Thread: Funny thing happened on the way to the strop

Try cleaning your strop with Goop, the hand cleaner and using a nylon Scotchbite stripping pad being careful to move the pad only from the top to the bottom of strop. This may help to remove any embedded grit. The wipe off the Goop immediately and let it dry for several days.

You may want to burnish the strop by rubbing it with a glass bottle/jar.
This would smooth out the strop surface. I think you know the procedure for that.

I do like the idea of balsa wood but mine would be on a firm backing and use only dry abrasives.

I will bet that the "black ice" is metal filings and paste. If you are not cleaning your razor before you then go to the plain leather strop then the plain leather strop is now contaminated.

Just my two cents,

I usually clean it before stropping but I think I may have missed a few times. I've used the linen side to wipe the razor after cleaning too. I may be cross contaminating the leather from prior linen passes. I'll try the Goop. The balsa wood and .5 diamond paste sures seems to hone nicely though.

Are you suggesting that the scotchbrite should be used with one pass only or it shouldn't be used side to side?

I am familiar with burnishing and I'll give that a try as well.

Where do you get "dry" abrasives? That sounds interesting...

Is it time to look for a 12 to 15K hone instead?

Before purchasing another hone get your plain leather strop cleaned up and also clean up the pasted balsa wood using the same Goop( just an idea, I do not know if that will work but the black stuff is not helping).
Get the black stuff gone.

My email is randydance@comcast.net. Send me your address and I will send you some dry 0.5 micron chrome oxide to use. My source is handamerican.com. I bought a pound of it.

On the strop do not go side to side or up and down. Just down from the top of the strop. My thinking here, and I may be wrong, is that the leather has a grain and going against it might raise a nap. So I only go in one direction when using the Scotchbrite pad, from the top of the strop to the bottom.

Scrub your linen with soap and water to try and remove as much contamination as possible. Then lay it between some towels and place a heavy weight on it to keep it flat. Remove it from the towel after 24 hours and let it dry for a couple of days.

Hope this helps,

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

I usually clean it before stropping but I think I may have missed a few times. I've used the linen side to wipe the razor after cleaning too. I may be cross contaminating the leather from prior linen passes. I'll try the Goop. The balsa wood and .5 diamond paste sures seems to hone nicely though.

Are you suggesting that the scotchbrite should be used with one pass only or it shouldn't be used side to side?

I am familiar with burnishing and I'll give that a try as well.

Where do you get "dry" abrasives? That sounds interesting...

Is it time to look for a 12 to 15K hone instead?

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

Where do you get "dry" abrasives

Handamerican.com

Thanx guys I'll get to work...
Joe, I didn't see the pic you were referring too but I understand what your saying clearly.

Randy, thanx and I'll send a PM to you