Thread: Disappointment with DOVO strop

Hi

Im here again, usually a reader, to learn from the immense amount of knowledge of this forum.

This time Im having trouble with a new dovo strop. I have been SR shaving for about 8 years. Always made my own strops with leather from leftovers of shoe/strap makers. Attaining a slippery kind of leather after sanding at beeswaxing.

I decided it was time to buy a proper strop, so I bought a DOVO one, with velvety finish. It has a lot of drag, I cant actually get a shaving edge from it as I would from my "old beater once a belt" strap. totally different sensation and at the moment totally worthless.

What am I doing wrong?

Thanks

My guess is that you are probably not doing anything wrong. It is just that different strops have different "draws" with some giving virtually no resistance to stropping and others more. It may be just a matter of getting used to the draw on the Dovo.

Bob

Photos of the strops would help. I have a vintage Dovo strop that is very slick and a new type Dovo travel strop with a light suede like finish that I do like a lot. It is much like the Nanoyama strop suede finish, that I also like and use frequently.

Probably there is nothing wrong with the strop and it is just a different draw than you are used to with a waxed finish as said.

You might try holding the tang, so the corners are in the middle of the thumb pad and on the index fingers. Doing so allows you to flip the razor using the thumb, like flipping a switch. It also allows you to control the pressure on the edge, (torqueing the tang & razor) without adding downward force, that will kill/roll and edge.

Draw is something you do have to get used to. As the strop gets more use it will become slicker. Wiping with a damp cloth, both cleans and re-hydrates a leather strop, I do so at least once a week.

Whether a strop has drag or not or is pink or blue or was made on a full moon has nothing to do with it's mission. All quality strops do the exact same thing equally well as long as they are quality strops have no paste on them and have no special treatment.

If you don't like the result you are getting you are doing something different. Maybe the draw?

are there any pictures of the strop ?
do you mean to say the razor loses its edge with this strop ?

Thanks for your help

Its a regular dovo strop. After applying the conditioner it comes with several times, the strop became a bit more slippery and easier to use. Although I cant get in to pass HHT especially in the tip area, I do get a nice BBS shave out of my dovo astrale. Again, with the older belt (really, a belt I cut in half) its easier.

Non the less, with my older belt I can get a nice HHT all along the blade with little effort.

I will keep trying but I think my older belt will prevail.

I had a similar experience with a dovo cow hide strop and since I was new to using a strop I but it down to myself. Not sure how I came about doing this but I did I used the wrong side of the strop and it improved the edge no-end. Later I tuck sand paper to the good side of the strop and it works great now

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It may be the conditioner that is causing the drag. That was the case with my Dovo travel strop. As it aged it lost the drag and works very well now.

Originally Posted by puketui41

It may be the conditioner that is causing the drag. That was the case with my Dovo travel strop. As it aged it lost the drag and works very well now.

Actually the conditioner (honey sented, probably very light beeswax) helps it to become slicker. After 3 applications its much better, the drag was due to the porus/powder finish on the leather.

I have a number of good strops. I agree with diedok, I bought the 3 inch dovo russian strop, no linen side. It never felt right, and I eventually put leather conditioner onto it, which improved it, but still, with no line side, and cupping, it's one of the most expensive I've owned, and easily the worst. My favorite is the Classic Shaving 'Mountain Strop' in black latigo. It has a positive, smooth even draw. Thrives on a bit of natural 'Forehead' oil, rubbed before each stropping. I rarely use anything else, and it has a terrific genuine linen, separated side.