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

Originally Posted by Wolfpack34

I'm actually getting pretty excited! Andrew...if the FBU is tugging a bit I think you will see a 'Big' difference. 50-60 light soft laps on the leaded linen followed by a good stropping on leather will do the trick. Can't wait to hear the results!

Tom...your strop is looking about right my friend. Once you gradually get the strop loaded well it takes less and less to blacken it up and you will need to refresh the lead tool with sand paper much, much less often. I usually only re-freshen my Strop Aide about once a month and mostly because just being exposed to air will darken it up. My strops after 2 years are literally 'chalky' they are so loaded, but very soft and slick.

Using a BH refreshed Novelty is perfect. I just honed a razor last week with nothing but a Frictionite '00' (after a 1K bevel set)and then lapped it on my leaded linen and leather strops (About 30-40 laps on each). Followed that up with a solid progressive stropping...starting with the Lipshaw of course...and the shave was as smooth as any of my razors. Silky!

I can't wait to check this thread out tomorrow....

Just took a shot at the strop with the lead - some sanding to rough it up worked - got the leather and linen side nice and dark.

As I mentioned a few posts ago, definitely rinse the blade after the lead treatment!

So for Friday's shave, going to be 40 laps on the lead sided linen - then 60 laps on the lead sided leather. Think a big chopper will enjoy this....and perfect timing as well.

Rinsing the blade will do little to stop the transfer of lead oxide onto your hands, floor/feet and airborne particulates to your mucous membranes/lungs. Science has given us the wisdom to know better than to be using lead for this and Technology safer things to put on strops...

You can also use a bank sinker from your salt water tackle box to prepare the strop. Works well!

Originally Posted by Splashone

Rinsing the blade will do little to stop the transfer of lead oxide onto your hands, floor/feet and airborne particulates to your mucous membranes/lungs. Science has given us the wisdom to know better than to be using lead for this and Technology safer things to put on strops...

Most people of our era have been exposed to lead from paint to petroleum running our cars, I don't think it affects the memory..... Have misplaced my chunk of lead anyway, so not to worry... Off to bingo tonight,,,, is it Friday?

Well, my razor got 50 on the fabric, 100 on the leather with the leaden strop. Same on unleaded strop.
Might be a bit better, not much. Think I did too little on my BH or went backwards with it.
I did not expect much as I think this is purely a maintenance thing. This razor needs more stone, I think.
I shall incorporate it into my progressive stropping regimen and continue to tinker with it.
Am looking forward to see how Phrank does with a sharper razor!

Originally Posted by sharptonn

Well, my razor got 50 on the fabric, 100 on the leather with the leaden strop. Same on unleaded strop.
Might be a bit better, not much. Think I did too little on my BH or went backwards with it.
I did not expect much as I think this is purely a maintenance thing. This razor needs more stone, I think.
I shall incorporate it into my progressive stropping regimen and continue to tinker with it.
Am looking forward to see how Phrank does with a sharper razor!

The more you use it and continue to apply the lead tool Tom the better your strops will be, as they become more loaded. BUT, yes it will not 'sharpen' a blade...as you say, that's what the hone is for. It polishes the bevel and keen's the edge up...smooths it out. Or "Cools The Edge" as the Griffon Strop Aide says.

After a second application, I did 40 on the lead infused linen and 60 on the lead infused leather - from now on for me in this thread - any stropping I describe will be leaded strop.

As Mike mentions, I can tell it's going to take time to load the strop fully.

Now this is purely anecdotal, but in stropping the W&B, after I was about 30 laps in on the leather side, I felt and noticed the razor smooth out on the strop, started to get a nice glide to it. The best way to describe this old W&B is it's a very nicely done full hollow grind - think Great Grandpa Filarmonica #14.

I'm going to load the strop again tonight, and do another 40 linen and 60 leather before my shave...will check in with results tomorrow.

I agree with wolfpack, need to try on a razor that is shaving ok, also load strop and leave till it turns white. I think as it oxidises it works better.

I load my strops...or more accurately 'rub them' after and sometimes before every shave. It takes a few times to get the strops laded and smooth, but once they are you'll notice it. I've never used them on anything but a properly honed blade, except a few times with a slightly 'tugging edge' when I first started do this a couple of years ago.

At this point my linen strop is very smooth and the blades glide over it. I've looked at the bevel of a coticule finished edge after stropping more than a few times and the bevel is polished right up, so I know it's doing what it is supposed to do. As Neil used to say leather will polish a bevel...which is why I am such a believer in lots of stropping. And a leaded strop adds a bit more aggressiveness and polishing action with a micron rating of about .5

So how did the shave go, Phrank?