Thread: Cross hatched embossed strop

I just did an internet search of "Karova Kozha strop" and some images were given. They all had the stamping on the perforated side as this one does. So I will take back my mistakenly stamped supposition. Given that it is stamped on both sides, it would appear that both sides were intended to be used.

Originally Posted by markbignosekelly

I defer to Mr Miller

https://sharprazorpalace.com/strops/...-needed-2.html

I will defer to Mr. Miller as well.....the other Mr. Miller, Neil (he is greatly missed and I had many great conversations with him via email). Many older strops were rolled (and some new ones as well to increase firmness) and that imparted both a texture and stiffened the leather by compressing it. The Illinois 827 is a good example.

As for the roughness adding friction I am not so sure. Yes the surface is rugged which at first seems like it should add friction but the leather now being so firm the razor is really only hitting the high spots which means less surface contact and theoretically less friction. (kind of like the effect of dimples on a golf ball or a lapstrake vs. a smooth hulled boat...rougher surfaces, less friction). It feels rough to the hand, which is soft and conforming to the texture but not so to a hard piece of steel running along only the high spots.


I have also seen strops with knife cuts in a cross hatched pattern on the back. Now these cuts reduce thickness uniformly across the surface at ever cut line making a strop more flexible and possible less likely to cup. Sometimes it is hard to tell on vintage strops though as age and neglect has hardened the leather so we do not get a true feel for how the strop behaved when it was new.


Just my thoughts