Thread: Breaking in a canvas strop

I got a cheap strop form Ebay where it states cow hide ot one side and canvas on the other but it ends up with SYNTHETIC LEATHER for the delivered goods instead of canvas.
To avoid arguments and time for return, I bought a small piece of 15oz canvas and stitched it on the piece of crappy man-made leather to make it a canvas strop. I read from CLASSICS SHAVING that some break in work has to be done of canvas before stropping, how many times should I on and off soap on the canvas? How does it feel when stropping for a properly broke in canvas strop?

The canvas or Linen strops I have never needed break-in but of course you made this yourself so it would depend what the strop is like. It's hard to describe but the material should be flexible and supple but still have a rough surface.

Thx for your reply! As I read form Classics Shaving the break in work is about rubbing in soap into the fabric of the canvas. Is the rationale of rubbing soap like to make the canvas as smooth as possible while maintaining some kind of roughness?

I think the original cloth strops were treated with chalk which is what made them stiff. The stiffness is native to the material. I have two TM strops and both are untreated Canvas and Linen and they are plenty rough as is my Kanamayama. I don't know about the soap though I know some guys do it.

I have done the Chalk routine with believe it or not spray starch, chalk, spray, chalk, spray, chalk, repeat until it feels right

Yes just plain old Chalkboard stuff

+++1 on the starch and chalk deal.
I watched a barber chalk a strop in the late 1980's.
I tried it and still use it to this day.