Thread: Nick in leather, will this affect preformance?

Originally Posted by Neil Miller

Shell is supposed to have a very slick, near effortless draw, which makes stropping seem fast - you should always keep it under control, though, to prevent injury to the strop.

Whether or not it is the preferred draw is up to you. Many say it is and it is part of the reason why so many people appreciate Shell strops. Others prefer a mild draw or a heavier draw. In many ways it is a personal thing. I myself may use a medium draw strop to bring the razor's edge up quickly, then finish on shell.

Also 3 inch wide strops are not essential - they are a luxury item. They do not do anything better than a 2.5, 2.25 or 2 inch strop - they just get the job done a bit quicker. While you might think you would just draw the razor up and down, it is a better thing to use a kind of 'x' stroke, the 2.5 inch strop is excellent for this, while thinner strops practically force you to use this stroke.

The buffalo strop may well be better for you - if you can get a new panel then by all means do so. I would compare the buffalo against the shell before you get rid off the shell, though. Can't beat a side-by-side comparison.

I wish you luck,
Neil

Isaw a thread here yeserday about strop prep, or something like that, but i can't find it now. 5-6 steps for strop prep or care. I'm worried about the leather grain. Should it be smooth, do I need to sand or prep the new strop?

I can't say that I have seen that article, but practically no new strop in production today should require anything extensive in the way of 'breaking in' - that was for strops of another age, that had to rubbed with bottles and lather, or for hard, stiff genuine russian strops that needed the stiffness taken out of them.

Nearly every new strop is ready for use. Generally all they need is hand rubbing. This warms the leather a little making it a bit more supple (not to any great degree, though) and should alert you to any abrasive dust or nicks that you missed with your eye, but to me the main reason is slowly building up (or maintaining) the oil in the strop - it prevents the leather strands from closing up and making the leather unfit for use by losing too much water.

Strop conditioners do the same thing, but honestly they are rarely needed, certainly not necessary for the first 6 months to a year or more.

Neetsfoot oil is applied usually if you bought a strop with an unsuitable draw. It lets you (attempt) to modify the draw, but requires great sensitivity and knowledge to apply it. If you go for the right draw first you will probably never need it.

Back to the leather surface. Preferably it should be smooth. This is usually done by milling and imprinting a new surface (aka corrected grain), but yours looks fair faced and shows the animals skin. It does not have to be 100% smooth, as anything 'under' the blade (pits, etc) will not contact the blade, only high spots hit the bevel. If it needs sanding right from the get-go, then it is not suitable for stropping on - unless the maker alerted you to this fact.

Regards,
Neil

Just to add something that might be in your mind,,, smooth does not mean fast/less draw. I have a few different strops and they are all smooth. Some no draw, some heavy draw, but all smooth. And just because the draw is light, doesn't mean you have to go fast. It's just easier too :<0)

Originally Posted by 10Pups

Just to add something that might be in your mind,,, smooth does not mean fast/less draw. I have a few different strops and they are all smooth. Some no draw, some heavy draw, but all smooth. And just because the draw is light, doesn't mean you have to go fast. It's just easier too :<0)

I recall Glen saying.. "Slow is Smooth, and Smooth is Fast"

I know he says this about honing, but I believe it applies to stropping as well.

Moving slowly encourages a smooth stroke. A smooth stroke will yield the desired result more quickly...