webbed fabric on strop?

Hi I just bought an english bridle 3" strop that has the soft leather on one side, and rough leather - almost like rawhide on the other side.
It also comes with this vinyl type webbed strop that is a separate piece. It is very rough and seems to me like it would dull or damage the razor.

My question is - should I paste the webbed vinyl strop and use that first, then transition to the rawhide, then finish with the soft part? Or just stick with the rawhide side with paste on it, then finish with the soft part?

here is a picture of the weird viny, rough strop.

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-fP-HY6Ad2R...600/D+Ring.jpg

Start with the webbing, then go to the smooth side of the leather. Paste is totally optional. Some guys love it, but in the 6 or so years I've been shaving with a straight I've never used it apart from a separate CrOx-pasted fabric strop I use for touch-ups when a razor begins to dull. But that is not for every day use.

ok so the rough side of the leather which is a ton smoother than the vinyl part should not be used?

can anyone who has this type of material on their strop let me know if they are any good?
I watched a video on youtube with this Danish guy named Thomas who said he personally removed it because he didn't like it..

he talks about it in 5:35 in his video

Straight razor stropping - YouTube

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by magnus28

ok so the rough side of the leather which is a ton smoother than the vinyl part should not be used?

can anyone who has this type of material on their strop let me know if they are any good?
I watched a video on youtube with this Danish guy named Thomas who said he personally removed it because he didn't like it..

he talks about it in 5:35 in his video

Straight razor stropping - YouTube

---

The cloth webbing portion of your strop serves a purpose. Many of us use it for about 20-25 strokes prior to stropping on the leather. Also, I have coated the inside (other side) of the cloth portion of my strop with .5 micron diamond spray for freshening up the edge of my razors from time to time.

Some use cloth, some do not. It is a YMMV issue but, it is useful and I strop my razors on it before going to leather.

Frank

I got a leather/poly strop from whipped dog and this was Larry's rationale for the webbed/poly strop.

"I believe there are two rationale for the poly/linen/cloth strops you find on vintage and new strops. First, they are used as a surface for abrasives. However, in your case you have balsa, which is even better. Second, it cleans the edge of gunk and oils prior to stropping on leather. The second reason is what I believe to be the primary value to you.

How many passes on the poly to clean? Not that many. Maybe, 20 is fine. I would think above 50 passes on leather."

It will make a zipping sound when stropping, but I use it every day with no problems. I haven't applied abrasives so can't speak to the efficacy of that aspect.

Here are a couple of things to check out. They should help. :tu

First, the (almost) famous "Stroptober" thread:

http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...st-2012-a.html

And second a bit of a stropping primer from Lynn:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

an excellent source and wealth of knowledge.. thank you gentlemen!

As to the OP, I have not looked thru the videos. nor intend to. Seems THAT would be a poor excuse for English bridle. Am I wrong? The webbed side looks like a seatbelt. Best thing you bought, IMO :shrug:

It looks like the polypropylene webbing SRD use on their strops. It's OK but I prefer linen or cotton myself.

We use a lot of polyester webbing in different widths, grades and thicknesses, at my textile company. I tried lots of them and happily settled on some 2 7/8 texturized poly/nylon webbing for a backside strop. Love it. It takes/holds CrOx crayon well and works fine untreated. Inexpensive, tough and good on an edge the only downside is, the stuff is noisy for a few months - it makes a loud-ish "zzzzzzt!" noise with each stroke until it softens a bit. Course, leather does too, I guess. I keep one CrOx'ed and one plain behind my leather.

Leather only here,have never used any type of fabric/webbing.

Poly webbing is a great stropping substrate. It should work as linen to clean the razor prior to stropping on leather. It will clean the blade of all the “stuff” on the razor so it does not contaminate your leather strop. There are different Nylon Poly Webbing and some are better than other for different uses. The weave and thread make the difference.

