Thread: Beau Brummel "Scotch" Silk Finish- What is it?

Sounds like this finish on the linen was like the Dovo white paste or Thiers Issard paste for strops, a waxy chalky paste with a mild abrasive.

I haven't used those pastes, but if they have an abrasive too soft to tell that it's doing anything, that's probably accurate. The stickiness of the wax or whatever it is on this strop is pretty strong (it stays on the edge of a razor with some tenacity), and I'm only guessing that there is chalk or something in it because it's white.

Whatever it is, I'm a big fan, any doubts I had about whether or not it would be too harsh for a razor edge (it feels like it's ripping the edge apart) are long gone.