Thread: Strop not flat... ?

Hi

I have a small Dovo hanging strop and it is only flat for about the top third - the middle third is concave and the bottom third convex. meaning that there is very little contact of the blade with the strop.

How do I make it flat again ? Or do I just do as I was going to and get a larger strop for myself ?

Regards

I do not know; I'm sure that the experts will be on soon to reply.
But, I want to guess and see if it comes close to the experts;
I would soak the leather to it's maximum and find a way to flatten with "pressure" applied until it dries.
Can the metal be separated from the leather? This might open up options to dry it , for best results.

This reply was a W.A.G.---wild *ss guess. Now we will wait for the guys to reply.

Originally Posted by Ginger

Hi

I have a small Dovo hanging strop and it is only flat for about the top third - the middle third is concave and the bottom third convex. meaning that there is very little contact of the blade with the strop.

How do I make it flat again ? Or do I just do as I was going to and get a larger strop for myself ?

Regards

At the risk of stating something obvious, doesn't the strop become straight when you pull it?

Originally Posted by eflatminor

At the risk of stating something obvious, doesn't the strop become straight when you pull it?

Not even when I pull really hard. I've tried !

I had the same issue, and you would have to pull really hard to get it to be flat. I seem to have fixed mine: massage in some strop dressing front and back, and sort of form an opposite bow with the strop and pull down, mine was concave, so I "bent" it to form a convex shape, and pulled down the length of the strop. I did this a couple of times and it seems much flatter now. I had not been dressing the back side of the leather, and since it was hanging in the bathroom, that might have led to the problem or made it worse, so a little protection on the rough side might be the cure..
Since you have concave and convex, yours will be a little more difficult. Hard to put into words, hope it helps a little...good luck

Hello Ginger,

Here are some suggestions for you:

1. Lay the strop on a flat surface and pile several heavy books straight across on top for a day or so.
2. Do not hang the strop in the bathroom area, if the area is really humid, because humidity contributes to warping.
3. I don't think you need strop dressing, unless, of course, your strop is as dry as a prune. A better idea is to rub the strop with the palms of your hands every morning (before showering). The oils from your hands work wonders.

I guess what you are experiencing is referred to as "cupping" around here.
This is difficult to get rid of. Maybe you start a search on your own

What I sometimes du is slightly, ever so gently bend the strop to the opposite side, to make the surface slightly convex and pull itself flat

Originally Posted by davemillard

I had the same issue, and you would have to pull really hard to get it to be flat. I seem to have fixed mine: massage in some strop dressing front and back, and sort of form an opposite bow with the strop and pull down, mine was concave, so I "bent" it to form a convex shape, and pulled down the length of the strop. I did this a couple of times and it seems much flatter now. I had not been dressing the back side of the leather, and since it was hanging in the bathroom, that might have led to the problem or made it worse, so a little protection on the rough side might be the cure..
Since you have concave and convex, yours will be a little more difficult. Hard to put into words, hope it helps a little...good luck

Thanks davemillard - I got your reply and realised that the other day I had dressed the front for the first time and problems started subsequent - dressed the back, gave it a good bend and all seems good again. Thanks to you all for your input - and I'll stop keeping it in the damp cold bathroom as well.

Glad it worked out!