Thread: To linen or not to linen?

I use my linen strops. Not every time, but after a few shaves I always put my razors on the linen before stropping. I don't think it would be a bad idea at all to use the linen side every time. Linen strops were made for a reason. If nothing else, I think they do a good job of preparing the razor for the leather, making the leather strop last longer and remain in better, unscuffed condition.

Since your new, I'll let you know that Robert has WAY more experience than I. I'd follow his advice too. For me its like a habit I can never keep up. I know linen is supposed to help but I've never developed the habit.

I was going to post the same topic...

My new strop's linnen side seems kind of knobby. How could that help? I mean, after going though all the trouble to get a nice edge then to strop with that??? I am not convinced.

Emil

Don't worry about the linen being "nobby". It does not
destroy the edge.

The general recommendation is to use the linen after you have shaved with the razor once. You do not use the linen if the razor has just been honed.

The main function of the linen is that it cleans off the blade and gives a coarse alignment to the edge. The leather strop then gives the edge its final, fine alignment.

Lets understand that its much easier to clean the linen then it is to clean the leather. Therefore use the linen first to remove the dirt and oil from the razor.

On the issue of "does the linen sharpen the edge?" there is no definitive answer. If aligning the edge counts as "sharpening" then the answer is yes. If we mean abrading the edge then we have no definitive answer. Some say yes, some say no.

I use the linen and it does work for me. But then so does a coarse finish strop.

Hope this helps,

Originally Posted by mmm_shavingcream

I was going to post the same topic...

My new strop's linnen side seems kind of knobby. How could that help? I mean, after going though all the trouble to get a nice edge then to strop with that??? I am not convinced.

Emil

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.

I've got a little more time this morning, so I'll expound a bit more about linen strops. This stuff is all pretty subjective just like "how sharp is sharp" is pretty subjective. But here's my take on it.

I never liked the hard "linen" that is used by Illinois Strop company these days, but the old linen that's really linen... I honestly feel that it's the difference between a very good shave and a really GREAT shave. I can get my razors shaving quite nicely just by honing and stropping but with judicial use of a quality linen strop prior to using my horsehide strops the shave goes from good to truly great. I think one of the reasons that 5/8 razors are so underappreciated is because they're rarely honed and prepped well enough to perform right. Heavy blades will do a pretty good job and handle well even if they're not particularly sharp. Lightweight 5/8 razors, on the other hand, don't have the weight behind them to power through stubborn bristle that it's not sharp enough to cut with the very least possible amount of effort. A 5/8 razor that is fine enough to give no noticable resistance at all when shaving against the grain may actually provide the closest shaves of all, but if the razor isn't sharp enough to glide effortlessly, it can torque when it hits the resistance and cause the blade to dig in and nick. Using the linen for 8-10 strokes on each side prior to the finishing strop is the best way to maintain the razors at that level of sharpness.

Keep in mind, though, that I don't consider linen stropping to be a cure for a dull razor. If the razor isn't already highly polished, a linen strop can't fix that; it can only refine a good edge, in my opinion.

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