cuts - I'll take it off and refine the geometry a bit further for the 'real' one. Proabably use it as a template to make a few more so I can set a few strops up with my newly formulated strop paste.

TimS said:

I contacted him via his Etsy shop with that exact question, and never received a response. Too bad; might've bought one if he answered me.

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Hey! I never got the email inquiry through Etsy, otherwise I would have gladly answered - that I don't know! I tried many different hose weaves, and this one worked best. It appears like a cotton, linen/flax blend, perhaps with some jute. It gets very stiff when wet, and my fabric-expert friends tell me it must be some jute in the weave, which swells and thus stiffens the hose. Who knows? At any rate, the supplier has no more, so have have 100 sets of the leather and chrome fixture left.

John

Personally - I've not been too impressed with the cotton/linen blended weave hoses that I've tried.
After trying 5-6 different sample pieces of a few different blends, I've found that I'm best served by the full on effect of the 100% flax fiber weave. Non-intuitively, the coarser/heavier the weave and fabric the better I like the performance.
I guess that's not too suprising given my previous 1st fave was/is the Kanayama canvas.

Haggises said:

I just asked my fire fighter colleague if they ever retire old hose to let me know

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My wife works for a sprinkler company. they have several old hoses in their warehouse. Might be able to get a roll of 4" that looks similar to the pictures posted, minus the stripe (this one is green). I will definitely post here if I snag it. I am intrigued at making my own canvas strop, even if it is a little wide.

4" seems a bit wide, if the weave has even a little stretch it 'might' be difficult to keep it evenly taught.

I haven't been able to locate a cotton hose. I can get all the nylon hose I want. How did you find cotton or did you?

Mine isn't cotton - it's Flax Linen. I have cotton webbing, but I only use it for testing pastes - I don't think a cotton hose would be something i'd get into. I tried some of the cotton/linen blend hose and wasn't really into it. The flax hose is pretty special, but it's all very old stuff and cleaning it takes time/effort.