Another Dumb Strop Question

[Joe Chandler]

I was just wondering...I made a new strop today, and am in the process of dressing it. I dressed both the smooth and rough sides. Why couldn't the rough side be used in place of canvas? I know some people don't use the canvas at all, but you just need texture for more "grab", it would seem like the rough side of the leather would work, too. Maybe with a little jewler's rouge on it?

[AFDavis11]

Yes, it could. I'm very careful though about letting my little razor 4x4 (thats run on a bumpy surface) but some like to put paste on the opposite side.

[Joe Chandler]

Tried out the new strop. 25 round trips on the rough side (pasted with neatsfoot oil and jewelers rouge) and 25 round trips on the smooth side (dressed with Fromm's, and both the Clausses that were giving me a little honing trouble easily passed the hanging hair test. Yaaayyy! . The thinner blade caught the hair and literally split it up the shaft before cutting it in two. As impressive as that was, I figgered a bit more stropping was in order to get it to cut cleanly. I did, and it did. I that one of the Clausses is a half-hollow shoulderless, and doesn't hone the same as my others, which are full hollow. I think that's why it gave me trouble.

[AFDavis11]

Congrats...don't forget to clean the blade before stropping on unpasted leather. Great feeling isn't it! ??

[Joe Chandler]

Congrats...don't forget to clean the blade before stropping on unpasted leather. Great feeling isn't it! ??

I have a lint-free towel on hand for wiping before stropping (the razor, that is ). And yes, that feeling kicks ass. I still don't think I'm up there with Lynn, but I'm working on it.

[AFDavis11]

Ahhhh yea...Ok, you keep working on that! :-)