Thread: Linen & Leather or Just Leather

Everyone has a different idea when it comes to stropping. I believe that TC is correct when he says linen aligns the edge and leather burnishes it.

Me, I strop on a Crox sprayed felt hanging strop, wipe the blade clean and finish on English linen and leather. Recently I have upped the strokes on linen to 40 strokes and leather to 80-100 strokes. I also do about 10 strokes on English linen post shave to ensure a dry edge.

You have to experiment to see what works for you.

Bob

If you only knew how many discussions we have had here concerning linen or not.

Those who use it (I'm one of them) swear by it and those who don't, well, they just don't.

You just have to believe.

Try it and see what happens and then you can join one of the two sides.

I think I will do an unofficial test and try linen/leather for a week and then just leather and compare the shaves because in the end the shave is all that matters, in my tiny mind I am thinking the linen has an abrasive quality and will help keep the edge going longer.

I got my first linen strop this year and it seems to make a noticeable difference. I use it every time now.

I get best results when using both. No proof, but I surmise that the linen pulls off contaminants from the edge, preventing them from reaching the leather. Then the leather burnishes clean steel.

it does have some abrasive nature, just look at your linen several hundreds of laps with your razors,, it gets darker form the metal that is being worn down with use. its not anything really aggressive cause it takes time but my linens have plenty of metal on the face Tc

I’ve always done both.
That has served me well really.
I’m able to do it without the pre-leather, but seem to get more consistent results with them both.
So that’s what I’ll continue to do.

Fresh after honing I will do about 70-50, on regular rotation about 50-50.
Regardless of strop really.

Originally Posted by Jnatcat

I think I will do an unofficial test and try linen/leather for a week and then just leather and compare the shaves because in the end the shave is all that matters, in my tiny mind I am thinking the linen has an abrasive quality and will help keep the edge going longer.

I agree. While it is certainly true that the real test is shave quality, I have done my own TPT pre-stropping, after linen, and after linen + leather. To me, the biggest improvement happens after linen. The leather then refines it a bit.

Linen 40....leathah 100... then Palm strop..that's the latest set up for me

Well today's shave was 25/50 with linen and leather and the shave was very smooth, the post shave consisted of 10/10. Going to try this for a week or so and then try leather only and see if I notice a difference.