Have been stropping exclusively on leather and I get nice comfortable 2 pass shaves from my straights. Will I benefit from adding fabric to my stropping routine? I've read here that stropping on fabric after washing the razor will remove water particles from the edge but I can't see why leather can't do the same. I also read that fabric will speed up the process of stropping, is this a valid statement?
Thanks in advance for your answers
Elias
I have two old strops. One Red Imp and one Hoffritz both have leather and canvas. I use Theirs Issard strop paste from The Art of Shaving on the canvas and then finish on leather. Only touch up my razors once a year. So I guess I am saying it is beneficial to include canvas or linen in your stropping.
As soon as I come off a stone, I go to canvas before I touch the leather. I want to remove anything from the edge that might blemish my leather.
Try it and see
but here is more reading :) from YEARS ago
WONDER PHOTOS REVEAL UNSUSPECTED FACTS ABOUT Razor Blades and Shaving (Oct, 1931) | Modern Mechanix
Very informative (for me) answers! Never thought about fabric removing hone particles that may damage a strop but I also never honned anything yet.
ProofQuote:
Originally Posted by captainhx
Used Linen vs New Linen
Attachment 263236
It also takes off dirt particles and bits of metal. I don't hone nearly as much as Gssixgun up there, but the spot where I strop the most on my linen has at times looked just as dark as what I'm assuming is his rather well trafficked strop up there. I'm still patiently waiting for my current strop to take on that much metal particulate so I can play with it and see if it has the abrasive quality hinted at in I want to say Iwasaki's text if memory serves well. Maybe I need to start honing more often just to speed up the process...
Great read! Especially the part about using oil to cover the blade between shaves which has a positive effect on maintaining a straight edge. I never oiled my razors as I only have two and they are in constant use. Each razor is used and stropped at least once a week so I figured they didn't need oil.Quote:
Originally Posted by gssixgun
Certainly I am by no means knowledgebale in this area, but when it came up in discussion before, I was prompted to try just using the leather. That was around five years ago and I'm still doing just that. Seems to work just fine.
My understanding from the answers above is that a fabric strop is good for pastes and for removing metal and hone debris after honning/restoration work that could damage a strop. But I'm sure that the back side of a leather strop could cope with removing debris as good as any fabric, right?
I strop on nylon webbing before hitting the leather and have been very pleased with the results. I use this because Lynn Abrams and team discovered that it works really well. I was willing to pay more for the traditional materials, though Lynn said they found the results with the nylon webbing to be awesome and I ave to agree.
The second pic comes from Lynn's website. It is somewhat small, so the first pic, while not a perfect match, shows what it looks like up close.
http://s3.amazonaws.com/content.sell...jpg?1476308225
https://cdn.shopify.com/s/files/1/13...g?v=1488393140
Look at your razor with magnification, the day after you have shaved with it. No matter how well you have rinsed and wiped the blade, you will find bits of soap, skin, blood and rust on the bevel and rust. The skin holds moisture and will rust/eat the edge.
If you do not strop on linen and remove all the smutz, it ends up on you finishing leather. Rust, active red/orange rust, Ferric Oxide, (Fe2 O3) is harder than steel and will scratch a bevel and can lead to a chip.
Most folks do not clean their leather strop regularly and just wipe with the hand, further imbedding the grit into the leather. In addition, as said bit of steel are added to the above mix as parts of the fin are broken off.
There is no question that a good linen strop can straighten, polish and sharpen a bevel and edge. Some flax strops are very aggressive when looked at with magnification. A good Linen firehose strop is very aggressive as are many vintage true linen strops.
I strop on pasted Chrome Oxide, canvas between stones when honing after 1k and before the final finish stone. I then strop on plain leather after the finish stone.
Stropping on linen after 1k will straighten and make a cleaner edge. Before stropping I always first strop on washed, vintage true linen before stropping on leather or a pasted strop.
At the very least, linen will keep your leather cleaner, at best it will straighten and polish the edge. Leather is the last thing to polish and straighten the edge, before it touches your face, it should be in the most pristine condition.
