Thread: Hi from a newbie...

Thanks for the welcome and the advice.

I do already have a strop (and soaps, mug, and brush). One of the belts is leather, the other is some kind of fake leather material. I read a lot about canvas, I know the other material isn't canvas, I am not sure what it is...

Should I just strop on the leather side?

The other side might be good to strop on too. Is it an antique strop ? Some of them had a rougher side and a finish side. Usually it would say 'finish' on the one side or use this side first on the rough. One way or the other certainly strop on the leather side.

I just looked up the strop that I bought. Apparently it is canvas. It's not like the canvas I am familiar with though...

Use the canvas first then the leather. Here is an excerpt from a 1961 barber manual in the SRP Wiki help files. The last couple of pages have some good stuff to go with on learning to strop correctly. Their suggestion to practice flipping the blade between the tip of the thumb and forefinger on the strop without bending the wrist is especially good to get down before you start doing the motion. You're less likely to nick your strop if you have that move memorized.