Thread: linen strop

I love my flax linen (the REAL deal) strop, and always use it before I hit the horse butt. I also have a cotton "linen" strop which I used prior to getting the linen strop, and both work just fine for me. But the flax linen has a tactile character that I prefer that's just not there with the cotton fabric.

BTW: I use my fabric strops "nekkid". I think that I'll leave them that way, and will get other strops for pasting.

As Randy said, years ago, first it cleans the razor. Look at your bevel before you strop it on leather. You will see dried soap, bits of skin, blood and oxidation/rust.

If you do not remove it, it will imbed on and into your leather finishing strop. Ever see those magnified photos with deep stria on the bevels? I believe much of that comes from grit impregnated leather strops. Wipe your leather strop with a lightly dampened clean paper towel, that’s the same stuff. Doubt you can ever remove, all of it.

That and Linen polishes the bevel and edge. Try stropping your bevels on linen between changing stones in your honing progression. Your edges will be straighter and will finish quicker. Try it.

Plain linen and canvas are very effective and produce a fine polished edge.

Linen is an often over looked finishing tool, perhaps those old guys really knew a thing or two.

Originally Posted by AFDavis11

There are different "linens", not everyone is discussing the same material. I think there is some canvas out there masquarading as linen.

This.
My "linen" trousers are a very different material to the stuff on my strop, its much thicker for a start but even then it feels very different. The stuff on my strop has a kind of waxish feel to it !

I do use it though before the leather and after a shave and swear the blade does feel keener after the linen stropping (if indeed it is even linen). Ive not been at this game for very long though so don't take my word for it

I've done both - I've had solely leather strops in the past which have worked fine, and I have a custom made Neil Miller strop which has both leather and linen and thats just "The One" AFAIC. After stropping on that you can just about split atoms with the edge!

IME I get better edges with using both, but I dont think its a must do.

I think this is possible. The prep leather should be selected carefully and used much less though.

I was having a few shaves now and then that left my face raw. I sent an email to the world famous strop maker ( Tony Miller) he answered that he always strops 30 times linen, then 30 on leather. I have not varied from that since that day and have nothing but perfect shaves. I am a believer in the linen

The pros (barbers) used linen/canvas in their stropping regimen. just sayin'

I started using straights back in the 60s and I was shown to use the linen side with a light application of chalk on the linen. I was told also that I should use the leather side to finish and that it was acceptable to use a light application of black paste on the leather side.

To this day I still maintain a cowhide strop with Dovo black paste but use it only occasionally when I think a little friction is called for.

i have a combination linen-leather strop

I use linen strop (4-6 passage for face) before use leather strop, in this way can remove eventual micro-oxidation( i have many straight razors...so There is long time before I use the same razor) and bit soap's residues.
IF i want revitalize a razor use it on linen strop for 30-40 passage.

linen-leather strop

Originally Posted by mike1011

This.
My "linen" trousers are a very different material to the stuff on my strop, its much thicker for a start but even then it feels very different. The stuff on my strop has a kind of waxish feel to it !

I do use it though before the leather and after a shave and swear the blade does feel keener after the linen stropping (if indeed it is even linen). Ive not been at this game for very long though so don't take my word for it

With modern manufacture they can treat and weave to make steel wool feel like fine fabric. The feel of your strop is because it was coated with some material to give it that feel. Also the weave in a linen strop is very dense. They would never weave clothing material like that. maybe a couple hundred years ago they did.