Interesting Development

I just wanted to share an experience I just had. I was fooling around with a piece of scrap

leather I have glued to a small strip of bass wood, first I sanded it with 600 grit and then I

threw just a bit of Hide Rejuvenator I got from Tandy a while back. What a difference! It

increased the draw almost too much (might be control issues on a hanging strop) but it also

took a razor that I thought needed honing to hanging hair sharp in a few strokes. I apologize

this is common knowledge, but I just wanted to share. I don't know if it made the leather

better for stropping or if the increased draw made me concentrate on my newbie form a

little more.

That is very cool. I just did something similar myself using shaving lather. The key challenge I face anytime I apply a strop treatment that will increase draw is ensuring the compound applied, is done so evenly, and the strops surface is completely flat when finished.

I used a dry washcloth rubbed vigorously over the strop to remove the excess compound and got spectacular shaving edges from my troubled strop. The improvement was enough to make me worry that a lot of people may not have a well treated strop, nor any idea what one should behave like.

I also advocate that a strop should work in only a few strokes, physics and our expectations demand some quality action for our time. I've never really felt comfortable with any stropping that left me unclear about the advantages or results.

I've been very happy with my results treating strops with lather. Sometimes I get some residue build-up on the blade, but the increase in draw and stropping results make it worth the trouble.