what side of the strop?!

Hi all. i've been DE shaving for about a year now, with a view to progressing to straight. i've just received a dovo extra wide russian hanging strop in the post (no canvas, just leather). I already have a dovo best quality 5/8 and I'm ready to start practicing my stropping action. (i know it probably needs honed too - i don't intend to shave with it yet!) problem is, after looking through the wikis and various youtube videos/google searches etc, i'm still really unclear about which side of the leather you use - grained shiny skin side, or smooth dull flesh side? don't want to damage the edge...would appreciate any advice.

On a hanging strop you use the smooth side of the leather.

I've read that some people start practice stropping with a butter knife, just to get the muscle memory started. You can nick or cut the strop with a razor, and damage a shavable edge with poor stropping.

Good luck to you!

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Originally Posted by spendingcats

Hi all. i've been DE shaving for about a year now, with a view to progressing to straight. i've just received a dovo extra wide russian hanging strop in the post (no canvas, just leather). I already have a dovo best quality 5/8 and I'm ready to start practicing my stropping action. (i know it probably needs honed too - i don't intend to shave with it yet!) problem is, after looking through the wikis and various youtube videos/google searches etc, i'm still really unclear about which side of the leather you use - grained shiny skin side, or smooth dull flesh side? don't want to damage the edge...would appreciate any advice.

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The smooth skin side is the finish stropping side.
You can apply chrome oxide or diamond paste to the back.

In fact, you can strop with either side... the feedback
will be different and you might like one side more than
the other after it breaks in.

Apply the thinnest amount of strop dressing per application
on this type of leather. Because the top and bottom are
different it will take up strop dressing/ oil differently
and might cup a little at first. If it does cup, just use it --
it will even out.

Good question... BTW