Noob strop question

Hi yall, after a year or so of using a "practice strop" I have finally gotten a kanayama 50000... I saw (somewhere, sorry cannot remember) that you were supposed to use the canvas side first, then the back (unfinished) then the front (finished)... it seems to make sense (as the canvas cleaned and prepared the razor, the backside would further prepare the razor for the front side which would leave a perfect edge...) So my question is what the heck are you supposed to do with the canvas while trying to strop on the back side, or is the backside business not even necessary? I will keep searching for where i found this at, and will update with a link if I find it... in the meantime, and advice would be greatly appreciated! Jim

Hey, Auto! the "backside business" as you call it is not necessary. Don't do it!

Trying to visualize, but it seems the backside would be difficult & dangerous to you, the razor and the strop if there's a canvas you have to hold back out of the way

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Originally Posted by KenWeir

Trying to visualize, but it seems the backside would be difficult & dangerous to you, the razor and the strop if there's a canvas you have to hold back out of the way

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Yup thats pretty much it.... i have to hold the strop up, so that the canvas lays down and strop up and down.... LOL ok, glad I wasn't just imagining that it was much tougher that it was LOL....

Thanks yall Jim

+1 on what maple said.

Use the canvas, then the smooth side of the leather for normal stropping.

For a slight but noticeable sharpening, use a separate leather strop with sharpening paste (or my favorite; fine slurry from a stone applied to the leather), then canvas, and then the smoothest leather strop you have. Good luck!