table strop

ok well i ahve posted my probs on the honing section of the forum and now i jsut got my table strop

sorry but i do not know the maker or even how to use it

Mr. Ayers at vintageblades told me what i bought but that was last monday and i totally forgot about it--didnt even know that the mailman tried to deliver twice:shrug:

anyways

how does one use this thing???

thanks

btw do i need a paste for the strop to be any good? do i use it the same way a hanging strop or a stone??

It will depend on what kind of covering is on the strop. Is it a balsa strop or leather covered? Depending on the covering that is the result you will obtain. It can be used as you would any other leather strop or you can paste it and use it to sharpen a razor just that it lies flat on a tabe or workbench. I have one from Tony and its great.

well it has a light leather on one side and a darker leather on the other

do i do an X pattern ?? because the table strop is large enough to not have to do an x pattern

but if it is recommended to do an x pattern please let me know

also

what paste is recommended?? i saw a variety of pastes for strops on classicshaving.com and i do not know which one to go with as a beginner

also

if i do paste it with something is it ok to put it on its back when i use the other side ??? whether pasted or not--or vice versa??

thanks

I like to do an X pattern with any strop though I'm sure some will tell you you don't with a wide strop. So do what you find works best. It sounds like a Tony Miller bench Strop mine is the same as yours from what you describe. If it is its designed to have paste on one side and the other is for finishing and is left unpasted, thats the dark side left unpasted.

thebigspendur, so what you are saying is that the dark is is NOT pasted and the light side is?? and it is ok to do the X

with what do i paste it with---let me know so i can buy it as soon as i can

thanks man

If you're unsure, call or email Tony. He's very helpful. His phone number is on the website. I bought a two-sided paddle strop with .5 paste on one side. The pasted side is used for touching up the blade when it begins to dull. The unpasted side is for everyday stropping.

thanks Kyle76

Yes if it is a miller strop that will apply. The light leather is the paste side. You have a choice, there are many thing you can use. You can get diamond paste in 1 micron, .5 or .25 or chromium oxide or several other media others here use. I use the strop for pastes on both sides with amplex diamond .5 on 1 side and .25 on the other. I have hanging strops for normal stropping but if you don't, keep the dark side for finishing stropping and unpasted.