Strop not flat... ?

[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

[Hirlau]

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.

[eflatminor]

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?

[Ginger]

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 !

[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

[Obie]

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.

[Lesslemming]

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

[Ginger]

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.

[davemillard]

Glad it worked out!