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I recently just got into using a straight razor. One of the items I understood needing was a strop. The sales person at AoS said I needed strop paste, which I see is recommended using. However, everytime I've used it it has left a black film on my strop. At first I thought it was something on the razor that caused it, but I've made sure the blade is clean, and it still keeps happening. The people at AoS said I can clean it off with a rag and warm water. Has anyone had this issue?
All that is ever needed on a new strop for daily upkeep is the rubbing of your palm over the leather. The natural oils in your skin will keep the leather supple. Strop dressings and oils are best reserved for rejuvenating old and vintage strops that have been neglected for a great number of years. If you look up strop maintenance on the forum you will get a great many threads dealing with the subject with as many views as there are pebbles on the beach. I know what works for me, I know what works for others. You have to read, digest and decide for yourself the best path of attack at maintaining your equipment.
The next time it happens can you take a picture of the razor and strop. Post the picture on the forum. This will make it easier for the forum members to offer their advice.
I get that, but doesn't the butting agent in the paste help maintain a sharp edge?
help me out here...what are we talking about?Quote:
Originally Posted by Brder4Life
Cutting agent not butting agent. Not sure how that got auto-corrected.
sorry, couldn't figure it out. There is a considerable discussion in another thread about pastes and sprays, but the short answer is MOST of us use them rarely to improve or smooth an edge that has lost a little of its sharpness or feel, not on a daily strop. We keep another surface (back of the leather or back of the fabric, for them.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brder4Life
Hello Brder4Life but where have you put stropping paste on?
Have you only cleaned the edge of the razor or also the spine?
Leather strops and water usually are not well match.
Please could you provide a pic?
Attachment 194964I put the paste on the leather side of the strop.
Black could be metal particles of your razor is the paste is abrasive one. Or the color of the paste spreaded on your strop
If strop is now abrasive you should have another without anything in order to just realign the blade and final smothering the edge
Are you using this as your daily strop. If so then the black will definitely be from the cutting action of the pastes removing metal from the razor. Now that you have pasted this one it is no longer good for daily stropping and you will need to get a new one for daily stropping that has had no treatment. Pasted strops are used sparingly when a razors edge strarts to drop off just to touch it up by doing 5 to 10 laps on the pasted strop.
I've been reviewing the info I other sections and have come to realize that now. Why does Art of Shaving tell people it can be used on their daily strop? The guy at their shop made a point of telling me I needed this for my strop.
Also, what can happen to the blade from using it on a pasted strop daily?
The simple answer to your first question: He's a salesman. They sell for profit. You buy, he profits.Quote:
Originally Posted by Brder4Life
Second question: You keep losing metal. Not much at first, but I'd say over a year's worth of time you'd decrease the width of the razor. Infintesimal loss, but it mounts up over time. Daily stropping on plain leather keeps your edge clean, aligned and shave ready. Pastes for final smoothing after honing and before stropping. Pastes for very occasional touch up between re-freshening and honing.
If it's any thing like most businesses then the salesman knows what the rep tells him and the rep says what the company tells him.
He could increase his business (and make the customer mooore happy) if he sold 2 strops and paste.Quote:
Originally Posted by eddy79
Anyway, yes, using abrasive will eat the metal of your blade/edge at each single pass and missing the UNstropped leather it will be not so smooth, this is my personal experience.
Stropping on pure leather will really improve your edge and your shaving without eat so much metal as a pasted strop do.
Buy another one strop, paste cannot be removed anymore in efficent way from leather without damaging it.
If you're pasting your everyday strop, you need to get another strop. A pasted strop should only be used when the razors edge needs to be refreshed, never on a daily basis.
You should return to AofS and tell them you were at best mislead, at worst lied to. I'd try to get a free strop from them.
As you have been advised, the salesman was following company policy in that he should recommend the 'paste' to add to the profit of the store; just like at a grocery store Deli in that you ask for 1/4 pound (4 ounces); and the clerk puts 5 ounces on the scale and either just packages it up or asks if (that' OK).Quote:
Originally Posted by Brder4Life
As far as your current strop/ you now have a 'pasted' strop;
Once a stop is pasted it is 'Pasted'!
For a daily strop you will need another.
Once you get a new one (PM me for some recommendations) leave it well enough alone! Even the blackboard chalk trick is that just a trick/ and it shouldn't be used on a daily basis (In my humble opinion).
Hang in there, crap like this happens, now you know better and will be able to tell others what you learned. :tu
Short answer....you need a new strop.
But. If you're enjoying the shaves, no worries.
