Thread: Dovo XL Strop, Russian leather

Hello folks!, looking for some help here, i recently bought a near to new DOVO XL strop, according to the seller he used only like 3 times and now that i have it I believe him. no cuts, scratches, or any damage of any kind.... this really feels like a very high quality piece of leather for being calfskin instead of hose butt or something like that....

I got it for 33$ (yeah I'm happy with the deal...) but the down side is that the previous owner put some white paste on the strop... To be honest i don't really like to add anything to the leather strops, to me, unless the leather is super dry (and in that case i would add some horse oil or neatsfoot oil to condition it) you should not add anything. this strop was new and i have managed to remove all the remaining white paste by rubbing a dampen cloth on the surface.. few passed each day for more than a few days... in order to not completelly wet the strop.. but just to have the strop lightly dampen so it will dry easily to the air in a few minutes... so.. it is clean now (to the naked eye at least)

nevertheless, i think the surface original finish might have been altered.... it feels like smooth... nor really slick, but just smooth and the draw is rather normal-to-low

Could someone (that has purchased or used one of this in new condition) chime in and tell me how should the stropping surface feel to the touch? is it kind of suede? or velvetie? or just smooth like this one is?


Like I said, this one feels really reaaaaally smooth, not suede at all, not like those suede surfaces that you drag your palm on one direction and then run a finger on opposite direction and you can see the trace of your finger because the suede-like surface reflects the light differently... not sure if I am explaining myself properly?

my understanding is that this surface (and any Russian finish for the matter) should feel more velvetie and not just smooth ... and that's the reason you're not supposed to add any paste whatsoever...

if that's right and the surface should be suede-like, then i could just sand it a bit with the orbital and let give it that finish again, maybe with sandpaper #400 or less grit...

don't get me wrong.. with the current finish it feels really nice and smooth and with a goos pitch when i strop a blade, it's just that I would like to touch up the suirface to have it just on the right original status!!

any advice??

thanks folks!!

Gabe

Gabe, this is a contentious subject, but I can say, that I have owned the strop you speak of. I believe you speak of the Dovo XL Russian style 80cm wide one sided, one piece strop. It is a nice strop for beginners as it's better than 3 inches wide, so no x strokes needed. When new they do have a slightly velvety feel to them, and are quite pleasant to strop on. They would be better with a back side and a canvas or linen 2nd piece. That being said, the draw is not heavy nor is it slick and fast. I would not put anything on it in the way of dressing, unless you want a heavier draw. If you want alternatives, look around these threads on the strops or stopping pages and I'm sure there will be tons of nice choices. I use cordovan horse hide strops made in Japan. Enjoy your strop. Bob.

Thanks a lot Bob!! Indeed i also preffer the shell strops, do have a few, but i have kind of a sweet spot for my dovo razors... bismark, flowing, and a few more (not my favorite brand, but surely beautiful razors)... and wanted to have a matching brand spot... and since this was a good deal for the price, i clicked the bidding button...
I absolutelly agree with you.. it was a huge mistake from the previous owner to add a paste.. but you have given me the piece of information i needed.. velvetie felingnit is... and i know how to getnit back to that state easy enough

Thanks a lot for replying my friend. Much appreciated!!!

Edit: BTW... that is preciselly the strop i got, the ine you said... why is this a contentious topic? [emoji4]

Just so many choices available to us, I've tried many and I don't reckon you could say any of them are bad. George Orwell in Animal Farm, said, 'All animals are equal, it's just that some are more equal than other's...lol.
It's funny you mention the Dovo's I too have a liking for their 6/8 models, I just a few weeks back bought a Flowing, to go along with my couple of Bismarck's, a Grenadille stainless 6/8, a Le Forme 6/8, all with thumb notches. I just like the thumb notch Dovo's, seem to sit nicely in my hand, honing and shaving. Same with TI 's I have four 7/8 c 135 Spartacus, Bijou De France and a lovely Polished Rams horn with a notch point. All are thumb notches..love em. I've got a 5/8 prima Klang and it has a stabiliser bar/ shoulder and it's been a while since I used it. Add to that 3 Hart steel 7/8 and that's a snap shot of my tastes. Enjoy mate. Bob

Once the paste is added the feel of the strop is changed. As it is it's not an everyday strop anymore because of the paste.

There is no easy way to get the paste off because it embeds itself into the material. Other than sanding the heck out of it I know of no other way.

Probably best to just use it as a pasted strop.

Thas also the only way i know man

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I got a Dovo strop, 2" wide, together with a razor I bought. They get mediocre reviews here, IMHO that is not justified. I think they do a very good job and are good value. As to the white paste: most leathers are coated with some sort of oil or grease. If you put an abrasive paste on them the abrasive particles might not get any deeper than the oil or grease. You may want to try saddle soap and see how much of the particles you remove that way. That is a less destructive way than sanding the paste out.

No one critised the Dovo 2 inch strop. I offered comment as I owned the strop XL 80mm that is the subject of this thread. I repeat that when new this strop had a velvety feel and was nice to strop on. Any others who own or have this strop may have other views. Not all strops are the same. And don't all perform well with the use of dressings.

Originally Posted by bobski

No one critised the Dovo 2 inch strop. I offered comment as I owned the strop XL 80mm that is the subject of this thread. I repeat that when new this strop had a velvety feel and was nice to strop on. Any others who own or have this strop may have other views. Not all strops are the same. And don't all perform well with the use of dressings.

Not in this thread but in other threads they are IME.

Originally Posted by bobski

It is a nice strop for beginners as it's better than 3 inches wide, so no x strokes needed.

Other than the width, what qualities make a strop "for beginners"? Also, can you give a little info on what the difference between a good strop and a great strop? I would guess as quality and price increase, you hit the law of diminishing returns, paying more and more for smaller increases in quality. Can you give some input on what qualifies as a great value in a strop?