Thread: Sanding My Strops

How can you be sure that you've cleaned all the grit off the surface?

No grit is left behind.
I sanded my paddle strop from 120 all the way up to 1500, no grit left on the surface that I can feel while stropping. The surface is very shiny and almost mirrored.

+1 on that, if you go from lower to higher grits carefully enough, and wiping between grits, should work out fine for you.

Originally Posted by Dimitry

How can you be sure that you've cleaned all the grit off the surface?

AFAIC a microscope is the only sure way to know. Pic below is 800 grit wetndri particle, the big shiny one just left of centre. Approx 200x. You won't feel that with your finger.

Usually after polishing my strop with sand paper I clean it twice with wet cloth. After that before using razor I make good stroping for my kitchen knife, this operation is very good for grit removing. Than once again cleaning with wet cloth. Only after all these operations I start stroping my razors.

Sounds like one more great reason to have a DMT325 in the house.

Originally Posted by ChrisL

Good point, Mark. I use a micro-fiber cloth which if anyone has ever used one, picks up anything and gets the strop surface totally debris free.

Chris L

+1 Microfiber cloth is a great idea, thanks!

I have given the strop a careful vacuuming after sanding using the bristle brush attachment. Subsequent stropping showed no signs of any sanding residue. Works for me.....

Jerry
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I think I'll try this with my rolls razor strop. When I first got it, it had red stuff on it. Being a germ freak, I promply washed it. Later after some research I found it was the rolls strop paste. Oh well. Maybe sanding will make it usable again.

Surely the strop should still work fine for *stropping* without the paste?

the paste is for touch-up work, not for actual stropping.

And you can still just apply some new paste if you really want it :P