Kanayama Canvas...

Hey guys,

As some of you may know I ordered a 30k earlier this week. With all the rave reviews on the strop and great comments on how good the leather is...people tend not to say much about the canvas component...


First of.. Is it cotton or linen or something else? Second, what are your thoughts on its use and how it could be improved etc..


Thanks!

JF

I don't really know what it is, but IMO it doesn't need any improvement. It's a great solid canvas component that's apparently been tested and perfected over many years by Naomi-san.

I agree with heirkb. This canvas is great. Don't do anything to it! And certainly don't put any pastes on it. The same goes for the leather strop. Put nothing on the leather. You may want to massage it with the palms of your hand. See Kanayama Cordovan Strops: Strop Details and Care for care.

+1 on the fabric component. Not sure if it is linen or canvas but it is reminiscent of the vintage strops of bygone days. Good stuff IMO.

Thanks guys! I don't plan on putting any oil or pastes on this thing! I have a few older strops that can serve that purpose very well.

I don't know what the material is either. The Japanese word translates to fabric/canvas. I use it on all my full hollow razors and can find no fault.

JF, I'm sorry I just woke up and haven't had time to answer your PM. I'll just do it here.

The linen component is hard to name in English...it's a very stiff, coarse woven natural fabric. The Japanese word "Zukku" actually comes from a Dutch word "Zoek" (I think) meaning something like "Sail cloth" but I assure you, it is not any kind of sail cloth.

Some people find it a little too stiff and coarse for their tastes; unfortunately it has become impossible to source any softer linen in suitable sizes in Tokyo. This is the only linen I have ever used, so I can't really comment on how it compares to others...but it works for me. In my conversations with customers, I think perhaps more pressure than you would use with other strops will lead to the best results. It will maximize contact with the stiffer fabric

I hope this helps, and is not untoward in the eyes of the mods.

Yes it is unique stuff but works very well.