Thread: Woven polyester canvas?

I use an old guitar strap as a strop because it's 2 and a half inches wide and I have a few laying around. Works great.
But being new to this whole thing, stropping included, I see a lot of posts and vids where people are using some type of cloth, then following that with leather. I have seen a SR Designs video called "Straight Razor Stropping for Beginners that mentions a poly/web material they use for the cloth part of this.
I have an old nylon or poly strap that would work well in this application, possibly. Can anyone confirm that this material will work?

I'm unsure whether the folds and creases will have any impact, either.

There is only one way to find out. Wash it in luke warm water and Woolite. Hang it up vertically to dry with a weight at the bottom so it will dry straight without all those wrinkles. DO NOT iron it. It will either work or it won't

Thanks. I'll give it a whirl.

Cheaper nylong guitar straps are of a similar material to the poly webbing on the back of many strops. If you can get it straight and flat, it will likely work.

I will have to look at some of my old poly straps and compare the weave tonight when I get home.

rbaker, thanks. The strap's 3" wide, so it would be ideal.

Yes it will work, maybe.

You will most probably never be able to get all the dirt out. One grit imbedded in the weave can scratch and chip an edge.

Most probably it is not Canvas, canvas is a special weave of which one of the properties is it does not easily unravel like Denim does.

I make Polyester/Sail cloth strops that work great with just a cut edge. It unravels a bit but not much. You can make a bunch of strops from a yard of Sailcloth.

You can also buy pol/nylon strapping from most fabric stores for a couple of dollars a yard, 2 strops.

The finer the weave the better the performance/polish.

Thanks. As an aside, I have a canvas cloth for painting, used once, but pretty much clean and pristine. I would actually like to use some of this, but I'd have both edges of the strop that were cut with scissors. I wonder how long that would last before it frayed away?

Originally Posted by SRNewb

Thanks. As an aside, I have a canvas cloth for painting, used once, but pretty much clean and pristine. I would actually like to use some of this, but I'd have both edges of the strop that were cut with scissors. I wonder how long that would last before it frayed away?

I've been using a strip of artist canvas loaded with Dovo white paste for a year or so with no drama. It's cheap enough to replace even if it frays later but linen breaks in sooner.
Poly strap is variable. Some is as abrasive as Scotchbrite.

If you want a real piece of fabric for your back strop, member Dan Nathan sells a combo poly/nylon 3 inch fabric that is just as good as the poly strops. This 3 inch fabric is used for loadbinding on USAF transport planes. I have been using it on three different strops for the last 3 months+ with no problems and no scum buildup. It is a finer weave than the standard poly strop that everyone is used to. Has a lower noise level too.

It is very reasonably priced. Very. I bought 10 yds, didn't want to run short. PM me for his email address.

If it is a true canvas, a long time. I cut mine with a straight edge and Chrome Ox stropped utility knife and have one that is well over 2 years old, it has frayed very little.

As said, if it does unravel just make another.

If you use a polyester canvas do not use a flame to burn off the frayed threads, it will go up in flames like torch.

I cut the loose threads with a sharp scissor, do not pull them. Canvas has two threads in the weft as opposed to one that hold the weave togeather to prevent fraying. But, apparently not all cloth sold as “Canvas” is a true Canvas weave and is more a marketing term.

Canvas is great for paste. Notch the end and fold over a D ring and secure to itself with heat (clothing iron) activated fusing tape.