# cleaning leather hones



## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

Hi, how do you clean filing out of a leather hone after sharpening thanks


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## ksSlim (Jun 27, 2010)

Neat's foot-oil and and old tooth brush. Use oil to soften the honing grit, brush to remove filings.
After filings are gone, allow oil to soak into leather, reapply honing compound. 
This from an old saddle maker. Still using a hone board that I made new in 1970.


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

ok thanks


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## ClaudeF (Sep 22, 2013)

Depends on what you are sharpening…

I have a very thin suede leather strop that has never been "cleaned", as I see no need to do so Once every six months or so, I rub a little more compound on the strop. I'm a wood carver, so i'm only sharpening carving knives and gouges on my strop. I've recently switched to cereal box cardboard glued to a scrap bit of shelving, and compound rubbed onto the cardboard. It's even thinner than the leather and does a great job. It hasn't been cleaned in a year (cleaning would be replacing the cardboard). The problem with using leather and oil, in my opinion, is that the oil will tend to swell up the leather a little bit. As the blade passes over the leather during stropping, the leather will compress slightly, and then spring back up just as the edge passes. This will tend to round the edge and make the tool no longer carving sharp.

Only my opinion and experience. If leather and oil works for you, then good. Since switching to the cardboard, my knives seem to cut better…

Claude


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

thanks for the suggestion, I haven't tried the cardboard yet but I am. there are so many ways to sharpen I have to decide on a method and stick with that. I am ditching the arkansa stones for now, I have no idea of grit
'


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## Karda (Nov 19, 2016)

Hi,Claude I tried the cardboard seem to work well, how would it work on a grinder wheel, my grinder is powered by a slow motor thank Mike


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