Thread: Abrasive Hanging Strops Users??

Originally Posted by dylandog

A pasted hanger properly used is a great tool, and I think half the talk about rounding is imaginary. It seems to me that with any hanging strop – pasted or not pasted – the piece of leather in contact with the bevel has to flush and flat. If your technique's good enough to strop on a non-pasted hanger and not roll your edge, then it's good enough to strop on a pasted hanger and not round your edge.

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You are probably right on this but I myself often promote the myth. There is plenty a newbie that has wiped the edge right off his razor on a plain strop so for those guys I continue the myth <g>.

Properly used they are a fine tool and it seems now from this thread a fairly popular one too. I will be honest and say my reason for asking this is marketing research. I like them but that is not enough to design a good product, making what works for the masses though, does.

I also want to expore what people like in a smaller, travel size strop.

Tony

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

You are probably right on this but I myself often promote the myth. There is plenty a newbie that has wiped the edge right off his razor on a plain strop so for those guys I continue the myth <g>.

Understood. And you're right to advocate caution. I just don't think it's all that different from regular stropping. The strop has to be very taut but it doesn't need to be flat as a board (as if that were possible). It seems to me (I could be wrong) that when stropping regularly on an unpasted hanger, even though the strop has a bit of play along its whole length, the patch between the spine and the edge will be flat at every given moment; the spine itself helps to ensure that by creating a plane. The part of the strop that wants to bend is the part in contact with the spine, since you're leading with it and it's heftier; at least to my eyes that's what seems to be happening.

It's probably worth mentioning that though a bit of pressure is great in regular stropping, with a pasted hanger zero pressure is probably best.

Dylandog,
I am right with you on the flat is not that important. No strop will ever beperfectly flat and ven under light pressure the section between spine and edge deforms a bit and provides 100% contact at the edge. Yes, flat is ideal but one can stary a good bit from theory and still get a good result.

Tony

In one of the old German razor books, linked on nassrasur, the use of pasted strop is advised only when the user has at least 10 years of experience using plain unpasted strop. It may be a wise advice, certainly given from experience.

Maybe 10 years is a tad long of a time, I would wait 3-4 years of experience buildup before using pasted hanging strop... Pasted paddle strop is great tool also...


Nenad

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

I will be honest and say my reason for asking this is marketing research.
Tony

Tony,
I thought I smelled the sticky sweet aroma of Capitalism in Action!!!
Good place to research a possible need in the market...

Dewey,
It easy to design a product I like, but better to see if there is a need or a better way of doing things. if guys are already doing the pasted hanging strop thing it's best to see what already works.
I'm still seeing this as a less is more type tool. Very fine pastes and very few passes. I can see where more could easily send one back to the hone.

Tony

Tony I've noticed it works better on a short strop as opposed to a longer one that way there is a lot less give when held tight. The ones I sell are about 17-18 inches from the top of the handle so you have about a good 15-16 inches of stropping space which works out pretty good.

Damon,
You are right in that longer is not always better. it's the skill of the stropper, not the size of the strop (or something similar <g>). Longer strops, whether pasted or not flex more and can sort of swing or tilt side to side a bit in use, especially if not held really tight.
I've made a few "Monster Strops" but to me anyway they are too long. I am a tall guy with long arms and a standard 24" strop with 15" to 18" of surface is plenty.
Thicker can make tame a longer strop to some extent but it comes at the price of keeping it flat and un-cupped from side to side. Too thin it flexes too much, too thick you can loose contact due to cupping or bowing.
I used to hate the Jemico strop I owened because every one would cup withon weeks. But when using it I did find the area under the razor laid flat since the leather was thin enough to flex. A heavy cupped strop may not fair as well.

Tony

I'm using green paste on my linen. I put a couple passes on it then strop on the horse side. I hold very tight. I've rarely had to hone and I do not seem to have any rounding. My razors do stay prime with this routine.

I'm really not a fan of pastes in general, I have a couple hanging strops that are pasted. I made them from old belt leather but one is canvas/linen. i've tried everything from TI's white paste to Dovo and green chrome oxide. Like Lynn said its hit or miss for me as well. I choose to stick to my stones.