Thread: So, this white "strop dressing"...

...Hey all, been readin here awhile (this site is a GODSEND, no idea where I'd be if I'd never found it, and I've already PM'd with Ronnie Brown and Don, MUCH MUCH THANKS AND RESPECT to you two), finally got my razor kit from Excalibur Cutlery:

Straight Razor Accessory Set w/ Razor

Arrived today, and the razor had a thin coat of (Vaseline?) on it, rust protection I assume, so I wiped it off, rinsed the razor and dried it. I then stropped it up with the Bismarck strop in the set, but just the leather strop, not the white, (canvas?) part--it's a two-piece strop, one leather, one white material, both on the same swivel.

So I shaved, and it is a LOVELY shave--for the past few months, I've been shaving with those 5-dollar "straight razors" that have the inch-and-a-half disposable blade that you can buy five for three bucks. It's good and sharp, and I get BBS (my facial hair is MINIMAL, AND I shave every morning, two passes, WTG and ATG). My new razor's WEIGHT compared to that thing is huge, though, it's such a difference how the blade almost slides over my face by itself, the pressure I have to use is so little compared to the light disposable.

Sorry, got off the subject, but my question is this: the directions on the white dressing say to put it on the LEATHER strop, let dry for 24hrs, repeat. But I read on another site that the WHITE dressing is for the WHITE CANVAS strop, NOT the leather...? Also, I read that in stropping, the white canvas is first, then the leather. Is that the case, and should I use the canvas EVERY time, because I didn't this first time.

I apologize for the long-windedness of this, especially as a first post, but I'm pretty excited here now that I've actually got everything in my hands! Thanks for reading this, and I greatly appreciate any help. Meanwhile, I'll keep readin!

welcome

i'd say follow the directons on the actual container, not on a forum. the later may refer to a completely different product.
if the leather is supple and you like the draw i don't think there's any need to use the strop dressing.
try the canvas before the leather and see if it makes any difference.

+1 on what gugi said. The suppliers should know what they are selling!

White paste (sometimes called grey) is for the canvas side. The Dovo pastes all come in small white tubes, though, with a small band of tape to indicate the contents near the cap. The plain tallow-based leather dressing (just to maintain the leather - it isn't abrasive) has a thin yellow tape on it, for instance.

Regards,
Neil

Yep, what the others said. It doesn't sound, at the moment, like it needs dressing. Lovely shaves are lovely shaves, why interfere. Canvas/linen first, then leather. I do 25-30 linen, 50-60 leather (I like stropping and lose count every now and again).

...I appreciate the help, and yeah, I think I'll follow the directions on the back of the paste bottle!

And if you ever need to "resupple" the leather, try beeswax. The kind you put on your leather shoes. It works wonders.

From the photograph, it seems like Fromm strop dressing, see here. Not for canvas.


Regards,

McKie

Yeah, it is "Fromm's", thanks, McKie. Do I EVER need to paste the canvas part, or that's good without?