Thread: Question ...Linen vs Canvas.

What is the diference between stropping with canvas or linen?
i feel what i have in my strops is canvas...is very hard...almost like a plastic feel to it....
Whats the best to prepare the blade for the leather?
Thanks very much.

It could be a treated linen/canvas. What make of strop is it?

PuFF

I don't really know the difference, but Tony Miller could definately help you with this question. I only use leather (even though I have linen) and it seems to work fine by itself.

It is a bismarck and an illinois...both have the same thing ...all i could say about it is that it is hard to bend ( compare to any textile) and with a shinny and plasticky feel to it...and when you strop on it makes a strong whoooose noise...

Originally Posted by sergiobruna

It is a bismarck and an illinois...both have the same thing ...all i could say about it is that it is hard to bend ( compare to any textile) and with a shinny and plasticky feel to it...and when you strop on it makes a strong whoooose noise...

My Tony Miller #1 Latigo Strop has a "linen" side that I would describe exactly as you did above. My dovo best quality strop has a linen side that feels like cloth.

The Illinois "linen" does have some sort oif coating or impregnation that feels "plasticy". the entire thing is stiff as if it is starched. My linen is a coarse hard weave but develops a soft knapp with use, still is is way softer than the Illinois material. Dovo/Jemico on the other hand use a very soft supple "linen" material.

For me though it's mostly leather stropping. I rarely use the linen on any make of strop.

Tony

The terms linen and canvas actually refer to two different things. Linen is a type of fiber, made from the flax plant, it can be woven into a number of different types of cloth. Canvas is a type of cloth that can be made from a number of different fibers. Typically, canvas is made from cotton, but I have seen it made from various synthetics and from hemp fibers. While I have never seen or heard of it, one could concievably make a linen canvas.

My father always refered to the cloth side of a razor strop as canvas. The term linen, however, seems to be common in barber circles. I believe it was Tony that once pointed out that the use of the word linen on many strops actually referred to the finish of the cloth, not the fiber used.

Thank you all for the comments.

What you describe seems very much like wax. I have removed wax, and also waxed strops. Don't have enough experience for conclusions; both work well. I prefer unwaxed for heavier work and waxed for fine stropping

Cheers
Ivo

Fccexpert pretty much covered it. Many of the names have become just that, names. Some have always called the cloth side canvas, other linen. In reality most strop makers "linen" side is a cotton weave webbing material. I think Illinois says "linen weave" which can mean anything. I always called mine linen, the genereic term but was at a loss for names once I added genuine linen, the fiber, as an option. I decided to go the canvas / linen route for the two choices. Canvas is my usual cotton fiber webbing "linen", Genuine Linen is just that, a webbing made from linen fibers. The cotton weave material is quite coarse as my supplier has gone back to his original weave pattern with a slight corrigated pattern, you will either love it or hate it. The genuine linen is a flat weave, quite smooth in texture, slight draw, slight abrasiveness. It also cost me about 4 times as much so will not be a standard offer, only an option on my better strops.

I myself am not a big "linen" user. Both Puffah and Kees have and use the genuine fiber quite a bit so I defer to their comments on it's abilities.

Tony