Thread: Help - Strop possibly damaging razor

I have 2 razors, and after stropping them, they both have "dings" in the exact same place on the blades. They're both full hollow as well. After stropping on the linen side, I went to the leather and these cut lines started to appear on the leather when I made each pass. After inspection, and trying a new blade on the strop, both blades had dings (more like a little spot of metal that wasn't aligned with the rest and would cut into the leather).

Can anyone tell me if I'm either stropping wrong, or there is something wrong with my strop (specifically the linen side)?


Thanks,
BSoD

I hat to have to ask this, but are you stropping with a "spine leading" action?

Second, take a tack cloth or a microfiber cloth, and run it over your linen and leather to see if it picks anything up.

Last, open your razors, and gently run your fingers from the spine towards the cutting edge. Can you feel anything "rough" on the cutting edge? Maybe you rolled an edge while stropping, and it's causing the lines on your leather side.

Just a few things off the top of my head......

If the strops leather/linen are smooth, with no bumps, lumps or irregularities it is not the strop. If the edge is leaving marks in the leather there is a ding with a divot sticking out is my best guess. If you have any divots in either strop fine sandpaper or pumice stone is all I know to do.

Could you have you bumped your razors on any of the metal fittings of your strop?