Thread: need info about strops

ok i need info on strops. when u buy it is it ready to use or do i have to do something to it? what about when i sharpen the razor on it; is there supposed to be some kind of rough sensation or smooth sensation or am i suppose to feel anything? and when do i need to use strop dressing?

Hi,
There's a certain amount of preparation required on most strops. What make is it? What's the surface like currently?
It shouldn't feel rough when used. Illinois strops seem to require a large amount of work prior to use & are often rough when new.
What you should be feeling is called draw. Strops have differing amounts of draw & it's down to personal preference on how much you like. It doesn't affect the capabilities of the strop so much.
Strop dressing is used rarely & sparsely. It conditions the strop & some people never use it at all. I find it helps on a new strop right after you've prepared it. A little on your palm & rub it in. Get some friction going to generate a little heat & help it absorb.

It's easy to get tempted to start doing a bunch of stuff to a new strop (for me, anyway). Remember that it's hard or impossible to undo anything you do, so take it slow. You might start by just hanging it with a bit of slack, and rub it with your palm 50 or 100 times, maybe a couple of times a day for a few days. This may work it in and get some oils into it. Then, if it still feels too glassy-smooth to produce a "draw" then you can ask about a minimalist approach to strop dressing.

I'm with deepweeds on the palm of the hand treatment. Here in the SRP Wiki is some info about what to do with your strop. You could also go to the forum index and open the strop forum. Look to the right on the header and you will see a drop down menu that says,"search this forum". Keyword 'treatment' ought to yield some food for thought.

A lot of it depends on which strop you buy. Some are ready to use, some are a long way from it. Some makers supply instructions, but most do not leading to confusion on what to do.

Different types of leather require different care. Latigo typically needs no dressing, some plain tan cowhide strop do better when dressed and different leathers may do better with different dressings. Some of the cheap eBay found imports will not imrpove no matter what is done to them.

It is better to do too little than too much. If it's not broken, don't "fix" it.

Tony

What Tony Miller didn't say is that he sells probably the best strops made. If you are going to get a strop get one of his. They are ready to go out of the box. The only maintenance is rub it with your hands for about ten seconds a day.

Originally Posted by CraigJ

What Tony Miller didn't say is that he sells probably the best strops made. If you are going to get a strop get one of his. They are ready to go out of the box. The only maintenance is rub it with your hands for about ten seconds a day.

Big + 1 on that.