Thread: can you reduce the draw?

I have a whipped dog poly/ leather strop. As of now all of my stropping is done on my bathroom counter as I am still afraid of hanging it up and not maintaining an even blade to strop angle. What I have found is that I really prefer the zero draw of the poly to the draw of the leather, which to me seems negligible as well. I am wondering if there is a way to reduce the draw on a leather strop?

Also, and it is probably preference, how long are peoples strop stokes? I am experimenting with longer and shorter strokes. Obviously find it easier to manage the blade on the shorter laps, but does a shorter lap mean more of them?
thanks!

I think some people do longer strokes just so you get more time on the leather without doing thousands of laps.

For reducing draw i'm not sure what you could do other than use the strop a ton. The lather treatment may reduce draw if you didn't completely wipe it off the strop, but would probably leave residue on your blade as well.

Length is not as important as technique (get out of the gutter people). Whatever stroke that fits your "quality" motion ... keeping the spine and edge evenly on the strop ... is best. No need to use 23" of a 24" strop!

I significantly reduced the draw on my strop after about 4 months of first use. I always rubbed the leather with my hand before using it in the mornings. I also rubbed the leather at night to help break it in faster, even though I didn't shave at night. I always rubbed my hands on my face first, to collect skin oil on the hands, before rubbing the strop.

A year later, I decided to try the shave soap lather application on the strop. It cleaned the strop well, but it also brought back its original draw. I then realized that I actually liked the draw, so I stopped rubbing the strop.

The draw of a strop comes from many different factors, leather type, tanning process, surface finish process, compounds used in finishing, and etc. There's also your touch or what we might call
"perceived draw", what and how you feel what you do. Medium draw to one might be less or more to another. Finding the draw that you like best is sometimes trial and error which can be expensive. Gathering with friends that have different kinds/brands of strops can help. It would be nice if there were a strop shop where one could try different strops to see/feel which was best for you.
As for a dressing or compound to apply to your strop to change the draw, most will increase the draw. I'm not aware of a dressing that will appreciably decrease the draw but one of our strop professionals may have that answer. I've settled with buying the type of and surface finish of the leather that gives the draw I enjoy.
As to your strop length, you've got the right idea. With experience you'll settle on a strop stroke that is right for you. Let your razor/face tell you how many strokes is needed.

Baby powder will decrease the draw on a strop.

I learned that the hard way when a bottle hit the floor and exploded, covering everything in the room. It's also a PITA to get out of a strop.

Using less pressure when stropping with also decrease the amount of draw or resistance on the strop.

Have fun.

noobs,

Scrubbing the strop with a microfibre cloth has reduced the draw on some of my strops.

Have fun

Best regards

Russ

I always felt that my strops have more draw when I use my palm first? I like the extra draw.