Thread: Cloth side a deal breaker?

Hello, I recently aquired and brought back to life a strop from a antique shop, now i do find it MUCH easier to strop on a paddle as oppose to a hanging due to the fact that i dont have anywhere good to hang my hanging strop. My question is since its a double sided leather strop is it a deal breaker that i dont have a cloth side, or is it just as effective to strop just leather with more passes?

In my experience, it's just fine to use leather only. I do 60 laps on plain leather before every shave.

Just install a hook somewhere unobtrusive and you should be fine. I keep my strop hanging in the bedroom. I take it to the bathroom and use the hand-towel hook to hold while stropping.

Michael

I had to laugh as I can't answer your question. I have never not used the linen, so I can't say as to if it's just as effective... But only you can say if it's a deal breaker.

It's a funny thing. I never really knew exactly why I stropped on the canvas side as well as the leather (30/70) I just did it. When I was a newbie I guess I thought it had a sharpening effect; and guess I thought one started with a courser surface and then a finer one. Now I know better. I accept what I understand is most accepted of what the process is in regards to aligning the 'teeth' on the edge. I think I have that framed correctly. So until I read here the other day about the canvas warming the edge to make it more malleable, I hadn't even thought about it, I just did it.

I'm still not REALLY sure what's even happening. All I know is 30/70 before and 10/10 after works for me...

I'm sorry I know I didn't answer the question at all, like earcutter I've never not used the linen.

I used to use leather only..then I discovered webbed linen..I feel it improves the edge..warms it up a bit..but im not a nano chemist..so I cant really prove it...

I never really use the linen.... I went throught a period where I put flitz on it... It didn't help...

I use leather only 98% of the time. Only on occation do I use linen to clean the blade.

I never use anything but leather.

I haven't used linen in over 2 years. If my razor needs linen, I just do 2 or 3 laps on a barber hone. Maybe every 30 to 60 shaves, depending on the razor.

Lotsa' users like linen. You should maybe try it and see if it works for you. If it doesn't, maybe it will with CrOx or a Dovo paste? I've seen lots of old strops with various stuff on the linen.