Thread: Honing with a strop.

First for the original op if what you are talking about is trying to alter the leather it self to create different grits I don't think you will end up with the results you are looking for. If you go back a ways and read old post it has been mentioned multiple times that different texture leathers have been used before in-between a linen strop and a finish leather. I think it was an Afdavis post I read where he was trying to figure out why old barbers would use the different leathers and was using 4 or 5 strops a shave. I would really suggest going back and reading post on strops by Afdavis and neil miller some really good reads there.

As to pasted strops I have some really low grit diamond past that I have experimented with and have never been able to set a bevel on them. Microns I have tried 40, 28, 20, 18 and 9. So have always set bevels on a stone.

Now I have used dove green, red, and black to take a razor with a bevel to shave ready and have great results. Some of my sharpest and smoothest edges have come from these. I have also found the 9 micron diamond paste helps speed the process between bevel setting stone and dovo green. Can do this in a 1/2 hr most times if bevel is set if not add about 5 to 10 min more.

I have found four side paddle strops make a good way to use these with out taking up a boat load of room to store and having a consistent flat surface.

Here are my two main ones. they are both 11/2 in wide and 15 in long with about 11 in stropping surface. And we're made with scrap wood and old leather belt.