Thread: Any Info On This: "The Griffon Strop Aide" ??? See Pictures:

Originally Posted by randydance062449

This is an absolutely great thread!

Here is a link for pure lead.........

http://www.lmine.com/product/183121-C.html

Thanks Randy! Didn't know for sure if anyone was still interested in this thread, but it's great to get a post from you.

Thanks for the link as well!

WP34

I guess I have to fall inline here soon. I used to have some lead pipe somewhere. hmmmm

Yeah I'm definitely in line to try it.

You guys are a bunch of really good enablers!

Just ordered the lead caps. Now what in heck will I do with 100 of them?

If any of you guys want one just send me a PM with your address etc. No charge.

Originally Posted by Wolfpack34

Hey All...

I found this sometime ago at a garage sale. It's called a 'Griffon Strop Aide' but I haven't a CLUE as to it's purpose or how or why it might work as advertised. Anyone out there with any information would be appreciated...

Here are some pics including a pic of an old advertisement that I found when trying my hand at research on the internet. Interesting to say the least...

Attachment 135468Attachment 135469Attachment 135470Attachment 135471Attachment 135472Attachment 135473Attachment 135474

The 'working' edge that I assume you rub on a strop looks to be made of a lead alloy. It can be easily scratched with a fingernail so it is somewhat soft.

Sorry about the quality of the pics...my camera 'SUCKS'...

WP34

Don't mind if I give this fascinating thread a bump!

Having just shaved with a an old wedge ground razor this way, it was a very enjoyable shave, and something I'm going to pursue in terms of a DIY project.

Wolfpack was also kind enough to clean up and hone and strop using the above method a Challenge razor I have, 6/8 half follow - I'm going to shave next with that more modern blade and compare it to some others as well.

Lots of great information in this thread, including, being Friday, a great DIY project! Excellent read - thanks!

Originally Posted by Phrank

Don't mind if I give this fascinating thread a bump!

Having just shaved with a an old wedge ground razor this way, it was a very enjoyable shave, and something I'm going to pursue in terms of a DIY project.

Wolfpack was also kind enough to clean up and hone and strop using the above method a Challenge razor I have, 6/8 half follow - I'm going to shave next with that more modern blade and compare it to some others as well.

Lots of great information in this thread, including, being Friday, a great DIY project! Excellent read - thanks!

Hey Andrew! Glad you found it interesting...and glad the shave was 'Cool' ... It's been almost 2 years that I've been using a leaded strop to finish my blades and as part of my regular stropping routine, and as the song says: "I'm a Believer".

Been using it on the back of a roo strop I made for a month or so with good results. Worth a try for sure.

So our good friend Tom (Sharpton) has sent me a strop and a lead bar - neatly taped to expose only the lead rounded edge.

The plan is, I have rubbed the lead onto the linen side of the strop - gave it a good 50 laps and have stropped a Leresche frameback razor on it. When I get back from a meeting I'm going to have a shave with it. I know this razor quite well, so this is just going to be a quick test.

So I was thinking, I believe Tom sent out a few more for this experiment, about getting a format set up to give this a test, see if we can manifest any discernible difference.

Wolfpack's got the Griffon Strop Aide, and he seems to know the workings of this and progressive stropping(or stropping on different treated strops), so I'll start with a post of the strop and lead bar Tom was kind enough to send, and we can go from there.

Well, TBH, I had a small sheet of lead, 1/8 in thickness I had procured to make wedges from. However, every wedge I made of it turned black quite fast. I felt it had been alloyed with something which caused the rapid oxidation.
Then I remembered about the lead strop thread and also that Andrew has been looking (to no avail) to find a Griffon strop-aid.
I took it out to the shear and got 2 pieces, bent them over in the brake, and folded them in a vise.
I then sanded the rounded bottom and washed it, taped the top with duct tape and around with electrical tape making 2 'strop aids' . Lots of handwashing and care used as always when working with lead.

I thought a couple of cheap strops from ebay would be best to use instead of experimenting on something pricy, so a few 'rite edge' strops from ebay were had cheaply. I contacted Andrew and sent him a set and asked if he would compare notes with me.
Reading through this thread, we decided he should tag it on. Also, Wolfpack's observations will be handy?

Seems no one has applied it to the leather, so I may go with that eventually. Any ideas, glad to hear them.
I will be experimenting on a razor which shaves, yet tugs a bit. A good candidate to judge improvement.

Great idea Tom and Andrew. Welcome to the "Club"! Glad to see you guys giving this a go. It's been over two years now for me of using the Strop Aide before every shave and I am still a believer! I haven't used any other type of pasted strop...CrOx, Diamond, etc.....since then. Several folks have PM'ed me in the interim to tell me that they have been trying it with success as well.

I use both linen and leather...usually about 10-15 laps on a really soft linen strop and then about 10 laps on a pasted leather strop before my normal stropping routine. My linen strop at this point after continued use of the strop aide is a chalk white color and soft as silk. Also something that has become a normal part of my honing routine is to strop after the 5k stone before going to the 8K and then the final finisher. I will do about 50 laps or so on the leaded linen strop and then about 300-400 progressive laps on my leather strops. At this point I consider my edges essentially 'shave ready', and the 8K and beyond are simply polishers for me. Really works great for me! Try it and you will see what I mean. I've honed quite a few blades for other folks this way and they all seem to really love the edges...

I've also used just a plain lead bar as well as the Griffon Strop Aide, and it works exactly the same. I think one thing that you will find interesting is that if you rub the lead on the linen strop until it is almost black, and then leave it overnight it will turn almost completely white because of the oxidation of the lead. Usually I will paste my strops 'after' I shave so they are ready for the next time I shave.

It's nice to see this thread resurrected, and I would encourage anyone taking a look at it to read it all the way through. Especially paying attention to the posts from Neil ( God bless him!) and Martin, with lots of great historical information about using lead pasted strops.

I'm anxious to hear about your results Tom and Andrew...