strop flaking/raising up

Hi. I'm new to the straight razor game. I'm female and I've been trimming,styling and shaving my husband for the last 7 years. He bought me a great razor, strap, and conditioner for Christmas. I've been trying to condition and break in the strop. I use mostly bottle method with fromm conditioner. My question is this. Is it normal for areas of the strip to raise up and chip off while stropping? I Have to condition for the areas to at least lay back down, but it comes right back when stropping again. Is this normal? Something that will eventually wear away with use? I can't help to think it is damaging to the blade to strop on such rough leather.

Strop: Illinois 827
Conditioner: fromm
Razor: Dovo Solingen 100 581 5/8"

Hello and welcome to SRP!

Please tell us what conditioner you are using exactly and show us a good picture of the strop.**EDIT: You said fromm conditioner /EDIT Cavalry to follow ;)

Let's get that hubby shaved again. FYI-we also have a Ladies subforum, in case you're interested.

k/r

Siguy

I have that strop, not normal. NO more Fromm conditioner, use very sparingly... please post pics if you can!

Attachment 189836Attachment 189837Attachment 189838Attachment 189839Attachment 189840


and the weird part is, that the direction the flakes pull up from the leather is the opposite way i run the razor so know I'm not hacking into it with the blade. I do the weight of the blade only, as flat as possible in a z pattern roughly 30-50 times both ways.

Please tell me that wasn't the smooth side.

Is that an illiinois 827 Russian strop? If so mine is rough like that also, don't know if it's normal but you aren't the only one experiencing that. I've used a bit of neetsfoot oil on mine with no real change. It still seems to do the job. Hope that helps

That is the side facing out. Inside has multiple notched symmetrical lines. It has a second linen part I haven't used yet.

Yes it is the russian

I think you are stropping with blade at an angle- cutting the leather and hurting razor (or are you leading the edge?). Go see video on stropping, razor blade just follows so gently the spine... Look in the library.. or in the stropping section

If I am doing it wrong, what can I do to fix the damage to the strop? Also, Is it ok to keep using this one to sharpen my razor?

I wouldn't use it. May well be fixable. Read this info from the library, read the links also:
http://straightrazorpalace.com/srpwi...p/Razor_Strops


Likely can be repaired but read all before doing anymore damage..

Stropping:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=

As stated, I wouldn't do anything till you figure this out.. (ie what's going wrong and how to fix it)

That is the exact page I used to find instructions for the strop conditioning. And now that I think back,those areas were raising up when I was rubbing the conditioner on with my hand and the bottle. And I was very careful not to use the seam on the bottle when rubbing. It's just been made worse with stropping only 3 times.

I just saw one of these in another thread. My first thought was WTHeck. Lay off the conditioner. You should be able to just run the palm of your hand over it and then strop. I honestly never saw one till this week but that is what it is supposed to look like. If you have a hard time keeping the edge on your razor I would get a different strop. With the amount of conditioner you put on it I would guess a return is out. You may also want to contact the vendor and ask questions. gssixgun may have some answers and if he doesn't come along you might drop him a PM. Sounds like your razor maybe okay ? And start using the linen. 25 on that then 50 or a ton more on the leather. Not sure about that one but should be the same.

The leather was never super smooth to begin with. A lot of strops I'm seeing have the look of finished smooth leather belts whereas my strop came looking like the inside of a well worn belt. Which Is why I assumed it was normal for it to flake like that. The videos were always older gents that looked like they had their strips for years. I also don't feel I've used a lot of conditioner. I followed the instructions on that page and used it a couple other times in just those spots to try to lay the notches down.

It's not a smooth strop. That said, my concern is that the edges look damaged, so I would not use it till figured out. As 10 Pups states, someone who knows this strop better will be along.....

Quote:

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Originally Posted by 10Pups

I just saw one of these in another thread. I honestly never saw one till this week but that is what it is supposed to look like.

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Do you mean you saw my particular strop for the first time and that others of my brand look the same as mine does now?

Well hopefully I can figure all this out. My husband put a lot of thought into everything and stuck his neck out for me. Pun intended lol. Plus side is he ordered from a small time business that will hone my blade for free if needed. They offer to do that so it will make their customers more determined to master their skill instead of giving up when they ruin their blades doing what I'm doing apparently lol

P.s.. my blade seems fine. It definitely does not shave as well as first-time but who can expect that.

Yes that brand and same pics of rough looking leather. There are lots of different finishes on leather and no I never saw one that rough looking. Not that I am THE strop guys but I have been looking around for awhile. If I find that thread I'll post it in here hmmmm.

Well if it shaves and causes no pain then you are fine. Your stropping technique will improve and help keep the edge nice. I would start using the linen though. Without getting all microscopic on you I can say it serves a purpose. Mostly to clean the blade just before leather but not like washing clean. More like knocking off the corrosion since yesterday clean :<0)

If that's the side you're stropping on, shown in the photos......could you post a couple of images of the other side of the leather?

Edit: With the below link, no images needed.

Check this link. It's the same strop with more info. (Pups beat me to it :D)

http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...ml#post1440951

Regards,

Howard :)

Here is the post I was referring to earlier. Same strop different chat. http://straightrazorpalace.com/strop...bad-strop.html

Guess I won't post a link then.
I have just come from that thread too.

I suspect that over using or perhaps any use of the conditioner is the problem. Oils and conditioners make the leather more supple by lubricating the connections between fibers. From what I've read 'over oiling' weakens those bonds to the point of damage. Often less is best when it comes to strops. I have taken to adding oils to strops on the side opposite of the stropping surface if they are needed at all.

I would not use that strop,I think it is trashed beyound repair,JMO

That is the exact same strop and description. I can be almost certain that my stop would look like that if i hadn't conditioned it. I think I'm gonna have hubby get a replacement or just swap for the 127. Cause if its gonna keep doing that, its gonna do nothing but destroy my blade before i have a fighting chance to learn how to strop good.

PS. i watched the video that was just posted and its the exact one Ive watched before as well as multiple others before i even touched the strop. So i know there is no way i could have done the damage to the strop with my technique, even as an amateur. I did not over condition, i used very little to coat it and very little to attempt to fix the spots, absolutely no way i over conditioned. I hear opinions saying conditioners are bad and destroys strops and the site i got the info from was from this forum. The same site that was posted earlier in the thread

Recommend you contact the seller and request your money back/ exchange... use that money to get a better strop, pitch in a few $. Get a smooth strop..
I understand the quality control is considered poor.. that said, I like mine

Best,
Pringr