Thread: Do's and Don'ts

Don't worryabout how slick the leather is. I recently got a new strop that's as slick as glass, and it has worked magic on my edges. I'd never have imagined such a thing if I hadn't experienced it.

Originally Posted by donv

Well, on Monday I received my modular paddle stro
....snip....
One thing though, the smooth leather that came with it is very nice, very smooth; too smooth.
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Smooth can be a good thing.
Smooth is something we all
strive for in one context or another.

The good news is you can get additional
bits of leather for the modular strop for
modest money.

I am not fully a fan of Fromm strop dressing, yet.
It has potential, so far it makes my strop too smooth and
hard and is difficult to apply as a thin coating. A little (1cc or 1/8tsp)
on your hand rub on your hand, wipe most off then rub
the leather. Someone said that a bottle was good for two
strops.... that must be for raw dry Tandy leather not
a good already correct working strop. I could be wrong.

Neatsfoot oil and a small spray bottle comes to mind.
Try it first on news paper. You want one layer
of news print to be oiled but the second
layer just below it little or none. At first any oil
will make the leather slicker then it will settle
in and be what it will be.

You can rub leather with brown paper... as in
brown paper grocery bag.

Good points raised here. You can actually lighten the pressure on a strop with heavy draw and get great results. That smoothness sometimes causes the use of less pressure when stropping which is usually a good thing.

Have fun.

I just received a new strop from Neil. Very expensive but WOW!! It produced a really nice edge first time I used it. Very thin but it is very impressive. I am on the waiting list for the other miller for one of his. It can't be better though.

Stingray

Originally Posted by tinkersd

I have been Str8 razor shaving for a couple three years now and somtimes my stropping technique just plain stinks. It's as if my dexteriry does away for one or two day's a week!! I don't know why but I have to at times even after all this time slow my stropping down and be very careful with each stroke, don't figure I'm the only one, but just maybe I am??
Most of the time though I do a fairly competent set of laps on my strop before a good shave, just not all the time.

I've found that if I am in a bad mood I use too much presure. That, to the point of actually rolling the edge and have to hone a bit.
Stingray