Thread: Question from a newbie

Hello all,
I just received a new Bismarck leather/canvas strop that I purchased from the Knife Corner on ebay. It has a slight diagonal ridge two inches long about five inches down from the top. The ridge is visible and I can feel it but when I turn the strop flat and kind of look straight down the ridge, I can't see it. Could this effect the edge of my razor an any way while stropping or should I not be concerned?

Thanks,
Dave

Hi Dave:

Do you have the means to post some pictures?

Chris L

Leather is pretty malleable, you might be able to bend it in the opposite direction for a while and see if the crease is ...decreased ().

Sounds like a "healed" scar. Sometimes these are flush or slightly lower than the surface and just look like an issue, other times they are raised ever so slightly and you can feel them when you go over them with the razor.

In the first case they are just cosmetic and have no effect, in the second case they are more an issue but won't hurt the razor. On mine it becomes a judgement call. I may allow very fine ones if they don't detract from the overall look, but if I feel it in testing I'll pass. (or try my best too anyway). Leather is a natural material and if every small, mark, color difference, etc... was discarded one would be able to make only 5 or 6 strops from a hide at best and they would all cost $200! Each leather shipment is like a poker hand except the dealer is 1000 miles away and makes you pay shipping every time he deals or you discard a card. If you ask them to deal too many times or cast off too many cards the "dealer" asks you to play at someone elses table

If I didn't feel it and liked the strop otherwise I would not worry too much.

Tony

Thanks all,
Tony, I can feel this ridge with my finger ever so slightly but when I passed a razor over it I did not feel any bump at all. From your advise, it seems like it will be fine and I should not worry about it.

Thanks again for the help!
Dave