Thread: I want a new strop - I think!

I'm not an expert on strops but my understanding is that the suede has more pull against the metal and will actually remove more, even though it is a very small amount, all leather really does. But the smooth side does more polishing than sharpening. On the microscopic level anything that that tiny little ridge of metal contacts has some effect on it. We use stones because they have a greater effect to accomplish more. That sawtooth edge then gets smoothed and aligned more straight by the leather. As you mentioned it really is a progression just like stones. In general I would use pasted cloth, flax linen, unpasted canvas, suede and then smooth leather in that order personally. I don't always use all of those but it depends on the edge. Sometimes I will stop a razor that is already sharp on just the smooth leather and then go back to suede during the shave or perhaps even all the way back to the pasted cloth depending on how much help it needs.

The flesh side that Tony talks about is the inner half (although it may not be exactly half. I'm not an expert on tanning either)of the hide. It is split leather which I think most strops probably are, at least cowhide. If you have ever seen an unsplit cowhide you know that that hide is very thick. The Herold Solingen that I mentioned is the skin side which is why you can see the grain in the leather which you don't in the roughout which is smooth.