Thread: Canvas side of strop

So what's the consensus on the regular use of the canvas side of the strop? In conjunction with the leather side before each shave, or limited to post honing? I've been doing 20 on the canvas followed by 40 on the leather...... but admittedly, a method I just pulled out of the blue. Others?

There's really no consensus; it's very much a matter of personal preference. Some don't use the canvas at all while others use it before the leather each time they strop their razor. I even read once of someone only using the canvas. I use the leather strop only for most shaves, adding the canvas when the edge no longer "catches" the whiskers or shaves readily.

I have not touched the canvas or linen of my strops. Probably because there is not much great outcomes I have heard with them unless you paste them ans such. I use balsa wood with pastes on each side.

For me the linen side is to clean the razor and not as a honing or resetting tool. A couple laps on it after a shave dries my edge. There are folks that say it ruins the edge etc. Everybody is different and who taught them, or the latest article they read is usually where the prejudice comes from.
YMMV
~Richard

The linen side of the strop is supposed to clean the blade and do some resetting.

I've got mine pasted with some white / grey Dovo paste, there is some debate about it, but it's a mild chalk like abrasive that will clean and does affect the sharpness of the blade, it can be used for everyday stropping.

There are a couple of threads here on the Dovo white / grey paste, for me, I noticed a difference, it seems to keep an edge well maintained, and if I get a blade back from being honed, or I've refreshed it, and it seems sharp / harsh versus sharp smooth, I find the pasted strop mellows it out quite nicely. Now, I'm fairly certain the linen side would do this anyhow.

Just got my old Dovo Best Quality razor back from honing, my first razor, 1/4 hollow, plowed through 3 days of thick beard no problem, good to have an old friend back, and really, what a great blade.

I'm certain now, my DD Goldedge and I have irreconcilable differences!

But gave the Dovo an aftershave strop on the linen and the leather, always been a good routine for my blades!

As the saying goes, YMMV, but I think the linen side is important, that why the strop came with one....hahaha!

Cheers!

I use a fabric strop as well as a leather strop, I have just used leather and.just used fabric, they all work but.you need to fluff around to see what you like. I do 50/50 but only because.I am OCD.

Thanks to all! I recently made what I thought was going to be a brief switch from DE to the world of straight razor usage. As of now I don't see myself transitioning back. (What a great forum.....)

Originally Posted by douglasdouglas

Thanks to all! I recently made what I thought was going to be a brief switch from DE to the world of straight razor usage. As of now I don't see myself transitioning back. (What a great forum.....)

You don't have to give anything up! Lot's of members here use DE's and straights, sheesh, lots here use DE's, straights and shavette's as well.

Me, I received a nice Gillette Aristocrat DE a couple of weeks ago, I'm terrified of the thing, old memories of DE's gone past, maybe in the future you can give me some advice on how not to slice my face off with the thing...that one ultra sharp blade peeking out of that handle, geez, I can just see the red cut lines starting to appear on my face!!

I am with Richard on this one,
I do some linen passes and a few leather post shave, and leather pre shave.
Yet another YMMV thing.

I like linen then leather (35/70) as I found the edge was better. Tried without linen but didn't seem as good. Using linen there was an improvement and leather improves this even more. Then again your results/strop/technique may vary. Ed