Thread: SRD's Red Latigo back strop material

Originally Posted by Tony Miller

All the different materials have their plus ands minus sides, that is why there are so many choices and why we experiment a lot to see what we want to offer or avoid.

Even similar materials in different weaves can feel much different...nylon/polyester for example and different weaves of cotton can feel much different in use and therefore have their own applications.

Tony

I know, it's fascinating I think that's why I collect more strops than razors... With razors, they look different, and have different tips, but, for the most part, they have the same edge, and cut mostly the same...

But no two strops have ever been the same... It fascinates me, and massacres my wallet

Originally Posted by kcarlisle

I'm about the order the Red Latigo strop from SRD and I was hoping someone might have some info on the differences on the back strop materials available. It shows 3 options available: 1. Matched webbing 2. Cotton herringbone weave 3. 100% hard pressed wool felt.

I've been using an Illinois strop and have found I've been keeping a good edge without having to use pastes or sprays. I feel like upgrading to a better strop will do me some good but have several questions before I do. Which back strop material does anyone recomend and what are the differences in material and usefulness? Also, since I've never used paste or sprays, does anyone have any suggestions if I should start using such. If so, which fabric would be best? Should I use spray or paste with which material?

Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

____________________________________
________________________________

Four different back strop materials on my strops are cotton, linen, nylon and polyester which is on the English Bridle strop and I haven't pasted any of them. I prefer the linen.
My strops left to right......

TWO strips of 3" x 64" American Bridle strop
Heirloom Horsehide
SRD Red Latigo
SRD English Bridle strop
Tandy Leather TopGrain cowhide
DublDuk #50 with CrOx .5 micron
Unused TopGrain Cowhide
DublDuk #70 strop ( sanded )
Illinois Strop Co Russian Horsehide
Missing is a Geo. Worthington "FINISH" strop that was my Grandfathers daily strop. It is being re-sewn in a leather repair shop.

Plus several flatbed leather, balsa, denim and felt strops glued to
tile and balsawood employing various pastes etc.

Only one of the hanging strops is pasted [CrOx], all the rest are plain leather which works best for me.

I suggest that you try as many different strops as you can...............

I surely appreciate everyone's comments. I think I'll order the Latigo with the webbed fabric and a bottle of the .5 diamond spray to use on the linen side of my Illinois strop. I have 2 razors that I'd like to try out with the diamond spray. No matter what I try, I've never been able to get them to give me that "Butter cutting smooth shave" like my Wade & Butcher does.

Thanks again everyone!

Just my two cents, don't do the Diamond Spray. It's good on felts, but can have issues with other cloths... If it's linen, get a Chromium Oxide (crox) packet, those work well on Cotton, Linen, Herringbone, and SRD Webbed Fabric...

I'm sure diamond spray would work, but the Crox is -in my experience- better on fabrics other than felt...

Diamond Spray will work but our intent and testing on the material works best plain as a great way to clean your edge or with paste. The Chrom paste works great on it as well as Diamond paste.

I would agree. One of the reasons we chose the poly webbing we did was that it produced the best results untreated and also worked great with all the different chromium oxide, diamond and cerium pastes. The key is using just a little of the pastes as you want the thinnest coating possible.

Lynn

Cerium Oxide works well on it too.

Originally Posted by Don

Diamond Spray will work but our intent and testing on the material works best plain as a great way to clean your edge or with paste. The Chrom paste works great on it as well as Diamond paste.

Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

Cerium Oxide works well on it too.

Yes it does

Please forgive my ignorance as I have never used pastes. If I get the Latigo with the poly webbing, would I be able to paste just one side of the back strop and still use the other side of it plain or will it soak through? (assuming both sides of the poly webbed back strop are usable). From what I'm gathering from everyone's input, I'll only want to use the pasted strop on an as needed basis. I'm very practicle and would like to have one strop hanging in the bathroom with the ability to flip over to the pasted side of the back strop when needed.

Originally Posted by kcarlisle

Please forgive my ignorance as I have never used pastes. If I get the Latigo with the poly webbing, would I be able to paste just one side of the back strop and still use the other side of it plain or will it soak through? (assuming both sides of the poly webbed back strop are usable). From what I'm gathering from everyone's input, I'll only want to use the pasted strop on an as needed basis. I'm very practicle and would like to have one strop hanging in the bathroom with the ability to flip over to the pasted side of the back strop when needed.

Sho can.....