Thread: Strop Progresion

My strop has three different materials.
Linen/Canvas
Pig Skin
Horse Hide
What would be the progresion

I know Canvas/Linen first but do I need to hit the Pig Skin before the Horse Hide or does it matter? Pig skin one day horse hide the next? Linen pig skin? Linen horse hide? Am I over thinking this? Can I use the stimpled side of the hides or the smooth finish side only?

Thanks

I'd use the linen/canvas, followed by a leather. You may find that some blades prefer the pig skin, while others the horse. Experiment & see what you, or they prefer.
Out of interest, how do you know it's pig skin? That's an unusual strop material. Is it thin, or thick like the horse?

That would be interesting to know, I've never had anything but a normal leather unpasted strop. It's served me very well for the past 20 years.

I've never seen a pig skin strop either. Most item's I've seen like wallets and such made from pigskin are pretty stiff and rough. I would guess the horse should be used last.

i had a pigskin strop, was just slightly harder surface than usual leathers, but worked.

i'd say try them both ways and decide which one you like better. then elminiate the first leather one and see if it makes any difference.

Originally Posted by ben.mid

Out of interest, how do you know it's pig skin? That's an unusual strop material. Is it thin, or thick like the horse?

It's stamped Genuine Imported Pig Skin. The hide is about half the thickness of the horse hide, and a bit stiffer. It also seems slicker than them horse hide. More stimpled on the back than the horse hide.

I use a three strop progression on all my razors. First I use the silk webbing, then a leather strop with lots of draw and finish with a shiny leather strop with very little draw. This is probably over kill, but I think I have shaving related OCD.