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  1. #1
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    Question which side of the strop to use ?

    Hey guys as embarrassing as this sounds, I am new to the art of

    stropping, and recently acquired a DOVO Extra Wide strop,
    it

    has a light creamy felt like leather on one side, and a reddish

    tough/brittle leather on the other side.

    Which side of the strop do I use ?
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    Last edited by EMRE; 06-08-2010 at 01:26 PM.

  2. #2
    They call me Mr Bear. Stubear's Avatar
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    From your description, I'd say the creamy softer side.

    Any chance of a couple of pics of each side of the strop?

  3. #3
    Senior Member janivar123's Avatar
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    if the backside is rough and soft you could use that before the smooth side
    if its hard id suggest only usingh the smoth/soft front

  4. #4
    They call me Mr Bear. Stubear's Avatar
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    From the look of the pictures I'd say the cream coloured side. The other side doesnt look suitable for use with razors IMO.

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  6. #5
    Senior Member blabbermouth
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    The creamy-coloured side is the one to use.

    Genuine Russian Calf (Echt Juchten) leather, the label says. Originally this leather was named after the country of origin - Russia - but today it is made in many places. The original stuff (it was made from a number of different animal hides, not just calf) was steeped in a liquor containing pine and willow bark, then treated with birch oil and seal oil. The birch oil gave a distinctive smell. It was then dyed in a mixture of cochineal and sandalwood, adding to the smell and giving the red colour associated with russian leather. The flesh side was usually left undyed. So, what we have here is a strop that does not use the grain (red) side as would usually be the case, but the softer fine suede-like flesh side.

    Strangely enough, the first cologne-water was called 'kologne-juchten' because it had notes of this type of leather smell in it.

    Regards,
    Neil

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  8. #6
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    Quote Originally Posted by Neil Miller View Post
    The creamy-coloured side is the one to use.

    Genuine Russian Calf (Echt Juchten) leather, the label says. Originally this leather was named after the country of origin - Russia - but today it is made in many places. The original stuff (it was made from a number of different animal hides, not just calf) was steeped in a liquor containing pine and willow bark, then treated with birch oil and seal oil. The birch oil gave a distinctive smell. It was then dyed in a mixture of cochineal and sandalwood, adding to the smell and giving the red colour associated with russian leather. The flesh side was usually left undyed. So, what we have here is a strop that does not use the grain (red) side as would usually be the case, but the softer fine suede-like flesh side.

    Strangely enough, the first cologne-water was called 'kologne-juchten' because it had notes of this type of leather smell in it.

    Regards,
    Neil
    Wow.

    Neil, where do you learn this stuff? I'm impressed!

  9. #7
    Senior Member blabbermouth
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    Quote Originally Posted by ShavedZombie View Post
    Wow.

    Neil, where do you learn this stuff? I'm impressed!
    Thanks! I dealt in WWI militaria for a number of years and a lot of related stuff cropped up then. The russian leather (an oilier type) for instance was used for military gear: boots, pouches, etc, and of course they used straight razors. I used to get a lot of straights in WWI collections. The officers ones were often quite special, with specially commissioned engravings on the scales. Even the ordinary ones had the soldiers army number on, and often you could trace who they belonged to and what happened to them.

    Just a bit of a magpie, really...

    Regards,
    Neil

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