Thread: slick or drag?

I have two strops, 3", that I have had for a while and all I do is periodically treat them with leather conditioner. I use Kiwi in the bottle.

The question I have is this.... Are strops best when they are slick or when they have a little drag?

The conditioner I use keeps them supple but after a few strops after conditioning they are just really slick. My hollow ground razors seem to sing a little on them.

I have one older strop that I conditioned with baby oil I think (I can't remember). It seems softer and definitely has a drag to it. I seldom use it since its only about 1 3/4 wide and very short.

Which is better?

I like some drag when stropping. One strop I made is a premium Horse Butt, smooth and no drag, should make the huge thing into a ski jump.

I have had a piece of horse hide on a paddle for over 3 years now. Put some liquid glycerin on it when I made it. Feels the same as the day I made it. very little draw. It's not glued to the paddle and it stands in a corner leaning up against it with a linen piece. I have a shell hanging with linen that I restored, cleaned with liquid glycerin and it is slick as slick can be. Then I have a black latigo glued to a paddle and same story, but I don't use it hardly. Medium draw. Then I have a Lipshaw with cowhide I cleaned/treated with glycerin and it takes both hands to draw a razor across it.

It's the leather not the treatment :<0) I would guess your over treating your strops.

OH, and I would never use baby oil on leather. Or any oil for that matter.

What you are referring to is called draw. Some strops have a lot and others very little. It has no bearing on how well they work to aline the edge of your blade. It is erosional preference, so which one is better is the one you like better. Personally I prefer the light draw for heavy razors and the heavy draw for very thin hollow razors. Why, because the hollows seem noisy on the strop with almost no draw and the heavy wedge have way too much draw on the strop with lots of draw.

I prefer little or no draw: much easier when pivot pin is not very tight.

Gentlemen,
I prefer a strop with light draw, and especially one with a magnetic feel as it hugs the blade. That's why I am so fond of the Kanayama cordovan strops, because they meet all my requirements.

Originally Posted by RezDog

It is erosional preference, so which one is better is the one you like better.

Shaun said 'erosional.'

One way to change the draw on a strop from heavy to light, or significantly lighter, is to rub the strop vigorously with a glass rod.

I prefer a heavy draw. There's no real difference in performance, just feel.

Personally, I like strops with little to no draw. The exception is after I've honed a blade. I find a strop with draw will experience increased draw if the blade has been properly honed. it's not drastic but it's there.