For your convenience, I'm reposting this helpful message (37386) made last year at the yahoo SRP forum. It contains a message directly from the manufacturer concerning the Illinois 827 strop.

Hal

-- In [email protected], "John" <jporkchop@h...>
> wrote:
> >
> > Hi everybody, I was dying to know what the scoop on the 827 strop
> was
> > (it has sortof a rough finish leather) so I emailed the
> manufacturer
> > and asked a few questions about what order they recommended, as
> well.
> > For what its worth here is what the reply was:
> > Dear John,
> >
> > No problem on the questions - I'm glad to help.
> >
> > 1) The manufacturing process for the fabric strop impregnates it
> with
> > the abrasive. No additional care is required, and it should
retain
> its
> > abrasive properties for the life of the strop. Comparing a hone
> and a
> > fabric strop to grades of sandpaper, the hone would be coarse grit
> > sandpaper and the fabric would be the fine grit.
> >
> > 2) A razor develops small metal burrs and teeth along its blade
> when
> > it
> > is sharpened using either of the sharpening methods above. A
> leather
> > strop aligns and removes these small metal burrs and smoothes the
> > cutting edge. The coarse strop does a quicker and rougher job of
> this,
> > while the top-grain strop does a slower but finer job.
> >
> > 3) For order of progression on a full sharpening, use your hone,
> then
> > the canvas strop, then the coarse leather strop, and finally the
> > smooth
> > leather strop. Either or both leather strops can be used in the
> > process.
> > When giving a shave, strop with the smooth leather both before
and
> > after
> > the shave to keep the blade at it sharpest, and to keep it clear
> of
> > bits
> > of hair and debris.
> >
> > Hope this clears things up.
> >
> > Thanks again,
> >
> > FROMM INTERNATIONAL
> > 1919 Stanley Street
> > Northbrook, IL 60062
> > 800-323-4252 phone