Thread: Selective Professional Strop

I'm also fairly new to this but think I can answer ...

There are two strops in one there. Both are used for a proper stropping session before each and every shave.

The one that is NOT leather is used first and used for a relatively few number of laps. Next the shiny side of the leather one is used for a much greater number of laps.

I have heard varying opinions of the right number of laps to use but this is to be expected because there is no way to know without actually being the one doing the stropping and having a bit of experience behind you. Until your skill level improves I suggest the following:

10 laps on the non-leather strop followed by
50 laps on the leather strop

A lap consists of running the razor along the strop in both directions. You will need to watch some videos (get Lynn's DVD!) to see how it's done. I guarantee you will mess up your strop before you become proficient at it so don't let that bother you. keep at it until you are good then get another strop. If you accept this from the beginning you won't feel so bad.

Originally Posted by TexasBob

The one that is NOT leather is used first and used for a relatively few number of laps. Next the shiny side of the leather one is used for a much greater number of laps.

See, that's the thing. There are two sides to this thing that I'm pretty sure are leather. One is a very supple textured black leather and the other is a very smooth hard tan leather. The only part of this thing that's cloth is on the back of the black side. Technically, I suppose it really has four sides since each color of leather is a separate strip. Two of these four sides touch. One of the center sides is black cloth, and the other is very rough tan leather. Stropping with the cloth side would involve taking the bolt out of the top and flipping the black strip over.

Also, I've read quite a bit of the wiki and a lot of the posts over in the newbie corner. Very useful stuff all around, but I haven't seen anything mentioned so far about any strops resembling this one. I'm not saying it's not there. I'm just saying I haven't seen it.

Originally Posted by OkieEngineer

Stropping with the cloth side would involve taking the bolt out of the top and flipping the black strip over..

Ah, OK. I am not familiar with that arrangement so my remarks don't apply.

I would guess that the smoothest available side was to be used last.

i don't have that strop but from picture i think black side is the leather strop side or you can call main side.another side you can put paste etc.hope i am right