Thread: Balsa strops: when to use?

I have read a couple of posts of people using balsa strops. In all cases they used some sort of stropping compound. Is this the main use of a balsa strop? Why not use leather instead? My guess is that balsa is harder, so it can be more abrasive. But do you use a leather strop afterwards then, or does the balsa polish enough already?

As you might infer, I am slighlty confused . When to use leather and when to use balsa?

Leather is used before every shave, balsa with say Chromium Oxide is more of a touch-up. If you use just one razor every day, 5-10 laps on balsa/crox once a week can keep the razor going for a while.

Thanks, Blix. So you always use balsa with a stropping compound, never without it?

And what is the advantage of stropping with balsa + chromium oxide over stropping with leather + chromium oxide?

Originally Posted by evert67

Thanks, Blix. So you always use balsa with a stropping compound, never without it?

And what is the advantage of stropping with balsa + chromium oxide over stropping with leather + chromium oxide?

I use balsa with 0.50/0.25/0.125 CBN sprays sometimes.
Balsa is always used with a paste or spray on it, never by itself.

Leather before each shave is always used unpasted, just clean leather, I also use linen.

I tend to use CrOx on a leather strop, used after honing, and for refreshing now and then.
CroX on leather is a bit less aggressive than CrOx on balsa.
But for a weekly touch up that might be a good thing.(Balsa being a bit more effective)

When to use balsa????

Never !!!


People started using it as a way to test the pastes without having it invest in Leather or Felt strops or having to clean them up...

Balsa is cheap. It's relatively stiff even compared to a leather table strop or paddle strop and not subject to bad technique like a hanging strop. When daily stropping on unpasted leather no longer returns your razor to shave ready condition, stropping on pasted balsa followed by leather can return the edge to shave ready condition. After some weeks or months you will eventually need to put the razor on a hone. The balsa lengthens the time between honing cheaply and easily. With any luck, periodic use of pasted balsa will allow you to become a fairly accomplished straight user before you will need to either spring for a hone of your own or send your razor out.

Originally Posted by gssixgun

When to use balsa????

I know it doesn't make it good, but Dovo sell a pasted balsa strop in Europe.

I use a balsa loaded with Crox for quick touchups of razors. I also have 0.25 micron diamond on felt bench strop but never tried Crox on leather or anything else.

at the end of the day: Crox on balsa works and it was probably the best $20 I spent on wet shaving.

some people use them to finish honing but I don't do that myself, the reason: one may argue the legitimacy of this argument but I read an article by Jarrod at thesuperiorshave that stropping on pastes makes for an obtuse edge that is not the best. I myself use only 10 to 15 strokes (not laps) on Crox when my blades start pulling. and 40 laps on 0.25 micron diamond on felt.

it works very well for me but YMMV

My usual recommendation to beginners is to leave all hard or abrasive mediums out of the equation till confident stropping skills are mastered.

Yes touchups with abrasives can prolong honing time ... or not ... but they definitely will magnify any stropping errors tenfold.