Thread: Linen & Leather or Just Leather

I'm going to have to look into a shell strop a little bit more, this is intriguing to me. Just curious of how they would get the flex out of it.

Originally Posted by Wightman

I'm going to have to look into a shell strop a little bit more, this is intriguing to me. Just curious of how they would get the flex out of it.

well that was a surprise to understand shell was horse and not infact true shells. That makes a bit more sense. Just was thinking shells can be quite smooth as well. But yes still a leather makes more sense.lol

Originally Posted by RezDog

For me, I for some reason really like stropping. On a regular shave linen and leather, somewhere around 60 linen and 100 leather. After honing I have a progressive stropping routine that I believe makes for the smoothest shaving edges. As always YMMV.

And what is your progressive stroping routine after honing? just curious.

Do you find the felt crox[QUOTE[/QUOTE] strop is nicer than crox on a linen strop.. Is there any advantage do you find a difference on your edge

In my bathroom hangs a Westholme ‘Starter’ latigo leather strop with linen second surface, next to it hangs a Herold linen only strop with red (coarse) paste to one side and black (fine) paste on the other. I perform 10-20 strokes on the linen and around 30 strokes on the leather prior to every shave, once weekly I’ll give the razor 10 and 10 on the pasted strop. I think the linen provides a good cleaning surface and probably protects the finer leather surface to a degree.

I currently own two shell strops ( Westholme and Kanayama 70 ) and then own two Spanish Bridle ( one treated with Fromm's and one untreated)and then I have a English Bridle paddle and both Cordovan shells are quite different, i have tried Latigo and don't like it and i have tried Roo and don't like it either, English Bridle is very glassy compared to Shell but in all honesty I cannot tell or should i say my face cannot tell the difference in the different leathers I have tried, to me the only thing thats different is the draw.

Originally Posted by tcrideshd

the best I can understand is the linen provides a good clean up on your edge, and alignment before going to the leather for the final burnish . yes it does a great job of cleaning the edge after the shave, but it still does the same thing before, oxidation starts at the microscopic level.

Tc

How right you are! I recently pulled out some blades I had freshly honed and put away after shave testing. Even though they were well cleaned, dried, and stored, the edges after a year and a half were markedly degraded. Stropping on leather did nothing. Stropping on the linen actually helped a little. Still not good enough for my tastes, but the difference was noticable

One of the guys that makes the Firehose Strops says he gets just as good results with the linen only.

Originally Posted by kelbro

One of the guys that makes the Firehose Strops says he gets just as good results with the linen only.

Does he make leather strops too, or just the fire hose?

Originally Posted by JP5

Does he make leather strops too, or just the fire hose?

k

Excellent observation. Tc