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Hi!
I have bought a new strop, wich is called "Stropzilla" muahahaha!
https://www.etsy.com/nl/listing/2445...remium-xxl-xxw
Now the leather is still very new, soft and, well, "hairy". How can I speed up the proces to make it smooth and shiny?
Thanks in advance!
Hairy?
The leather looks unfinished, perhaps you should contact the maker for his advice.
A razor strop should be smooth already and really not need anything when new.
It is really minimal, my first Herold strop was about the same when it was new. But it took years to make it shiny and performing at it's best. (to my feeling)
I do admit this is a home made strop, but in my country a decent 3" strop was almost impossibly to find. So i took a gamble with this one, and the leather is pretty good and thick, but the finishing isn't..
The listing states it's napped leather, I guess it's kinda like suede. I wouldn't do anything to it, just use it and it will be fine as it is.
I have a vintage strop that had a funky finish on it but was a great thick horse hide leather strop.
I conditioned it over several months with different oils and water to moisturize and make it soft again. It was stiff and dehydrated when I first got it.
I lightly scraped the surface with a sharp cabinet scraper and it raised a fine nap on the face, (Not recommending this for your strop). Not quite suede, but you can see a very fine nap, that changes color slightly as it is stropped on and the nap changes direction.
It is now floppy as a old well washed sock and leaves an awesome finish on the blade. I would wipe it wit a clean damp cloth, once a week or so.
What is important is, how it finishes the bevel than, how it looks. I would still contact the vendor and ask their opinion.
Strops that barbers used eventually became dark and highly polished but that wasn't an intentional thing. That's just what happened after years of daily heavy duty use. Most of us would never see that happen to a strop no matter how much we use it.
Most quality strops sold new have a smooth finish. Some meant for secondary use like the suede kanayama strops are napped on purpose.
You shouldn't have to play with a new strop to get it shave ready.
Russian red strops would be rough side out, as are some of the German strops (Reinleder?!?!?!). These are intended to be used for final stropping, just as the smooth, skin side out strops. Kanayama added a suede strop in some of the models as an intermediary strop between linen and leather. I have a Russian red strop and it is just as good as my English bridal strop.
No need to do anything to that strop, just use it and it will eventually develop a patina. Or... you could buy another strop <evil grin>.
Regards
Christian
Not even in de Koordenwinkel in Antwerp? I looked at their site and cannot find a strop :(. I remember once seeing a Filarmonica loom type strop made of suede-like leather that was rougher than the leather on the etsy pictures looks like.Quote:
Originally Posted by Humanalien
Should be OK. I think you better not use any strop conditioner on the suede as it may harden the "hairs".
Quote:
Originally Posted by Kees
No i don't think so, their webshop only shows different lengths, but no 3" models. Love that store btw.
If you decide to apply anything to this strop, apply it to the back side only. Euclid440 brings up an interesting point of softness/suppleness of the strop. You could probably show us how supple it is, if you balance the leather on one finger and let the ends hang down....
Not to worry ... the spine will lay the grain down nice and smooth. The edge trailing motionQuote:
Originally Posted by Humanalien
allows the bits from the split hide to lay down and work nicely. It is tempting to add too much
strop dressing (oil). The less oil you use the faster it will react with air and help smooth the surface.
Smooth and shiny is not going to happen compared to a skin side different cut of leather.
Some leather is rolled between a traction roller and a smooth roller to press the leather flatter and
make it denser. Russian leather is sometimes this highly compressed flesh side leather.
The maker says "The leather is finely napped and will give a very refined edge."
and I expect that is the case.
They all make great strops.
Smoother yes in a couple months but shiny no.
Do not be tempted to sand the leather -- you do not want the napped leather to
grab grit that will haunt you. Sanding works for belts... not strops.
My Illinois strop with napped Russian leather is one of my favorites.
Have fun.
Thanks for all the reply's, I'm going to use it as it is then.
I asumed it had to be worked in, becouse I didn't feel any drag like i felt on the Herold one.
The only time I have sanded a strop was my first one becouse i'd nicked it. In that case, and I think only then, it can be usefull to sand.
Still learning, after 6yrs of SR shaving last year I started honing, I think now is the time to go deeper into the stropping.
Do you mean the backside of the leather or the canvas side? Like putting the Yellow greasy tube on the backside of the leather, or putting a sort of compound on the canvas side. I'll try to make a picture, a moment ;)Quote:
Originally Posted by Srdjan
I mean on the back side of the leather and only if it's needed. The aim would be to soften it and make it more supple.. but lets see that pic first ;)
Picture of one hanging strop :) Attachment 267083
And since we are not lazy I took the DSLR witch a macro lens. The two pictures are from the same distance, should have put a ruler next to it.
Attachment 267084Attachment 267085
That resembles the mentioned suede 3rd piece on a Kanayama strop. The primary stopping surface on quality strops like Kanayama are indeed smooth to the point of shiny. They require no creams, conditioners, oils. They need only a rub with the palm of your hand. If expense is a worry consider that a cheaper Kanayama is around $120.00, you pay lots for collections of stones, jnats, and razors, and all those stones and the like aren't worth a cent if you have a poor strop.
If oiling a leather strop with neatsfoot oil use almost none and apply to the back of leatherQuote:
Originally Posted by Humanalien
and allow it to soak through. More than enough will wick through to the the other side.
I always get too much on the leather...
Yes you can rub it on both sides but it always seems to be too much. Brown paper, newsprint,
old rags can pull enough back from the surface for use.
On the canvas side both sides are normally of equal quality and applying a polishing abrasive
is normally done on the back leaving the front for day to day stropping.
Today with a submicron abrasive it is less important than the old turn of the century days.
Well then it is a worry because the strop was only 50€ (normaly comming from 100€ he claims) , for a 4" wide one.
I wanted a 3" Razor designs strop or equal, but they are very hard to find in Blegium. This one is home made by a member of a Shaving Facebook group in the Belgium/Netherlands.
I always use Belgian Coticules. At this moment I have no knowledge about Jnats, so staying away from them at the moment.
That does resemble a suede piece, but not a Kanoyama. The finish here looks rougher to me. This is not to say the strop is defective, as there's no way to tell that from these few images.
I'd say don't use Neatsfoot, it looks like it's not needed.
If you still want to do something to the surface, I'd first find out what tanning process was used on the leather. If it's veg tanned, a lot can be done to change the feel and drag. I would suspect it is indeed veg tanned, but best to go back to the seller and ask. Maybe they will have a recommendation, too? Just tell them what you're looking for and they may be able to help.
