Thread: Strop Cupping

My DOVO strop isn't flat. It has a noticeable cup to it. I have a shave ready straight on the way and wondered what to do about the strop.

Can you guys help me with advice please?

One trick I have heard about is to rub it down on your counter with a bottle.

bj

Just out of curiosity, has the strop been hanging since you have had it??

Thanks,

Lynn

Hello
I had a similar problem, it improved by putting a light coat of neatsfoot oil followed by using a bottle and letting the strop hang. This took almost a month to look better and I still have to hit the glass bottle to it a few times a week or it starts cupping again. Very strange and annoying.

Crom

Originally Posted by Lynn

Just out of curiosity, has the strop been hanging since you have had it??

Thanks,

Lynn

Yes the stop has been hanging the while time.

Of course this would be a perfect excuse to just buy a nice, new SRD strop.
I'm was just thinking... you know how it is.

Originally Posted by joscobo

Of course this would be a perfect excuse to just buy a nice, new SRD strop.
I'm was just thinking... you know how it is.

I would try to fix what you have if possible before you buy anything else.

Have fun,

Lynn

Originally Posted by joscobo

Of course this would be a perfect excuse to just buy a nice, new SRD strop.
I'm was just thinking... you know how it is.

If you have the extra money, get the SRD strop...i have one and love it.

Ive also got an Dovo strop and the SRD, is much better overall, IMO.
The Latigo leather, is much stiffer/thicker than my Dovo Russian (very thin,) so there is an adjustment to the different leather types when stropping.

However, the SRD Latigo, is sturdier and ive not had any cupping with it and i like the shaves i get off of it.

Good luck,

Mac

Latigo tends not to cup as much as other leathers as it is less affected by humidity, etc...

Latigo and some other leather respond well to just pinching them near the top a bit to force a bow instead of a cup into them then running the hand slowing down the strop a few times. These usually coaxes a cup into a slight crown which will easily flatten when in use.

In my experience the bottle trick never seems to work well. In most cases unless a material is flexed beyond the shape required it usually spring back a little and will not hold that shape. Rolling or ironing a cupped shape flat will help a bit but bending it beyond that point will allow it to spring back to a flatter condition.

Of course your mileage may vary !

Tony

If you wish to save the cupped strop, it might be worth a try to give it a slightly more than usual coating of Neat's Foot oil, then hang it upsidedown by the handle end, then attach a 4oz. or 6 oz. weight to the hardware clip and let it stretch for a month or so. Don't overdo the weight.

I don't know that this will work but if you wish to keep the strop, what can it hurt? Do the bottle thing once a day while you are stretching the strop.

Jerry