The course weave shown does work well for cleaning and as a pasted strop. Fine weave, seatbelt type is better for polishing a bevel. Personally I would not paste yours, but use it for cleaning prior to leather. If you want a pasted strop, you can purchase a yard of Poly/Nylon strapping from a fabric store for a couple of dollars and you can paste both sides with different paste.

The other benefit of these strops is they are almost impossible to cut or nick, even stropping edge forward. It is great for novice stropper to develop the skill.

Keep it, use it. I think you will really grow to like it.

I use the poly webbing with the dovo red paste.. It works amazing! I then follow up with 50 laps on the soft leather of my English bridle..

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by magnus28

I use the poly webbing with the dovo red paste.. It works amazing! I then follow up with 50 laps on the soft leather of my English bridle..

---

Is it worth the sound it makes?

Yes it is, because not only does it clean, polish, and straighten the blade, it also hones the blade a step further than the 8k stone I use.

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by magnus28

Yes it is, because not only does it clean, polish, and straighten the blade, it also hones the blade a step further than the 8k stone I use.

---

That makes sense - for some, anyway! Dovo red is said to be around 3.5 - 5 microns, so at the lower end it is finer than 8k grit and at the other end it is coarser than 8k grit. I suppose its luck of the draw whether yours tends to err on the coarse side rather than the fine side.

The dovo black would work out at around 1 micron. That is usually considered the polishing paste in the dovo line-up. As for 'straighten the blade' I can't imagine what is meant by that at the moment... :)

Regards,
Neil

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Euclid440

The other benefit of these strops is they are almost impossible to cut or nick, even stropping edge forward.

---

Challenge accepted lol. I have the poly webbing from SRD but I prefer the actual cloth fabric. I use the poly webbing for my CrOx to touch up dulling blades

[QUOTE=Euclid440;1304034]

The other benefit of these strops is they are almost impossible to cut or nick, even stropping edge forward. It is great for novice stropper to develop the skill.

Are you serious??

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Euclid440

The other benefit of these strops is they are almost impossible to cut or nick...

---

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by pixelfixed

Are you serious??

---

Either way mistakes are certainly less costly than with leather. That's worth a few points.

Just me or does stropping forward seem like a terrible idea?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by JoelLewicki

Just me or does stropping forward seem like a terrible idea?

---

You Hone foreward,why not strop forward:) J/K Newbs

How does one cut or nick a strop… if not edge forward?

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Euclid440

How does one cut or nick a strop… if not edge forward?

---

I know you know the answer to this one Euclid, but the degree of ignorance shown here by one or two indicates that they do not ... you cut the strop because you make a mistake in flipping the blade - turn it too soon at the end of a stroke and the edge is going forwards.

As for someone suggesting it is a less costly mistake than doing it on leather, thats a bit of a non-sequitur in the sense that cutting/nicking anything other than the leather is probably cheaper, eg, canvas, cotton, cotton-canvas, etc. The more sensible among us practice first on something unimportant like a belt, with something that isn't sharp, like a butter knife, before we let loose on a proper strop.

Regards,
Neil

Quote:

---

Originally Posted by Euclid440

The other benefit of these strops is they are almost impossible to cut or nick, even stropping edge forward. It is great for novice stropper to develop the skill.

---

Now I have read this I question myself as to whether you really do know better, or whether you just have an odd way of expressing things...

Regards,
Neil

A strip of nylon cost less than a dollar, and one can lay the blade edge first and slide it the length of the strop without cutting or nicking, try it. You cannot do this with leather.

The way we learn to do physical things, is to do them. One can read about or watch videos, but until they develop the muscle memory by doing, will never gain the skill.

So if Nylon is less expensive, more cut resistant and will polish an edge, as well as leather in the hands of one that is learning, it is great for the novice learning to strop and not nick the strop.

Of course the strop is cut/nicked at the flip, because the edge is moving forward… intentional or not.

Neil perhaps you are correct and I should have written, even stropping edge forward “intentionally, as an experiment”.

Good to see you back, good health.

Marty