Thread: Well Seasoned Strop vs New

The importance of breaking in a strop has been talked about numerous times, so I doubt this is news, but recently I did a comparison of the edge stroped on a new latigo strop to one I had been using for a couple of years. The new latigo made from the same batch of latigo broken in the same way as I did the older one almost two years ago (lather and beer bottle). The razor was a Dovo 5/8 SS finished on an asagi was viewed 100x with an old light microscope. What I found was that the newer strop had left some minor but noticeable deformations on the edge.
The razor was rehoned and finished the same way,then stropped again but with the older strop.The older very smooth broken in latigo left no deformations on the blade and visibly improved the edge. Both times, about 50 laps on the strops were made before viewing.

I don't see why a quality strop should leave deformations. It seems to me the issue is does the leather have some kind of artifact of sorts on it to cause the deformation. The fact leather may be stiffer or softer should have no bearing. Maybe because of feel differences in the leather you applied more pressure?

Originally Posted by thebigspendur

I don't see why a quality strop should leave deformations. It seems to me the issue is does the leather have some kind of artifact of sorts on it to cause the deformation. The fact leather may be stiffer or softer should have no bearing. Maybe because of feel differences in the leather you applied more pressure?

Someday I may treat myself to a good quality strop. Mine are basicaly latigo scraps that I found. Still, I like it better than the Illinois strops I used when I first started with straights.

It might be interesting to do it again on the new strop and see if they reappear? Maybe interesting?

I have never treated myself to a good quality strop either. violin get it?

Originally Posted by kevint

It might be interesting to do it again on the new strop and see if they reappear? Maybe interesting?

I have never treated myself to a good quality strop either. violin get it?

Hahaha!! All I know is that edge is very delicate and stropping away on any surface that is not perfectly smooth can and will hurt the edge to some degree. Common sense when you think about it but for sure there are strops out there that are not helping edges for the same reason. Just food for thought in our persuit of a better edge.
Looking back I had never been a large advocate of heavy stropping and pushed the honing equation to the limit, but with the right tool stropping will only help.