Thread: To linen or not to linen?

I'm with Robert entirely on this one. I miss having my linen around on the road with the paddle strop right now.

X

The linen seems to make a difference for me. For the razors I've been able to sharpen well, the linen seems to help at the last step. I use it before I use the leather, but I don't use the linen every time. Once the razor is sharp, I use the leather mostly, but go to the linen after several shaves. My linen strop is an Illinois strop.

E

The linen has been a question on my mind for a long time. I use the linen at nearly every stropping. I am having good results, but my good results may or may not be from using the linen side.

I started with a Dovo stropp. The linen on my Dovo has been factory impregnated with something waxy. I am not sure what it is impregnated with. Common sense tells me that it is the Dovo yellow paste but i am not sure about that. I used the linen and liked the results. I use the linen each time I stropp.

I then purchased and Illinois stropp. It also has a linen, but the linnen is very stiff and not impregnated. I liked the texture of the leather, maybe better than the Dovo, but i understand that the leather on the Illinois stropps is usually not so good. I would still use the Dovo linen and then the Illinois leather. I have gotten very good results.

Recently I purchased one of Tony Millers #1 best in Latigo. This is by far my favorite. I use it everyday. I have been using this stropp by 15 lapps on the linen side, the linen is dry with no impregnation or paste. Then I do 30 lapps on the leather side. I do this just before my shave. It is working excellent for me.

It is very interesting to note that all 3 stropps have very different linens.
1) The linnen on the dovo is very thin, herringbone pattern, quite soft, and impregnated with something waxy.
2) The Illinois stropp has thicker than the dovo but not as thick as Tony's stropp, very fine perpendicular ribbs, is very stiff, and is dry, no paste or impregnation.
3) Tony's stropp has linen that is thick, perpendicular ribbs that are larger and thicker than the Illinois, I would have to say firm but soft, also no paste or impregnation. I have thought of puting some kind of paste on the linen, but as grampa used to say "if it ain't broke, don't fix it"

I am really interested in recommendations and suggestions from all, but especially the very senior honemiesters.

Originally Posted by PapaBull

I never liked the hard "linen" that is used by Illinois Strop company these days, but the old linen that's really linen...

Same here. I think the linnen is caled linnen for a reason. There is a certan type of draw on the real linnen (not cotton) when conditioned right.

Nenad