SRD's Red Latigo back strop material

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!

I have the black latigo in 3", with the webbed fabric and it works great! I have absolutely no complaints and it seems to perform no differently to my other strop which has a linen backing. Unless you feel strongly one way or the other, the webbed fabric will do a very good job.

In terms of pastes, dont paste your main strop. Keep that one totally clean for daily use.

You'll start to need pastes once the razor starts to dull slightly and you need to refresh the edge. You can tell if you need to go to the pasted strop as the razor will start to pull, and wont shave as close as it used to.

The ones people talk about the most are 0.5 and 0.25 micron diamond spray (the 0.25 is the finer one) and 0.5 micron chromium oxide, which comes like a fat green crayon that you rub onto the strop.

If you want a cheap and easy pasted strop, take a flat strip of wood 3" wide and stick some clean denim (from an old pair of jeans) to it. Then just spray on some 0.5 micron diamond spray. I've done this and it works great! You can also oversize it and cut a handle out of the end if you want to.

Heres a link to my pasted strop. I actually made the backing out of a piece of windowsill, but you can use wood or any other material, as long as its flat..!

http://straightrazorpalace.com/honin...-homemade.html

The denim seems to work very well at reducing some of the harshness of the diamond particles. I wouldnt apply diamond spray to leather, as this can make the spray a bit harsh. CrOx works very well on leather though.

You can also buy strops with different backings for use with pastes. Have a look in the classifieds, Straight Razor Designs, Tony Millers site and others all sell excellent strops.

Good luck!

EDIT: I've just spotted that you have an Illinois strop. You could order some CrOx with your new strop, and then paste the Illinois? That would work very well! Just dont use it daily, as you can have too much of a good thing..!

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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!

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Webbed Fabric: Daily strop, good friction, great for pre-stropping

Herringbone Weave: Made of cotton(ish) materials, but with similar abrasive qualities to Linen... I'm going to use it for my second strop, so I can do the abrasive herringbone to a smoothing nylon, then go to the leathers

Wool Felt: Perfect for diamond sprays.

Also, I've been told by Lynn that the Nylon is GREAT with Crox (chromium oxide) crayons, but, as of now, I only use it on cotton, since I don't have spare Webbed Fabric, yet.

I would suggest that when the blade starts to tug, and stropping can't fix it alone, Put a Crox Crayon on your old Illinois (crox is more forgiving, diamond takes off more metal, and may give you a wire edge if you overdo it). Put Crox on the fabric of your Illinois, and give it 10 laps on the Crox, test the edge, 10 more laps if necessary. Repeat to perfection.

I have the latigo with the webbing, IMHO it works just as well as the linen that I have on some of my other strops.

I agree with Stubear on the point where you shouldn't paste your primary strop. if the Illinois strop came with a linen/cloth strop you can use that either with diamond spray or chrome ox.

As Carrie mentioned if your Illinois strop came with a linen you have that base covered. The webbed fabric is awfully nice but so is linen. I have no experience with canvas. If you go felt the diamond spray is great on the felt for tough stainless or for a razor that needs a little extra something. I use the 0.5 spray and plan on picking up some of the 0.25 down the road a piece. If you like more draw the latigo is the way to go. I find the premium 1 a perfect compromise between horse with no draw and the latigo with what I consider a lot. Different strokes. :)

+1 on the webbed fabric for your everyday strop, no paste, no nothing. Use it the way it is, Normally 25/50. If you want to use pasted or sprays, get a seperate one. I recommend SRD hard pressed wool felt W/webbed fabric. Use .50 Diamond spray on the wool felt, and you can use crox on the webbed fabric, but your go to everyday strop should remain virgin, or as is......

Get a good wool felt for diamond spray, and then an SRD Webbed Fabric for your Chromium Oxide (I suggest crayon form, it's very user friendly, makes it easy to avoid putting on too much Crox. And -for me- it has worked on cottons and nylons) However, You will probably want to use it on SRD Nylon (Called Webbed fabric, I just save time and call it nylon, FWIW) if you are pasting it, as those have more ridges and hold the Crox better... The TM nylon is like the horsehide of nylons: When I use it as a finisher, amazing results :D

I personlly made a Hybrid. TM wool felt with SRD diamond spray in .5, and the SRD webbed fabric with Crox Crayon.

Works like a charm

Good luck

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Originally Posted by ShavedZombie

However, the SRD nylon holds the crox better than the TM one..

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I actually suggested my brand of nylon not be used for pasting because the smooth fibers do not hold the paste well.



Tony

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Originally Posted by Tony Miller

I actually suggested my brand of nylon not be used for pasting because the smooth fibers do not hold the paste well.



Tony

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That's actually what I was implying -although, I didn't know the reason- The smoothness is better for daily stropping -following linen, at least for me, the linen pulls everything into shape, and then the nylon smooths it all down-

The SRD nylon is more rigid and ridged, it holds the crox better

It's nice to have a variety of choices and applications.

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

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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

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I know, it's fascinating :D 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 :boohoo:

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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!

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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.

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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.

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Originally Posted by Slartibartfast

Cerium Oxide works well on it too.

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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.

Quote:

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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.

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Sho can.....

Don, Thanks for such a quick reply. I was looking in SRD but didn't see any Chrox, only diamond paste. I think I'll order the Latigo with the diamond compound kit of the 1,3 & 6 micron. Thanks!

Quote:

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Originally Posted by Don

Sho can.....

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Since L and D are out answering directly, I will ask their views on using the reverse side of the 3" red latigo leather.

Is that reverse side suitable for stropping? If so, do you recommend it for CrOx or untreated?

Once again I want to say thanks for everyone's input. Special thanks to Don & Lynn for chiming in on this one, especially since they probably know more about thier products than anyone else. I feel a lot better hearing thier input. I've already ordered the strop and some diamond paste. Now, it's just a matter of waiting in anticipation from USPS! I can't wiat till it arrives!