Thread: Building Draw and different strops

When I got my Dovo strop it had a slight nap and almost no draw. I applied Fromm strop dressing. Now the strop has a slick surface and does have draw. I like the draw. It gives me feedback on the edge. The draw increases as I strop, allowing me to lessen pressure and still get feedback. I know I am done when the razor is drawing on the edge, rasping/singing, and I am using very light pressure.

Yes, an excellent description. Exactly as I do it. Sometimes if this fails I'll just do a touch up honing instead of a shave test.

I'm presuming by draw you're talking about the increased resistance you feel, like a sort of sucking or dragging sensation accompanied by a swooshing sound?

I find when I start stropping the strop feels shiny and I get very little resistance or feedback, as I strop the resistance and the swooshing sound increases - I always assumed this is what I'm trying to achieve.

After Lynn mentioned conditioning strops with the oils from the palm of your hand, I tried it one morning and stropped immediately afterwards. The draw was there from the first stroke - a big difference. I now do this every day, maybe 10 strokes with each hand before I start with the razor. I don't know if it's the oils, the warmth, some change in the surface of the leather or whatever.

It certainly feels much "better" while stropping afterwards, but it's hard for me to quantify if it improves the edge or the shave quality. I think it does but maybe it's just me believing theres an improvement - very hard to say.

I have several stropps I alternate. Some have draw and some don't but in the end it makes no difference as far as the shave goes. Alan's right stropping does not sharpen the razor, just dresses it to give you a more comfortable shave which is why its important to stropp before shaving.

I think that if you have a stropp that does produce draw its a good indication the razor is sharp but if you have one that doesn't it means nothing at all.

I was under the impression that less draw is the choice of some of the stropmeisters here... IIRC. didn't vintage strops (even when new) have less draw? I thought so because Tony Miller said that his honey leather feels more like the traditional / vintage strops. (My red latigo has quite some draw and works fine; I must say when I apply more mink oil the draw increases even more)

You can still vary (apply more of less) pressure with less draw.

I figure more draw vs less draw can be likened to fast cutter - slow cutter? E.g. - for fine tune-up you would prefer slow cutter / less draw on the strop. When more action is needed, you go to a faster cutter / more draw. Would love to hear more from the meisters on this

Cheers
Ivo

Alan,

You're a military man. You don't spit shine your strops to increase draw???

Seriously, thanks for posting this thread. I've used the "hand rub" method and had good results, but this is a forever learning process.

RT

No Randy, I tried that. I was able to use the strop as a shaving mirror when I was done but it does not increase draw.

The strop in the linen side can be sharpening...

just remember Lynn DVD, he shows a linen strop almost black.....

the darkness in the linen side are small parts of metal.....

I'm finding this thread fascinating but a little confusing. If increased draw is an indication that you're done stropping and your razor is ready, then why do people want to use techniques (hand-rubbing, etc.) that create draw from the get-go?

I have a latigo leather from handamerican that has lots of draw, though I can't say I'm feeling it change much over the course of a stropping. I think perhaps I'm stropping ignorantly, just doing fifty passes or so keeping the razor as flat and light on the leather as possible.

It is my experience that when the strop leather dries out that applying some furniture leather dressing increases its draw. I also rub the ball om my thumb and little finger on the strop leather before stropping.

Tony Miller recommends neatsfoot oil on his Latigo, haven't tried it yet.