Thread: time for paste?

how can you tell you need strop conditioner. i have some nicks, and i used the pumice stone i had on a nail thing, and i dont notice any problem when i strop. i dont think the strop is like dried out, but i am wanting to make sure i keep it up and do it right. so how can i tell?

sam

I use the strop conditioner (Fromm's?) from Classicshaving.com on mine, just often enough to keep it "grabbing" well. If that doesn't make sense, I can elaborate. That works out to conditioning about once a month or so for me. That interval stretches a bit during fall and spring and we open some windows, but now with the A/C or winter with the heat, the house stays pretty dry.

Originally Posted by finsfan

how can you tell you need strop conditioner. i have some nicks, and i used the pumice stone i had on a nail thing, and i dont notice any problem when i strop. i dont think the strop is like dried out, but i am wanting to make sure i keep it up and do it right. so how can i tell?

sam

Hi Sam .... I think there are really a few issues. First, a brand-new, just-delivered, classicshaving.com strop does not NEED conditioning to do its job. It will function just as advertised.

An eBay vintage strop is almost always delivered dirty and overly dry. It will need to be cleaned (see the other threads as to how) and conditioned. I prefer Fromms #364 Strop Dressing. A four ounce bottle will last years! Other folks use DOVO yellow paste, olive oil, or whatever .....

MOSTLY, I like the way even a brand-spanking-new strop FEELS when it has been conditioned. It gives me a little more drag and, therefore, feedback as I strop. That, combined with the ringing sound that comes from a keen edge on the leather, lets me better know when the job's done.

daviduthe

Originally Posted by uthed

Hi Sam .... I think there are really a few issues. First, a brand-new, just-delivered, classicshaving.com strop does not NEED conditioning to do its job. It will function just as advertised. daviduthe

That is certainly true for the Dovo strops Ray sells. I bought a new 361 Illinois and it required quite a lot of conditioning before it was in working order, so I expect that the Illinois strops available at classicshaving.com may also need conditioning before use.

Hal

So long as a strop is clean, durable and flexible, it really should need little treatment other than rubbing your palm across it a bunch of times when you get the chance. Greg Ives introduced this in his video a couple of years ago and it works well. Lynn

ok, mine qualifies on that score, so, lynn, rub palms? any magic there? just the oils in my palm i guess?

sam

btw, i am loving the group razor. i thought the bison horn TI was great cause of its heft, but the lightness of that group razor really seems to make my face feel good

sam

I just watched the Greg Ives video. He suggested rubbing the strop every day with your palm for a few minutes each day until the surface was a glass smooth texture.

He cleaned his strop with shaving soap lather that is wiped off wiith a paper towel then hand rubbed again.

His opinion on new strops was that they were a little bit rough and needed some help, thus the hand rubbing.

Some people also rub the strop with a glass bottle to develop a smoother finish. Same idea, a little every day until the surface is smoother.

Originally Posted by finsfan

ok, mine qualifies on that score, so, lynn, rub palms? any magic there? just the oils in my palm i guess?

Yeah, there's a lot of oil in your hands. In our weapons class at the dojo, we deal with the Japanese short staff. It's made of oak, 48-50" long. The new guys always ask about how to make them slide easier... baby powder, sandpaper, etc. The trick is just the oils in your hands. The new guys are easy to pickout because their weapons are nice and light colored. The guys who have played for a couple of years, their weapons take on a nice, darker coloration from the oils in the hands. So, yeah, there's magic there.