Thread: Viraro and bovine leather strop

Originally Posted by Ordo

First post. Hello everyone.
I did this one for a friend. Measures: 40 x 10 x 3.8 cm.
My question is: Should he use Chromium Oxide or not?
Thanks.
.......

He should not need an abrasive on a leather surface
used as the day in day out strop.

Having said that:
I recall that Glenn did an experiment with a submicron pasted strop
and came away with the opinion that submicron paste lightly applied
to a leather strop used each day is just fine. This matches my experience.

CrOx is very green... If you have a choice I might recommend
CeOx (Cerium Oxide) or just 0.25micron diamond spray. I do not like
the green mess but it does polish steel well.

I recently applied some Dovo Strop Paste, Red and Black Two Part Set
to one of my Tandy home made strops to see how it acts. I like
it and when gently applied and fully rubbed on the leather gives the leather
a classic leather look that I like a lot more than the green of CrOx.

In all cases a pasted strop gets grey to black with use so in the
end it hardly matters that I dislike the green of CrOx.

I am inclined to think that the Dovo Strop Paste
is under appreciated. The fat in it gave me a
good draw/ feel on the strop.

My two cents it that he use it clean and unpasted for a
while.

Later if he thinks he wants an abrasive he should start
with a very fine paste at first.

Also with time and use a strop will gather small bits of steel that will oxidize
over time, so any strop will develop a "sub-micron" abrasive load
of steel/ iron oxide and carbides. A light application (dusting)
of a starter sub-micron abrasive will get this process started quicker.

My preference in this case is a fine touch of Cerium Oxide that Glen sells
in the classified.

I should note Dovo Strop Paste (red/black) is under evaluated
and under appreciated. I found Dovo Strop Paste at my local
cutlery store and did not have to pay shipping.

Diamond spray is a bit expensive but also works well but might
prove a bit harsh compared to CeOx or CrOx of the same micron
size. Finer is better with diamond.

In the end it is the shave test that is important. Each of us
has a different face and whiskers.


PS: beautiful.. If I had room I would want one.

Originally Posted by zib

A daily use strop is normally hanging, like you'd see in an old Barber shop, I think the hanging strops are much faster to use on a daily basis.

Why? Is there a reason for that?

Originally Posted by niftyshaving

He should not need an abrasive on a leather surface
used as the day in day out strop.

Having said that:
I recall that Glenn did an experiment with a submicron pasted strop
and came away with the opinion that submicron paste lightly applied
to a leather strop used each day is just fine. This matches my experience.

CrOx is very green... If you have a choice I might recommend
CeOx (Cerium Oxide) or just 0.25micron diamond spray. I do not like
the green mess but it does polish steel well.

I recently applied some Dovo Strop Paste, Red and Black Two Part Set
to one of my Tandy home made strops to see how it acts. I like
it and when gently applied and fully rubbed on the leather gives the leather
a classic leather look that I like a lot more than the green of CrOx.

In all cases a pasted strop gets grey to black with use so in the
end it hardly matters that I dislike the green of CrOx.

I am inclined to think that the Dovo Strop Paste
is under appreciated. The fat in it gave me a
good draw/ feel on the strop.

My two cents it that he use it clean and unpasted for a
while.

Later if he thinks he wants an abrasive he should start
with a very fine paste at first.

Also with time and use a strop will gather small bits of steel that will oxidize
over time, so any strop will develop a "sub-micron" abrasive load
of steel/ iron oxide and carbides. A light application (dusting)
of a starter sub-micron abrasive will get this process started quicker.

My preference in this case is a fine touch of Cerium Oxide that Glen sells
in the classified.

I should note Dovo Strop Paste (red/black) is under evaluated
and under appreciated. I found Dovo Strop Paste at my local
cutlery store and did not have to pay shipping.

Diamond spray is a bit expensive but also works well but might
prove a bit harsh compared to CeOx or CrOx of the same micron
size. Finer is better with diamond.

In the end it is the shave test that is important. Each of us
has a different face and whiskers.


PS: beautiful.. If I had room I would want one.

Lots of info. Thanks.

Still having problems. Balsa wood has like veins, is not an even, smooth surface.
I did this one, and i'm not liking it. Lots of work. May be it's too wide?