I've been reading this thread with interest. So tonight when I stopped at the truck stop for my evening shower and shave, I gave my Dorko Backal 20 laps on the nylon web before 50 on leather. Now this razor was purchased new from John Crowley at The Shaving Shop December 2015, and he put a fine edge on it. All I've ever done was to strop it on leather these 18 months and it's given fine shaves. Who knows what variables were aligned tonight, but I did put on 20 web laps, which was different. It's as if there was at least a 50% improvement in the shave. I could be exagerating, but certainly a great shave tonight.
Attachment 263303
OK, I'm convinced that I have to try a fabric strop.
Where do I find a 2.5" linen only strop?
I wiped my strop with warm water on kitchen paper but dirt is still there. Any suggestions on how to clean and care for my strop?Quote:
Originally Posted by Euclid440
All I have ever used to clean leather is saddle soap bought from a horse tack shop. There are many makers as a quick google will show.
Bob
I've been reading some threads on this section and it seems that pure glycerin may be a better medium for cleaning a leather strop. I'll try some on a leather belt and if I'm happy with the results I'll use it on my strop.
Still looking to buy a linen strop, any recommendations?
Brilliant and cogent stroke of awareness. So much to learn and be aware of. I think of those tiny bits of metal becoming embedded into the leather.
When will you let us know your results???
Yep! That makes perfect sense.
Excellent point. One I was certainly not aware of and will start using immediately. As I have said. Been using an SR for 40+ years and never ever was aware of this. Thank you for this most instructional post.
Crap!!! Where do I find a nylon strop specific to straight razors??? Please. I want to give it a went.
I don't think it's nylon, most refer to it as poly(propylene). The SRD secondaries are synthetic they come on the strops and are also available as replacements.Quote:
Originally Posted by Glock27
O.K Then where can I buy one??? Thanks.
SRD is Straight Razor Design. Watch for a banner as you use this site or google.Quote:
Originally Posted by Glock27
Found one at Whipped Dog Razor and the price is relatively low, $40 for poly and leather.
I have recently started going to a linen strop after honing and then leather. For preshave its leather only (50 laps) and post shave I strop on newspaper to dry the edge (15 laps).
Someone here mentioned stropping on linen after the shave. Sounded like an excellent idea, well, for me anyway since I don't subscribe to or read newspapers, they are so expensive today.
There are some strop makers who are using Hemp/linen strops as secondary material. And several using polyester and nylon.
No one I know, that makes a new real linen or separate nylon or Polyester strop other than Ken Johnson at TomoNagura.com.
While I have not use his strops, I know folks who have, and love them, especially the Fire Hose real linen strop.
I have made my own vintage linen strops from NOS firehose and they are very impressive. I also use vintage and vintage NOS linen strops with excellent results. Real linen is abrasive and polishing and can produce a smoking edge. Real linen needs to be properly washed and rolled/worked to produce a soft flat linen strop, that will perform.
For experimenting with Nylon or polyester, any fabric store sells 2-inch nylon or poly strapping or Polyester Canvas, that will make an excellent strop for a few dollars.
Add a couple 2 inch D rings and some Chicago screws, from Tandy leather and you can easily make one for under 10 bucks total cost.
I am considering buying a strop from Westholmes with one of the three materials offered on the following link. Which one would you recommend?
Second Surface — Westholme Strops
Natural flax I use it and it's very nice . It does work well, does,not feel harsh or zippy.Quote:
Originally Posted by captainhx
Yes, Flax linen.
Those are some great looking strops.
Scrupleworks will make you a linen only strop,, and his Flax Linen is as good as there is available today, ii believe it the same source Neal Miller used cause they match up to mine,,, and Torolf is a great guy to do business with Tc
Quote:
Originally Posted by tcrideshd
+1
I have several of Torolfs strops including a couple of custom Flax linen singles. He made mine to my specs. and they were very reasonably priced
Thanks guys. Scrupleworks has 2.5inch linen which I prefer over Westholmes 3".
