Thread: Slippery Strop?

Originally Posted by ForestryProf

I've several strops that range from slippery to substantial draw...can't say that I notice a difference in the resulting shave from one over another. I think the biggest issue is the amount of contact. A long flat strop will impart more contact than a shorter or cupped, twisted, or bumpy strop...given the same number of passes.

Just another data point,
Ed

Ed, Where were you when we were having the discussion on textured, pebble finished, diamond pattern, etc strops vs. smooth ones ?? I was trying find if the results were better, worse or the same. More texture meant more feeling of draw against the razor (which ought to be a good thing)......more texture also means less surface contact (which ought to be a bad thing).

Any thoughts?

To me at least, slippery or smoth the end result is what matters. I like less draw on light, delicate feeling razors and mre draw on heavy ones even if the resulting stropped sdge is the same on either strop.

Tony

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

Ed, Where were you when we were having the discussion on textured, pebble finished, diamond pattern, etc strops vs. smooth ones ?? I was trying find if the results were better, worse or the same. More texture meant more feeling of draw against the razor (which ought to be a good thing)......more texture also means less surface contact (which ought to be a bad thing).

Any thoughts?

To me at least, slippery or smoth the end result is what matters. I like less draw on light, delicate feeling razors and mre draw on heavy ones even if the resulting stropped sdge is the same on either strop.

Tony

Tony,
Sorry I missed that thread. I may be completely off base here, but I really don't think that 'draw' has any effect on the end result. Only total amount of contact. For those of you wishing for a really long discussion relating to total amount of contact, read 'The Grand Experiment', a thread from about a year ago I think.

Your comment on draw vs razor weight got me thinking...always dangerous. I too tend to grab my slick strop for lightweight razors and vise versa. I think it is a mass/momentum thing. With a lightweight razor all of the force needed to overcome the draw on the strop must be imparted from the arm...taken to the extreme, a really light and delicate razor could deflect when pulled along a strop with extraordinary draw. A big meat chopper would not...similar to the flex we sometimes discuss of light vs. heavy razors during shaving with heavy bearded gents typically preferring a more substantial blade. On the other end of the spectrum, if you are really swinging a big meat chopper across a slick strop, you have no draw (friction) to slow that razor at the end of the stroke. All of the momentum must be halted by the person doing the stropping. This I think would tend to confirm the statement from the barber's text about slick strops being inappropriate for barber's use but acceptable in the home. Barber's razors tended (read once upon a time) to be the large heavy meat chopper type of blade that would withstand years of regular use. Home based razors did not need to be as substantial as they were not subjected to as much use. Thus, high draw for large blades, light draw for light blades.

I hope some of this makes sense, if not please disregard as I'm not fully functional today (trying to get set for a week on the beach starting tomorrow).

Just another data point,
Ed

Well that makes some sense to me, but in my mind it begs the question: what exactly is, or causes, draw?

I know this has been discussed before, and I will go and do a thorough search on it. But, if it's merely a function of the strop and it's surface then a slippery versus heavy draw strop is just a matter of personal preference - they are both doing the same thing to the edge?

This makes some sense to me as it's what I've personally experienced on these two strops: On the new strop all of my razors have no draw (yet). On the old strop there's varying degrees of draw, depending on the razor used.

So...that would mean that in and of itself draw doesn't mean a lot. But, if you have a strop with a lot of draw, you can use that draw as an indicator that you are stropping correctly??

It's too early for thought - I'll go and run a few searches and stop babbling.

James.

I have several strops of different types of critters and some have draw and some don't. It has nothing to do with the razor its the leather of the strop. I don't know if its the type of finishing on the strop or the type of leather used but what I do know is that it makes no difference. They all do their job and dress up the edge. Now if you have a strop that has lots of draw and all of a sudden with one razor there is no draw then I would be concerned.

I have been using a TM latigo strop. New it felt it had some draw. Now after a few weeks it is very slick. Reading this thread it appears to me that it really doesn't matter one way or the other. Personally I like to feel some draw when I'm stropping. I haven't added the dressing that came with the strop. So what can I do to get more "draw" from this strop?

Put a few drops of the oil on your hands and rub them together and apply to the strop. Try to get an even coat on the whole strop. Let dry a few hours and try the strop. If it does not suit you repeat the process. The draw will come back.

bj

Your strop probably came with some oil. The stuff Tony mails with his strop is really good for this purpose. If not, use some strop conditioner of some kind. That will fix it up.